As characters onArrowhave beenleaving, so too are some of the show’s executives.THRreports thatArrowshowrunnerMarc Guggenheimwill be moving over to a consulting position for that series andLegends of Tomorrow, whileWendy Mericlewill be exiting the Arrowverse altogether.Beth Schwartzis being promoted toArrowshowrunner, whilePhil Klemmerwill become the sole showrunner ofLegends(which he co-executive produced with Guggenheim in the past).
Neither Guggenheim nor Mericle have yet released statements about the changes (though Guggenheim did Tweet “Going out with a bang,” as the show concludes shooting its season finale), but these changes come just several months after the other major Arrowverse shakeup whenAndrew Kreisberg(EP ofThe FlashandSupergirl) wasfiredfollowing sexual harassment allegations. In the wake of his removal,Todd Helbingbecame the showrunner forThe Flash, whileRobert RovnerandJessica Quellerbecame co-showrunners ofSupergirl.Black Lightning, which has yet to become part of the connected universe (and maybe it shouldstay that way), is still part of theseGreg Berlantigroup of shows, but also won’t see a change, asSalim Akilwill remain showrunner there.
Super-producer Berlanti said in a statement about Schwartz (who started off as his assistant duringEverwood):
“We are all so incredibly thrilled to announce Beth Schwartz as the new showrunner of Arrow. She has been a source of some of the show’s most exciting and memorable moments from the beginning. Beth is a true leader and a captivating storyteller, and we all can’t wait for the audience to see what she and her team dream up as they take Arrow into its next big chapter.”
The change in showrunner here could also really help infuse some new life intoArrow, which has been lagging in its sixth season – something that Guggenheimrecently admitted. As forLegends of Tomorrow, well, in Klemmer we trust! He’s been with it since the beginning and hasn’t been afraid tochange things upyear to year for the good of the show.
Let us know your thoughts on the shakeup, and what you think it could mean forArrow’s future;Arrowcurrently airs Thursday nights on The CW.
