Arrow is leaving the Arrowverse, but thanks to its final season and Crisis on Infinite Earths, Green Arrow and the Canaries joining the franchise makes for a strong addition. The DC TV universe has been going through major changes in the current season, primarily with the Stephen Amell-led drama ending. The 5-part crossover was also a prominent part of the Arrowverse, as it allowed a new phase to begin. With a new chapter for Greg Berlanti’s DC TV lineup starting comes new stories and characters. In the case of Arrow, it has been paving the way for its final spinoff that will center on his daughter Mia Queen (Kat McNamara) as the new Green Arrow. But she won’t be alone, as the two Black Canaries, Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy), are leading the potential spin-off together with Mia.
Following the crossover, Arrow’s penultimate episode, titled after the spinoff, was utilized to set up the female team-up series. Set in a new version of Star City in 2040, thanks to Crisis on Infinite Earths, viewers got a taste of the potential show. The CW has yet to officially announce a series order for Green Arrow and the Canaries, despite the network already giving Superman and Lois an early pick-up. However, with the backdoor pilot scoring season-high viewership following Crisis and the concept being supported by enthusiastic fans, The CW has a lot to take into account. The spinoff was the first new DC show that the network put into development prior to Arrow season 8 even premiering.
Should it go to series, Green Arrow and the Canaries would officially be the Arrowverse’s first series set in the future. The backdoor pilot re-establishes Mia before gaining her memories back on the pre-Crisis timeline that helps her get back on the hero path. Uniting with Laurel and Dinah, the trio forms a partnership as the episode teases the first season’s main threat. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths and Arrow ending its run, Green Arrow and the Canaries is a welcomed addition to the Arrowverse. Outside of its future setting, the spinoff offers several exciting opportunities as a DC TV show.
Arrowverse’s Green Arrow Legacy Lives Properly Through Mia Queen
Following Arrow’s debut in 2012, the Oliver Queen series was the beginning of one of the most successful multi-franchises in TV and film. It paved the way for additional shows to join the growing comic book media genre with The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman. But, with Crisis on Infinite Earths being Oliver’s final adventure, the mantle of the Green Arrow was properly passed on to Mia. Given that Green Arrow was not only the character to start this franchise, but literally create the new Multiverse, having a new Emerald Archer around keeps that legacy alive.
Since her introduction in Arrow season 7 and her growing role in the final season, Mia’s addition to the shows has been refreshing. Not only does Mia provide the chance of following a female Green Arrow, but also celebrating the best parts of Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver. Through the big crossover, Mia becomes an even more compelling character, essentially having the memories of two different lives. It makes Oliver and Felicity’s daughter a unique player in the Arrowverse, as that comes with its own set of challenges.
While Mia is the character to mainly represent Star City in the future, having the spinoff set in 2040 lets the Arrowverse play with other players in that timeline. It could be someone like William Clayton-Queen (Ben Lewis) or any of the main Arrowverse heroes doing guest spots from time to time. Because the crossover reset Star City’s 2040 structure: the spinoff gets a chance to do something different compared to the Arrow flash-forwards in the last two seasons. But Mia will and should always be the primary focus when it comes to presenting the 2040 element.
Laurel Lance’s Black Canary Gets a Bigger Role That Arrow Never Gave Her
Dinah Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) had a roller coaster of a journey throughout Arrow’s run. While the Earth-1 version of the Black Canary was killed off in Arrow season 4, Laurel’s presence kept going when the Earth-2 version came in. Starting out as the villainous Black Siren, it took roughly three seasons for this Laurel to get redeemed as she is now one of the new Black Canaries. However, Arrow didn’t necessarily allow the character to be fully realized and utilized as there was a lot of unused potential. Despite several major moments and stories with both Laurels, there is more that can be done with Cassidy’s Black Canary.
With Green Arrow and the Canaries, Laurel is getting the opportunity that Arrow didn’t give her as a character. After eight years, Laurel takes on a bigger role with the foundation of the spinoff primarily coming through her in the backdoor pilot. While there are certainly questions left to be answered about this version of Laurel, the former villainess-turned-hero gets to be fleshed out further. Given Laurel’s history in Oliver’s life, having her connect with his daughter gives this Black Canary another refreshing layer, as well as a different dynamic with this particular Queen.
Even though the journey began rocky, Arrow letting Laurel live on through Green Arrow and the Canaries sets her on what could be a compelling path for several seasons. In addition to Crisis on Infinite Earths, it opened the door for new story opportunities and more character growth for Laurel. Since this incarnation of Laurel is from another Earth, the spinoff could theoretically play around with the new Multiverse down the line. With Green Arrow and the Canaries envisioned as an ensemble series, ideally it guarantees Laurel to stand as one of the principal characters this time around.
Crisis Shakes-Up 2040 Timeline, Giving Dinah Drake A New Fascinating Role
Through the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, it essentially rebooted the Arrowverse’s past, present, and future. In the case of Star City in 2040, the backdoor pilot establishes a new version of Oliver’s home city in the future. While Laurel and Mia had their lives affected by the Crisis, so did Dinah on a more shattered level. Because of the Crisis, Dinah’s history as the Black Canary and SCPD’s Police Captain has been erased, since her existence is no longer what it used to be. Given how she mysteriously ends up in 2040 following Arrow’s series finale, the spinoff already gives Dinah a new intriguing role in the Arrowverse.
Outside of working together with Laurel and Mia, Dinah is set on a path that gives the show’s second Canary a personal arc. Whoever it was that sent her to 2040 is one of Green Arrow and the Canaries’ biggest mysteries that directly involve Dinah’s new status. Whether Dinah is connected to the mysterious foe at the end of the episode remains to be seen. Through her journey on Arrow, it prepared Dinah to live on through the spinoff as she is still relatively new to the Arrowverse following her season 5 debut.
With the combination of telling a story in the Arrowverse’s post-Crisis future and being centered on a trio of strong heroines, Green Arrow and the Canaries is a powerful idea as a series. Along with the female heroes from the other shows, this trio getting their own adventure is a perfect addition for the franchise. The spinoff is The CW’s way to finally have a Birds of Prey-esque series through the two Canaries, while also getting to tell a new Green Arrow story with Mia and keeping Arrow’s legacy alive.
