Posted in: Batwoman, Black Lightning, CW, TV | Tagged: arrow, arrowverse, barry allen, black lightning, bleeding cool, cable, comic books, Comics, cw, dc, dc comics, grant gustin, Legends of Tomorrow, oliver queen, stephen amell, streaming, supergirl, television, The Flash, tv

'The Flash' Star Grant Gustin Honors Stephen Amell, 'Arrow' in Touching IG Post

Fans of the "Arrowverse" have had a few days to process the news that CW's long-running, foundational DC universe series Arrow will end its run with an abbreviated 10-episode season 8 during the first-half of the 2019-2020 broadcast season. One of those people is The Flash star Grant Gustin, who released an Instagram post that not only shared two images from his and Arrow star Stephen Amell's spandex past but also gave the actor the opportunity to thank both Amell and the show for the opportunities presented to him.

View this post on Instagram.

"It kinda just hit me this morning that Arrow will be leaving us next year. Ever since I started doing this, it's always been "Flash & Arrow" (or really this should of said "Arrow & Flash" on it's cover….right, Stephen?) We don't get to see a lot of each other, because we both work very similar schedules, on different shows, for 9 1/2 months out of the year. But when we're brought together for those grueling crossover episodes, it always results in something pretty special. And not JUST a special kind of hell. It's just absolutely bananas to stand around with that many people in super suits, and get paid to play make believe on tv.

It's something that wouldn't happen year after year if it weren't for the groundwork that Arrow, Stephen and the whole cast and crew laid for us. Not just that, but Stephen has always brought a different kind of passion to his show and the whole Arrowverse. It's always been clear to me how much it means to Stephen to have the privilege of getting to go on this journey as Oliver Queen. And how much care he's always put towards it. I will never forget ohh soo many memories we shared together during our hundreds, if not thousands of hours of crossover filming. Thank you to everyone who was a part of making Arrow for letting me come on this journey with you all. Congratulations on a badass show that will live on forever. I'll never forget binge watching season one and being scared shitless my first day on set, seeing you all in person. Stephen, you're a legend. Maybe this means we can hang out more?"

Amell made the announcement about Arrow's end via Twitter on Wednesday, following up on his promise that there was "so much to say" via Instagram and Facebook to explain his thoughts and feelings on the show ending to the fans:

View this post on Instagram.

Now let Amell himself explain the decision, in a video that every Arrow fan should see:

Series showrunner Beth Schwartz, and executive producers Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim issued the following statement about the series' end:

"This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we've made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of Arrow in mind. We're heartened by the fact that Arrow has birthed an entire universe of shows that will continue on for many years to come. We're excited about crafting a conclusion that honors the show, its characters and its legacy and are grateful to all the writers, producers, actors, and — more importantly — the incredible crew that has sustained us and the show for over seven years."

The news comes after two months of speculation stemming from the ending of the CW's last "Arrowverse" crossover, which saw Amell's Oliver Queen striking a deal with The Monitor to save two lives – putting his own fate in doubt. Adding more fuel to the speculation dumpster fire? At their winter Television Critics Association (TCA) press event, CW president Mark Pedowitz addressed the need to expand the DCU in new and different directions:

"Things will age and we want to get the next generation of shows to keep The CW DC universe going for as long as possible."

Along with Arrow, the CW renewed Supergirl, The Flash, Black Lightning, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow for the 2019-2020 television season, with production on the pilot for Ruby Rose-starrer Batwoman currently underway (and expected to be picked up for series).

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