CW’s New Bosses on Why ‘Superman & Lois’ Ended: Is James Gunn and DC Studios To Blame?

James Gunn recently took over the DC Universe alongside Peter Safran, and they are working on creating an interconnected narrative that aims to compete with the MCU in the superhero market.

However, Gunn’s takeover has led to the cancellation of several projects. While he isn’t responsible for all the cancellations, he is directly linked to one significant recent cancellation.

We’re referring to Superman & Lois, a beloved show from the CW that is currently airing its final season. With the season’s finale, both the series and the entire Arrowverse will come to an end.

In a recent interview, the new leadership at CW discussed the changing market and the network’s future. They also shared some intriguing details about Superman & Lois, suggesting that James Gunn is partly to blame for its cancellation, although he is not the only factor involved.

CW’s new president, Dennis Miller, and entertainment chief, Brad Schwartz, recently gave an insightful interview to The Wrap where they discussed changes at the CW after a shift in ownership that led to budget cuts.

The network will now focus on live sports, unscripted programming, and broad-appeal series instead of expensive superhero shows, which directly resulted in the “death” of the Arrowverse.

Superman & Lois managed to survive these budget cuts, but only just; the series was renewed for a final season with fewer episodes and, consequently, less content due to reduced funding. Despite the series performing well—something Schwartz confirmed—he added, “They don’t want a competing Superman product in the marketplace.”

This indicates that Warner Bros., representing the DCU, requested the show’s cancellation. With Gunn’s Superman movie set to release next year, its success is crucial for the DCU’s future. It’s understandable that Gunn wouldn’t want a competing project focusing on the same character, especially one as successful as Superman & Lois.

While it was a pragmatic business decision, it left many fans disappointed. So yes, it can be argued that James Gunn is at least partly responsible for the show’s cancellation. However, this doesn’t guarantee that CW would have renewed the show for a fifth season, but it does clarify the situation, which is always beneficial.

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