The CW Dims The Lights On ‘Stargirl’; Series Cancelled After Three Seasons
by Erik Amaya
To an extent, this felt inevitable, but it is nonetheless sad to hear that Stargirl has been cancelled.
According to Deadline, the producers of the series were given “early indication that this might be the final season and to write an ending that would reflect that.” So, at least, it will not feel as cut off as the endings of Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow. At the same time, the move reflects the shifting priorities of The CW as it transitions into the network its new owner, Nexstar Media Group, wants it to be. Across the last 18 months, when the Nexstar first became the potential suitor for the channel formerly co-owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global (or whatever both corporations’ previous names were), The CW’s emphasis on DC superheroes was curtailed. Freshman series Naomi, Batwoman, and Legends were all cancelled in quick succession with The Flash announcing its ninth season would be its last. The same is also true of the Archie Comics-inspired Riverdale. In the end, only Superman & Lois and the upcoming Gotham Knights will hold the line in 2023, but we expect both series may also end up quickly cancelled as Nexstar seeks a lower operating budget dominated by “unscripted” series and Canadian imports like Family Law.
The signs of Stargirl‘s end were there if you knew where to look. Star Brec Bassigner took a trip to Toronto to film a crossover (or two) with the DC shows produced there. Meanwhile, co-star Yvette Monreal and recurring star Joel McHale booked new shows in recent months, indicating the cast was allowed to look for other work in the likely event of cancellation.
Stargirl‘s most recent season sees Courtney (Bassinger) and the Justice Society of America attempting to solve the mystery of the Gambler’s (Eric Goins) death. It has been a slow-burn affair with all of the likely suspects moved off the table as of last week’s episode. But with only five episodes of the series remaining, the truth should soon become clear. After that, who knows what will happen to the characters. As it happens, every DC show is entering a state of Crisis with both the CW and HBO Max realigning their priorities and incoming DC Studios CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran attempting to chart a new course for the DC Media Mutliverse.
Stargirl airs Wednesdays on The CW through December 7th.