DC’s Stargirl: Cancelled by The CW; No Season Four for Superhero Series (Reactions)

(Photo: The CW)

Courtney and her superhero friends won’t be back to fight off the bad guys another day. DC’s Stargirl has been canceled so that we won’t see a fourth season of The CW series.

A superhero drama series, DC’s Stargirl stars Brec Bassinger, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, Trae Romano, Hunter Sansone, Meg DeLacy, Alkoya Brunson, Neil Hopkins, Joy Osmanski, Amy Smart, and Luke Wilson, with special appearances by Joel McHale. The series follows high schooler Courtney Whitmore (Bassinger) whose life is turned upside down when her mother (Smart) remarries and moves the household from Los Angeles to the small community of Blue Valley in Nebraska. While trying to fit in, Courtney discovers that her new stepfather, Pat Dugan (Wilson), was once the sidekick to a long-lost hero named Starman (Joel McHale). She also finds Starman’s powerful cosmic staff and is able to wield it. Soon, Courtney inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to help stop a group of villains from the past and to uphold the legacy of the first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. In the third season, Starman (McHale) is back from the dead and offering to train Courtney while she helps him adjust to his new life in the quiet town of Blue Valley. When there’s a murder that needs to be solved, the mystery not only has our heroes questioning the former super-villains’ commitment to truly reforming, but it leads Courtney, Pat, and Starman to a secret that shocks them all to their very core.

The third season of DC’s Stargirl averages a 0.08 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 457,000 viewers in the live+same day ratings (includes all DVR playback through 3:00 AM). Compared to season two, that’s down by 32% in the demo and down by 23% in viewership. While these numbers don’t include further delayed or streaming viewing, they are a very good indicator of how a show is performing, especially when compared to others on the same channel.

Since DC’s Stargirl is a decent performer in the ratings, the cancellation likely has much to do with the show’s expense, and Nexstar’s (The CW’s new majority owner) desire to focus on low-cost and acquired programming moving forward.

Series creator Geoff Johns said, “Stargirl has always held a special place in my heart for many reasons. With all the brewing changes at the network, we were aware this was possibly the last season, so we wrote with that in mind and have delivered what I believe to be the best season of Stargirl yet, with complete creative closure. The cast and crew are extraordinary, and I’d like to thank them for helping me bring this series to life. Brec embodied Courtney in every way possible — with grace, strength and humor — exceeding my wildest expectations. I am grateful to WBTV and The CW for giving us a home to tell this story and to honor my beloved late sister, and I’m beyond thankful to the press and fans who have always championed us for three amazing seasons. Most series never get this far. We couldn’t be more proud of our show and the fan community it’s built.”

Bassinger also expressed gratitude for her time on the series. She said, “Getting to play Stargirl and be a part of the DC Universe has been the greatest honor, and I am so grateful for every moment of it. I would like to thank our fearless leader Geoff Johns, along with WBTV, The CW, the cast and crew of Stargirl, and of course, the fans. Thank you. This show will forever live in my heart.”

Stargirl’s series finale is expected to air on Wednesday, December 7th.

What do you think? Have you enjoyed watching this CW series? Are you disappointed to hear that DC’s Stargirl wasn’t renewed for a fourth season?