The CW cancels 'Stargirl,' as network continues to axe much of its DC and Arrowverse series

The CW has said goodbye to another of its DC Comics-inspired shows. Deadline reports that Stargirl, the superhero series centered around the title character (Brec Bassinger) and her team of superhero allies, will end with its third season on the network, signaling yet another major change as CW leadership transfers over to its new owner, Nexstar Media Group.

The series will end this December with its Season 3 finale, leaving Superman & Lois as the only currently airing DC Comics show still ongoing at the network. The Flash will return for a shortened final season next year, and Gotham Knights will soon debut, but otherwise the CW's once-robust DC offerings are looking very thin indeed at the moment. Fortunately, according to Deadline, the show's writers were given advance notice that this might be their last hurrah, so adjustments were made to at least make this final run of episodes feel like a series finale.

“Getting to play Stargirl and be a part of the DC Universe has been the greatest honor, and I am so grateful for every moment of it," Bassinger said in a statement. "I would like to thank our fearless leader Geoff Johns, along with WBTV, The CW, the cast and crew of Stargirl, and of course, the fans. Thank you. This show will forever live in my heart.”

Stargirl debuted as an offering on the short-lived DC Universe streaming service before becoming a CW exclusive with its second, and now it sounds like the series is done for good. The CW has already trimmed quite a few major series in light of the Nexstar acquisition, and the network is preparing to reboot with many timeslots filled with less-expensive unscripted programming and older-skewing shows that are a bit less teen-focused that the traditional CW fare. The changes have already led to numerous genre series either getting cancelled or getting final season orders, including Riverdale, Roswell, New Mexico, Nancy Drew, Batwoman, and of course, DC's Legends of Tomorrow. 

What this means for the DC-branded shows on the network still isn't clear. Back in May, CW head Mark Pedowitz noted that the network intends to keep working on new properties in its Arrowverse series of DC shows, but that priority could shift quickly, and with the cancellation of Stargirl it's easy to start wondering what will happen to the other shows left afloat. The third season of Superman & Lois has yet to premiere, and Gotham Knights won't arrive until next year, when we'll also get the final season of The Flash. Will the next pilot season bring with it more DC Comics shows for the network, or will The CW keep leaning away from its superhero past? Time will tell, but with Stargirl ending, it's easy to feel like that era of the network is slipping away.

The final episodes of Stargirl will air Wednesdays on The CW.

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