Only a few years ago, DC Entertainment had strict restrictions in place for keeping its television franchises separate from its film franchises, in order to largely eliminate the existence of multiple live-action versions of the same characters. With the company's projects being so numerous now, the urge to keep the universe's distinct is less of a distressing issue. But is everyone so easy-going that Birds of Prey could become a new Arrow-verse drama on The CW at the same time a feature film is in the works?
With The CW's flagship superhero series Arrow coming to a close in early 2020 with the conclusion of Season 8, the entire ensemble cast will be available for new projects. There's a decent chance that at least one of the main stars will get embraced by another series within the Arrow-verse, and there's also a possibility that executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti will attempt to create a new series from Arrow's ashes.
Some fans are hoping for a spinoff that further develops Arrow's future timeline in 2040 and beyond, focusing on Katherine McNamara's Mia and Joseph David-Jones' Connor Hawke, among others. Others, meanwhile, continue hoping for The CW to realize that Birds of Prey is the best and most logical follow-up series to be developed out of the Arrow-verse's current lineup, especially considering there have been several episodes centered on the female heroes teaming up.
READ: Could Arrow’s John Diggle Star In His Own Spinoff? Here’s What David Ramsey Told Us
Katie Cassidy Rodgers has portrayed two versions of Arrow's Laurel Lance over the years, which means she's also served as the franchise's first Black Canary, and then its somewhat moral villain Black Siren. The actress is getting behind the camera for the first time in Season 8, as the director for Episode 3. While promoting the episode, Cassidy Rodgers spoke with Newsarama and said she has talked with CW execs about a Birds of Prey TV show. In her words:
I've pitched it. I think they should. It's time for women. Come on, we've got this.
Not much light was shed on how well that pitch session went, but it's likely that the network wouldn't have tipped a hat too far in any particular direction, as not to get the rumor train running too quickly. Katie Cassidy Rodgers didn't share any overtly negative impressions about it, so for the time being, Birds of Prey's TV chances can get filed in the "Possible, Not Probable" folder.
If Joss Whedon's big-budgeted Birds of Prey movie wasn't already in existence – it's currently in reshoots-mode with John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski adding his talents for action sequences – then I'd be far more optimistic about The CW taking its chances with a TV version of the female hero squad.
The show's chances of coming into existence might even be stronger if Katie Cassidy Rodgers is specifically part of the creative team that would put it together. With her first directorial effort behind her, Cassidy Rodgers wants to keep expanding her creative side. Speaking about her initial hesitance to direct an Arrow episode, she said this:
At first, I was like, 'No, never. I don’t want to run this ship. It’s way too big.' But then when I’m seeing my friends doing it - thriving and learning. Now it is something I’m considering. But I also write and that’s something I really want to pursue.
It would be a change of pace for The CW to order up a spinoff co-created by one of the Arrow-verse's stars, as opposed to the franchise's expansive list of producers and showrunners, and it's a change that has a certain amount of promise. In a perfect world, Katie Cassidy Rodgers has one of the ideal minds capable of telling long-form Birds of Prey stories, considering she's been enveloped in that world for most of the past eight years. In any case, she'd definitely have some unique insights into the process.
Lots of other questions would get risen by an announcement about a Birds of Prey TV show, of course. One of the biggest ones would definitely revolve around the involvement of Caity Lotz's Sara Lance, who is currently heading up Legends of Tomorrow. Her interest in joining a third Arrow-verse show might also grease the wheels a little. She did return to Arrow for the most recent "Birds of Prey" episode, so it's possible she'd be down for a long-term project.
While we probably won't hear anything concrete about a TV version of Birds of Prey for a while, fans should still keep the conversations going to prove to The CW that this project has everyone's full support, at least in theory. Prove to them that we don't want Katie Cassidy Rodgers & Co. to go away forever just because Arrow is. (Though not until after the big "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover, of course.)
The eighth and final season of Arrow will debut on The CW on Tuesday, September 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
