Katherine McNamara and ‘Green Arrow and the Canaries’

Arrow closed its run with a backdoor pilot that introduced a potential future for its universe, yet Green Arrow and the Canaries never moved past that single episode. The installment placed Mia Smoak, played by Katherine McNamara, in the role of Green Arrow in 2040 alongside Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake, and it remains the only glimpse viewers received of that planned series.

The pilot aired as the ninth episode of Arrow season eight on January 21, 2020. It carried the alternate title Livin’ in the Future during production, and its broadcast served as the final test for a project that ultimately stayed on the shelf.

Readers should note that this recap includes spoilers for Crisis on Infinite Earths, particularly the resolution for Oliver Queen and the larger Arrow cast.

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Wasn’t this already ordered to series?

Green Arrow and the Canaries received its pilot through Arrow but never earned a full series order. The CW passed on the project in January 2021, with executive producer Marc Guggenheim later citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the decisive factor. Budget pressures and the broader decline of the Arrowverse also played a role, while an HBO Max option was considered and ultimately set aside.

The pilot remains a standalone chapter rather than the launch of an ongoing show.

What is Green Arrow and the Canaries about?

The episode follows a post-Crisis Mia Queen who regains memories of her pre-Crisis life when Laurel and Dinah appear in 2040. She has built a comfortable existence in Star City, yet the sudden arrival of the two Canaries pulls her back into the field. The story centers on a kidnapping case that connects directly to Mia, forcing her to decide whether to suit up once more.

The official synopsis reads: “STAR CITY 2040 – It’s the year 2040 in Star City and Mia Queen (Katherine McNamara) has everything she could have ever wanted. However, when Laurel (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah (Juliana Harkavy) suddenly show up in her life again, things take a shocking turn and her perfect world is upended. Laurel and Dinah are tracking a kidnapping victim with direct ties to Mia and they need her help. Knowing it will change everything, Mia can’t help but be a hero and she, Laurel and Dinah suit up once again to save the city. Tara Miele directed the episode written by Beth Schwartz & Marc Guggenheim & Jill Blankenship & Oscar Balderrama.”

The hour stayed faithful to the flash-forward setting established in seasons seven and eight, yet the planned continuation never materialized beyond this single broadcast.

So there are changes from the pre-Crisis timeline?

The pilot already signaled shifts by presenting Mia as Mia Queen rather than Mia Smoak, suggesting altered family circumstances. Speculation at the time included the possibility that Mia and William grew up with some awareness of each other, that Zoe Ramirez survived, and that J.J. Diggle avoided the Deathstroke path. An older Sara Diggle was also referenced. None of these threads received further canon confirmation after cancellation, leaving the theories as period speculation rather than settled continuity.

Connor Hawke’s place in the post-Crisis family structure also stayed unresolved, and the status of Felicity and Oliver remained consistent with the events of season seven.

Dinah and Laurel don’t look any older

The pilot implied that Laurel and Dinah reached 2040 through time travel rather than multiversal travel, though the mechanics were never detailed. The concept stayed confined to this single episode and received no further exploration once the series was shelved.

Why the Spin-Off Was Ultimately Canceled

The CW formally declined to move forward with Green Arrow and the Canaries in January 2021. Marc Guggenheim identified the COVID-19 pandemic as the primary obstacle, noting that production disruptions and shifting network priorities made continuation impractical. Budget considerations tied to the larger Arrowverse and the lack of a clear path on HBO Max further reduced momentum. The decision closed the door on any immediate follow-up.

What Happened to the 2040 Storyline After Cancellation

The pilot ended on a cliffhanger involving William’s kidnapping and the restoration of J.J. Diggle’s memories, yet those plot points found no resolution in later Arrowverse programming. Katherine McNamara later expressed disappointment that the story could not continue while acknowledging gratitude for the chance to film the episode. The 2040 timeline effectively froze at the conclusion of the backdoor pilot.

Katherine McNamara’s Reflections on the Project

In 2025 interviews McNamara spoke positively about the experience and voiced continued interest in returning to the character. She briefly reprised Mia in the final season of The Flash, providing a small coda to the role. She has remained open to future appearances in new DC projects should the opportunity arise, though no concrete plans have surfaced.

Legacy of the Backdoor Pilot in Arrowverse History

The episode posted season-high ratings for Arrow and demonstrated audience appetite for stories set beyond Oliver Queen’s era. It also fueled conversations about female-led extensions of the franchise. While the full series never launched, the pilot stands as a notable late-chapter experiment that highlighted both the potential and the limitations of expanding the Arrowverse into new time periods.

The single hour remains the only live-action record of what Green Arrow and the Canaries might have become. Fans continue to revisit the episode for its performances and its glimpse of a future that stayed just out of reach.