Why Batman's Underrated 13-Episode Show Was Really Cancelled

Gotham Knights, a Batman TV show from 2023, ended after only one season, and now one of its stars is speaking out about what really led to the cancellation.

The series took place in a version of Gotham in which Bruce Wayne had died, with the storyline centering on Turner Hayes, the late superhero’s adopted son. After befriending runaways and a criminal, Turner found himself accused of murder by District Attorney Harvey Dent, played by Misha Collins.

It’s been three years since Gotham Knight‘s cancellation, but Collins has given insight into what was going on behind-the-scenes that resulted in the show only lasting one season. During an interview with Comic Book, the actor revealed that Gotham Knights was the “victim…of the CW network’s transition.”

Just before the show had debuted, Nexstar bought a 75% majority stake in the network, so Gotham Knights was in the unfortunate position of premiering at a time when the new executives were looking at ways to save money and produce cheaper shows.

Nowadays, The CW’s primetime schedule is filled with a lot of game shows, unscripted/variety series, acquired content and sporting events.

Collins believes that if Gotham Knights was airing at any other point before Nexstar’s involvement, it “would have carried on and been quite successful, but we found ourselves landing at that home on the air at a time when it just wasn’t going to work. So corporate machinations ended up conspiring against us.”

“Such a cool character. It was so much fun, and I think that series, you know, we only did 13 episodes, and by the end of the run of that series, I think the show really found its footing, and I was really pleased with it. We were also, unfortunately, victims of the CW network’s transition. So, that show, any other year on the CW, would have carried on and been quite successful, but we found ourselves landing at that home on the air at a time when it just wasn’t going to work. So, corporate machinations ended up conspiring against us.”

By the end of Gotham Knights season 1, the show had “really found its footing.” Collins was “pleased” with how the story was progressing and playing a “cool” character like Dent, who became Two-Face, a transition that he “loved” getting the chance to film.

The experience was “so much fun,” especially working with showrunners James Stoteraux and Chad Fiveash, and his fellow cast members. “It was a very positive experience for me,” he added. Collins has a history with The CW, having starred on Supernatural for several years.

“I did get to have the opportunity to make the transition from Harvey Dent to Two-Face, and that was just super cool. I really loved doing it, and I had so much fun with James [Stoteraux] and Chad [Fiveash], the showrunners, and the rest of the cast there. It was a very positive experience for me.”

Aside from Collins, Gotham Knights also starred Oscar Morgan, Olivia Rose Keegan, Navia Robinson, Fallon Smythe, Tyler DiChiara, Anna Lore and Rahart Adams.

Not only was Gotham Knights canceled after only 13 episodes, but critics were never kind to the show during its run on the air, giving it a 27% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience score, meanwhile, currently sits at 44%. ScreenRant gave Gotham Knights a positive review, though. The ratings were average, with viewership ranging from 300,000 to 600,000.

At one time, The CW was best known for the Arrowverse, a universe of DC superhero shows that included Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman and (to an extent) Superman & Lois.

Gotham Knights, which can be streamed on HBO Max, wasn’t actually part of the Arrowverse, but it debuted around the time that fan-favorite franchise was coming to an end after more than a decade.