Arrow spinoff with McNamara, Cassidy & Harkavy set for a CW backdoor pilot

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

The CW is looking to land another bullseye by introducing fans of their superhero pantheon to another ARROW spinoff toplined by Katherine McNamara, Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy. Naturally, each of the aforementioned women will be reprising their ARROW roles for the new series, with McNamara playing Mia Smoak/Green Arrow; Cassidy starring as Laurel Lance/Black Siren; and Harkavy stepping out as Dinah Drake/Black Canary.

The CW boss Mark Pedowitz had previously teased the triumphant trifecta getting their own show at TCA, though now it appears as if the project is official and ready to take flight. The project, which of course hails from Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros Television, will be introduced via a backdoor pilot that is set to be included as part of ARROW's eighth and final season. What's a backdoor pilot you ask? It's essentially a way of introducing the team in an episode of an existing program (ARROW in this case) without having to re-explain the setup for the new show. The episode will be written by Beth Schwartz, Marc Guggenheim, Jill Blankenship and Oscar Balderrama.

Standing tall as the center target of the new show will be Mia Smoak, who was introduced via the Season 7 episode of ARROW titled "Star City 2040." She's the daughter of Oliver Queen and is just as keen with a bow and arrow as her sharp-shooting father. She's also billed as quite the smart cookie, which must have come from her mother's side: Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) aka Overwatch.

“The fact that seven years ago, we introduced Arrow, who would have thought it would have spawned six shows, a whole universe that they managed to create. It’s quite a remarkable feat,” said Pedowitz. “We believe these franchises, this universe will continue for many years, so it’s important to ensure that you have characters that will keep the fans coming back. How that universe plays out, time will tell,” he added.

Just when you thought it was over for ARROW, the CW has found a way to pull us all back in. What do you think? Are you excited to follow Mia Smoak's Green Arrow and the Canaries onto another adventure? What characters do you hope to see introduced in the new show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.