Gotham Knights season 2 won’t be moving forward at The CW. This cancellation isn’t shocking as the show seemed to struggle from the start. Despite a talented cast and a fan-favorite Batman lore, Gotham Knights did not find the viewers it needed to be considered successful.
Even though Gotham Knights was shown on The CW, it wasn’t part of the Arrowverse. Instead, it became part of The CW’s first big attempt to break away completely from the Arrowverse after it was shared that Superman & Lois was not set on Earth-Prime. The plot of Gotham Knights saw the death of Batman, and followed his son and the children of notable Batman villains as they try to find out who killed Bruce Wayne. Before getting cancelled, the show had started to set up storylines for what could have been season 2 of Gotham Knights.
Gotham Knights Strayed Too Far From The Original Source
Gotham Knights faced challenges right from the start. The original comic books focused on Batman and his extended family which included Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Alfred Pennyworth, Catwoman and more. However, the main character of Gotham Knights is Turner Hayes, Bruce Wayne’s adopted son, a new character created just for the show. The show also includes lesser-known characters from Gotham, like the Row siblings, Carrie Kelley, and the Joker’s daughter.
The mix of lesser-known and new characters didn’t go over well at first. The first Gotham Knights trailer made things worse. It didn’t show many of the usual Batman costumes or places, which upset fans. The show’s ads suggested it was more of a teen drama show, similar to Riverdale, instead of a superhero show like Arrow or Batwoman. The timing of the Gotham Knights video game didn’t help either. The game, which came out around the same time, includes popular characters like Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin. The TV version of Gotham Knights did try to offer a fresh look at Gotham’s stories, but it wasn’t enough to make up for the early negative reactions, leading to the show eventually getting cancelled.
Changes And Cuts At The CW Led To The Cancellation Of Gotham Knights Season 2
The decision to cancel Gotham Knights ahead of Season 2 comes at a time when The CW is making big changes and cutting costs. A new owner, Nexstar Media Group, took over The CW in late 2022 and has started to change the network’s approach to its shows. The CW is planning to cut back on scripted shows and start focusing on other types of content. While they won’t completely stop making scripted shows, they are reducing the number of drama series they air. To give an idea of the scale of these changes, The CW cancelled eight scripted shows from the summer of 2022 to 2023, and Gotham Knights was one of them.
The 2023 cancellations at The CW also include well-known shows like The Flash, The Winchesters, and Walker, Independence, which were all spin-offs of popular CW shows, showing that no series was safe from being cancelled. These cancellations aren’t just about ratings or reviews; they’re part of The CW’s bigger plan for its shows. It remains to be seen how this will play out in the long run.