The CW Network is already working on several new Arrowverse and DC TV shows for the next TV season. 2020 has been something of a shake-up for The CW’s massive DC TV franchise following the huge crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Not only did Arrow officially come to an end after 8 long seasons, but two more shows are on their way out. Supergirl season 6 and Black Lightning season 4 will be each show's respective final seasons as they bow out in 2021.
But the network isn’t done with bringing DC characters to life any time soon, especially after the latest five-part event essentially extended the Arrowverse’s longevity. Most of the shows will be back in late January or early February, as the global pandemic caused The CW to delay a lot of their series until 2021. But despite not having aired any new episodes yet of their returning Arrowverse shows, The CW is already preparing for the 2021-2022 TV season.
As the pilot season is still happening, the network has been announcing a number of new DC TV properties that are in various stages. While nothing has been picked up to series yet, this is every new Arrowverse and DC TV show that is in the works on The CW, as well as those that are about to make their debut officially.
Superman & Lois
The first new Arrowverse show that is arriving on The CW is Superman & Lois, as Tyler Hoechlin's Man of Steel and Elizabeth Tulloch's Lois Lane take the spotlight. Unlike the previous Superman TV shows and films, this series will follow Lois and Clark dealing with the challenges of parenthood as they raise two teenage sons. The Arrowverse spinoff will focus on Jonathan (Jordan Elsass) and Jordan Kent (Alexander Garfin) who were teased in Crisis on Infinite Earths after the creation of Earth-Prime. While the iconic couple was seen having just baby Jon before the Crisis, the reboot of the Multiverse changed their history so that they have now always had two sons instead. Superman & Lois will premiere in February 2021 on Tuesday nights at 9 PM right after The Flash as the Arrowverse's latest DC TV spinoff. While Superman & Lois is The CW's first official new DC TV show that is slated for 2021, the network is also prepping a few new superhero dramas for the following TV season.
Painkiller
Despite Black Lightning coming to an end, it’s not necessarily over for one of the show’s long-time characters, Khalil Payne a.k.a. Painkiller. The CW is eying a spinoff series for Jordan Calloway’s character that has now officially gotten an order for a backdoor pilot. Painkiller would follow Khalil’s adventures as an anti-hero in Akashic Valley whilst dealing with his inner darker side. The backdoor pilot will air as episode 7 in Black Lightning season 4, which is set to be shown sometime in March. Should Painkiller go to series, it’d be executive produced by Black Lightning creator/showrunner Salim Akil. It is especially notable for the larger franchise, as this would also be the first Arrowverse series to center on an anti-hero as opposed to a traditional superhero. Whether or not Painkiller would feature any other Black Lightning characters remains to be seen, but it's possible that it will, as the latter show will be ending after season 4.
Wonder Girl
While Wonder Woman has been teased in the Arrowverse before, a different Amazon is possibly on her way to The CW at last. The network is currently developing Wonder Girl from Queen of the South executive producer Dailyn Rodriguez. While Donna Troy and Cassie Sandsmark are traditionally known as Wonder Girl, the series would follow Yara Flor who is about to debut as a new Wonder Woman in DC Future State. Wonder Girl’s series synopsis teases Yara, who is the daughter of an Amazonian Warrior and a Brazilian River God, discovering her inner hero and uses her powers to protect the world from evil. This would be the first time The CW does an Arrowverse show based on a character that wouldn't have been in the comics for that long. Should Wonder Girl go to series, it could be an opportunity to follow-up on the various Wonder Woman Easter eggs that have been dropped in the Arrowverse in the past few seasons.
Related: Theory: Wonder Girl Is Set In Arrowverse's Future (With A New Green Arrow)
Naomi
Not only is Ava DuVernay set to direct New Gods as well as developing DC’s DMZ for HBO Max, but she’s also getting involved with The CW. DuVernay and Arrow executive producer Jill Blankenship are developing Naomi as a DC drama for the network. Naomi, created by Brian Michael Bendis, would follow Naomi McDuffie’s life in a small Northwestern town as she goes on a journey to “the heights of the multiverse.” After her hometown is shaken up by a supernatural event, Naomi goes on a path to discover “its origins” with answers that will challenge everyone’s beliefs about heroes. Based on the synopsis, the teenage heroine, who debuted in DC in 2019, may possibly live on an alternative Earth in the Arrowverse Multiverse.
Naomi would be the latest teenage superhero show to join the line-up if it goes to series, joining the latest newcomer Stargirl that will officially be exclusive to The CW for the second season. It'd also be the second new DC TV show, post-Crisis, to be set on an alternative Earth, as it does sound like Naomi isn't set on Earth-Prime, at least right now. But due to the heroes of Earth-Prime not knowing that there is a new Multiverse, to begin with, it could potentially set up some intriguing crossovers between the Arrowverse and Naomi. While Arrowverse founder and executive producer Greg Berlanti is attached to Wonder Girl, he has no involvement with Painkiller and Naomi, as they're being produced by other production companies.
Given that these projects are in early stages - except Painkiller which will air its backdoor pilot in a few months - it'll be quite the wait until The CW decides which does and doesn't go to series. Normally, new shows get picked up to series around April and May, although Superman & Lois snagged a straight-to-series order as early as January of this year. So it's always possible that the new DC shows get faster updates in 2021 regarding if they'll join the Arrowverse slate or not for the next TV season. But as the Arrowverse enters its next phase, new DC TV shows will inevitably join the line-up in the coming months.