When any sort of TV series enjoys much longevity, it shouldn’t come as a surprise once a regime change occurs. In the case of Arrow, we’ll soon bear witness to just that as some fresh eyes will be overseeing the Emerald Archer beginning with the show’s seventh season.
Well, actually, the soon-to-be big boss has been around in some capacity since the first season – it’s just that she’s worked her way up from writers assistant all the way to executive producer and now sole showrunner! We are, of course, talking about Beth Schwartz.
Here’s what Greg Berlanti, one of the chief architects behind the Arrowverse as a whole, had to say about her promotion:
“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.”
As for what’ll happen to the old guard, Wendy Mericle is said to be making a complete exit, while Marc Guggenheim will remain on as an executive consultant. Similarly, he’ll take on that same position at Legends of Tomorrow, with Phil Klemmer stepping up as the one and only showrunner over there.
Getting back to Schwartz, we’re sure she can handle the responsibility, but it falls on her to dig Oliver Queen out of whatever hole this season’s finale will place him. Right now, we know nothing more than it’ll be a huge game-changer, but I guess charting the next part of the saga will be much of the fun for her. Plus, she gets to reintroduce Colton Haynes as a series regular, the news of which has already made countless fans go bananas.
Arrow airs on Thursday nights on The CW.