Outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you could argue that the most successful superhero franchise of the past decade is the Arrowverse (or CWverse, whatever they’re calling it nowadays). Starting with “Arrow” a number of years ago, the franchise has spunoff into a number of other series, and the universe has had multiple “Avengers”-esque crossovers. But that doesn’t mean that the Arrowverse is one big happy family, at least not creatively. And with the debut of its newest series, “Superman and Lois,” around the corner, it would appear that there is a bit of drama behind-the-scenes.
Recently, writer Nadria Tucker, who was part of the writers’ room on “Superman and Lois,” tweeted about her experience on the show and why she was let go from the CW series. And it would appear the writer blames the fact that she was outspoken about story issues with female and POC characters that led to her dismissal.
In a tweet, the writer said, “Some personal news: Wednesday I got word that my contract on Superman and Lois won’t be extended, my services no longer needed, my outline and draft subpar (obviously I disagree with that last bit lol). This, after months of me flagging #metoo jokes in dialogue, of me defending the Bechdel test, of me FIGHTING to ensure the only Black faces on screen aren’t villains, of me pitching stories for female characters (there’s one in the title of the series!) that went ignored.”
She added, “If I sound bitter, it’s because this one stings. I’ve been assured by colleagues that I was great in the room, so I know I’m not nuts. I debated whether to post this but my own mental wellbeing demands that I do. The only way shit changes is to expose it.”
Without a statement from the producers of the series and/or The CW, it’s hard to dispute what she’s saying. Especially considering that we have yet to see any footage from the upcoming “Superman and Lois” series. However, if true, this is just the latest black eye to hit the Arrowverse and the larger CW family in recent years, which makes Tucker’s claims all the more disconcerting.
In 2017, prominent Arrowverse writer-producer, Andrew Kreisberg, was fired after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against him. He was a longtime member of the creative brainstrust behind the Arrowverse, serving as an Executive producer on both “The Flash” and “Supergirl.” Then, earlier this year, Hartley Sawyer, a prominent actor on “The Flash” was fired after racist, misogynist tweets resurfaced. And though it’s not Arrowverse related, CW’s own “Riverdale” was criticized by a member of its cast, Vanessa Morgan, for sidelining POC characters. All that to say, even though CW would appear to be a network that has a ton of diversity and inclusivity, there are some behind-the-scenes issues that would indicate there are troubles.
As mentioned, we have yet to hear anything from producers on “Superman and Lois,” so it’s unclear if there is a rebuttal to what Tucker said, but if her suspicions are true, that’s not a good look for the latest superhero show in the Arrowverse, featuring the most popular superhero in the world.