The Arrow-verse's inaugural show is set to end after a shortened eighth season, but that doesn't necessarily mean all of Arrow's characters will be out of commission. Certain twists of Arrow Season 7 have prompted fans to wonder if a spinoff is in the works, with the future-set "Star City 2040" feeling an awful lot like a backdoor pilot.
Showrunner Beth Schwartz is notoriously tight on spoilers, but she did drop some comments that give the impression that Arrow spinoff chances are pretty good. Here's what she had to say about the flash-forward episode:
It was definitely meant to grow the world that we had already built and to see the next generation of what Oliver and Felicity and our present-day team have worked so hard for, and sort of see what happens in the future. We love those characters and would love to see them go on in some capacity after the show’s over... We were so happy, internally, about how it came out. We kinda love our future story.
Although Beth Schwartz's comments to TVLine are hardly confirmation that an Arrow continuation will definitely happen once Arrow ends next season, her statement about the flash-forward characters that they would "love to see them go on in some capacity" following Arrow's conclusion is a big reason to hope.
Now, could she simply be referring to Mia Smoak and her future-set friends appearing on the other Arrow-verse shows, which have all been renewed for full new seasons? Sure. Still, she didn't explicitly rule out a spinoff, and the stage is seemingly set.
For one thing, The CW could have some openings in the next TV season or the one after. Both Arrow and Supernatural are ending after the 2019-2020 TV season, with Arrow likely concluding before the end of the year, perhaps with the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover.
iZombie, Jane the Virgin, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend are all ending this season; The 100, Roswell, and All American have yet to have their fates decided. (It's worth noting that The 100's sixth season doesn't premiere until later this month.) The CW could have room for an Arrow spinoff in the lineup, especially if it receives a shorter season order. It's worked for Legends of Tomorrow, and an Arrow spinoff could actually be a bit of a Legends-esque show. Probably fewer shenanigans, though.
If the potential spinoff would be set in the future and star Katherine McNamara as Mia Smoak, it would presumably also feature William Clayton and Connor Hawke. Given its likely setting sometime around 2040, it could also feature a Nora West-Allen who (finally) returned to her own time after spending a couple years complicating the timeline years with her parents.
Why not throw in the super-kids of other Arrow-verse heroes? Or maybe even some Legends who are ready to stay in one time? Even with Batwoman likely joining the Arrow-verse, there could still be room for an Arrow spinoff. Would it really be right if the "Arrow-verse" doesn't include some form of Arrow? Maybe Roy could stick around. Felicity almost certainly won't be an option.
Only time will tell if the Mia Smoak-centric spinoff does actually happen. At the very least, Beth Schwartz's comments give reason to be optimistic about some of these Arrow characters continuing after Arrow, even if only via appearances on The Flash or Legends of Tomorrow.
For now, you can count on the next new episode of Arrow hitting the airwaves on Monday, April 15 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The episode will be the Birds of Prey-esque episode that has been in the works for a while, but it may not go the way you expected.
