# Legends of Tomorrow
**DC's Legends of Tomorrow** is an American superhero television series that aired on [The CW](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-cw) from January 21, 2016 to 2022 as part of the [Arrowverse](https://www.edgepedia.org/arrowverse), the shared universe built around *Arrow* and *The Flash*[1](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/about/print) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dcs_legends_of_tomorrow/s01). The show follows a group of misfit heroes who travel through time aboard the ship Waverider, protecting the timeline from aberrations, anomalies, and anything else that threatens to mess with history[3](https://www.dc.com/tv/d-cs-legends-of-tomorrow-2016-2022). Though it began as a spin-off vehicle for supporting characters from *Arrow* and *The Flash*, it evolved into a deliberately absurd, genre-hopping ensemble show and ran for seven seasons before its cancellation in 2022[4](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-patrol-and-legends-of-tomorrow-turned-losers/1100-6467450/) • [5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and run | The CW; premiered January 21, 2016; seven seasons, canceled April 2022[1](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/about/print) • [5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/) |
| Premise | A team of heroes and villains travels through time in the Waverider to fix aberrations in history[3](https://www.dc.com/tv/d-cs-legends-of-tomorrow-2016-2022) |
| Origin | Conceived as a spin-off drawing on supporting characters from *Arrow* and *The Flash*[4](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-patrol-and-legends-of-tomorrow-turned-losers/1100-6467450/) |
| Original lead | Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) assembles the team to prevent an apocalyptic catastrophe[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dcs_legends_of_tomorrow/s01) |
| Comic basis | Per the Parents Television Council, the only current superhero program not directly inspired by or adapting a pre-existing comic book title[6](https://www.parentstv.org/resources/ComicsStudy.pdf) |
| Final-season ratings | Season 7 averaged 860,000 total weekly viewers and a 0.2 demo rating (Live+7)[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/) |
| Ending | The seventh-season finale ended on a cliffhanger with Booster Gold arresting the Legends; no wrap-up season or movie followed[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/) • [7](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-the-legends-of-tomorrow-cw-movies-season-7-finale-marc-guggenheim-warner-bros) |
## Premise and cast
The first season centers on [Rip Hunter](https://www.edgepedia.org/rip-hunter), a time-traveling rogue who realizes that heroes alone are not enough to prevent an impending catastrophe, and who recruits a rag-tag team of heroes and villains to stop an apocalypse that threatens not only Earth but all of time[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dcs_legends_of_tomorrow/s01). The original ensemble included [Caity Lotz](https://www.edgepedia.org/caity-lotz) as [Sara Lance](https://www.edgepedia.org/sara-lance)/White Canary, Victor Garber as Dr. Martin Stein, Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer/The Atom, Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart/Captain Cold, Dominic Purcell as Mick Rory/Heat Wave, Franz Drameh, and Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter[8](https://www.bellmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CTV-Two-DCs-Legends-of-Tomorrow.pdf).
The team changed substantially across the run. By the final season the crew included Nate Heywood/Steel ([Nick Zano](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-zano)), Astra Logue (Olivia Swann), Spooner Cruz ([Lisseth Chavez](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisseth-chavez)), Gary Green (Adam Tsekhman), the sibling pair Zari and Behrad Tarazi ([Tala Ashe](https://www.edgepedia.org/tala-ashe) and Shayan Sobhian), and co-captain Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan), with Sara Lance as co-captain[1](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/about/print).
## Development and production
The series was developed by the team behind *Arrow* and *The Flash*, with executive producers [Greg Berlanti](https://www.edgepedia.org/greg-berlanti), Marc Guggenheim, Phil Klemmer, Sarah Schechter, Keto Shimizu, James Eagan, and Ray Utarnachitt[1](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/about/print). GameSpot described the show's origin as a kind of lifeboat: it took characters who had outlived their usefulness on *Arrow* and *The Flash* and gave them a time machine to go off on adventures[4](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-patrol-and-legends-of-tomorrow-turned-losers/1100-6467450/).
[Time travel](https://www.edgepedia.org/time-travel) logic drew on the groundwork laid by *The Flash*: Marc Guggenheim said the concept of time travel introduced on that series would be applied consistently within the shared universe, and executive producer Greg Berlanti repeatedly invoked *Back to the Future* as the reference point when plotting became difficult[9](https://gizmodo.com/we-got-the-scoop-on-what-to-expect-from-dcs-legends-of-1717766359) • [10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-tca-cw-legends-of-tomorrow-ep-greg-berlanti-time-travel-20160110-story.html).
## The turn toward absurdity
**Tone shift.** The first season aimed for seriousness and drew an apathetic critical response: 65 percent approval from critics and 58 percent from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and the show carried, in one retrospective's words, the stench of one-season-and-done[11](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/legends-of-tomorrow-at-10-celebrating-dcs-scrappy-version-of-back-to-the-future). Over subsequent seasons the writers leaned into comedy and self-awareness. The DC blog farewell highlights the season three finale, in which the crew fuses into a giant stuffed animal called Beebo and cuddles a demon to death, and an episode in which an anachronism replaces Christianity with a religion worshiping Beebo[12](https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/19/farewell-to-legends-of-tomorrow-the-little-show-that-could).
The show became known for episodes that spoofed film genres and history: a season two plot that mimicked *The Magnificent Seven*, an episode in 1960s Los Angeles with a fictionalized young [George Lucas](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-lucas), and a scene in which Ray Palmer grows giant to fight a monster in the manner of Godzilla[13](https://www.inverse.com/article/27541-legends-of-tomorrow-time-travel-cinematographer-todd-williams). Each season shifted genre: season four centered on magic and an evil fairy godmother, season five on demons and souls freed from hell, and season six on alien abductions[12](https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/19/farewell-to-legends-of-tomorrow-the-little-show-that-could).
Critics noticed the shift. A Metacritic critic-review blurb described the show as an "omnisexual talking kite firing electric rays at sexy history"[14](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/critic-reviews/). A 2019 Parents Television Council study reported that, compared with CW series like *Arrow* and *Black Lightning*, the series carried less graphic violence as its tongue-in-cheek tone increased, but the most sexual content of any superhero series[6](https://www.parentstv.org/resources/ComicsStudy.pdf).
## Diversity and representation
The DC farewell blog credits the show as one of the most diverse on television: Zari Tarazi is the first Muslim-American superhero on primetime television, Charlie was written as genderqueer and pansexual, Spooner as asexual, and Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe married on screen as a same-sex couple[12](https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/19/farewell-to-legends-of-tomorrow-the-little-show-that-could).
## Crossover events
As an Arrowverse series, *Legends of Tomorrow* took part in The CW's annual crossovers. The 2019 "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event linked six series, *The Flash*, *Supergirl*, *Arrow*, *Batwoman*, *Black Lightning*, and *Legends of Tomorrow*, in a single storyline that Spanish daily *El País* called historic for television simply for existing[15](https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/08/14/television/1565787633_472854.html). Martin Stein, one of the show's original leads, died in the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover[12](https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/19/farewell-to-legends-of-tomorrow-the-little-show-that-could).
## Cancellation and aftermath
The CW canceled the series on April 29, 2022, after seven seasons, in the same round of cuts that ended *Batwoman*; co-showrunner Keto Shimizu announced the decision on Twitter, calling the show "the little show that could"[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/) • [16](https://www.tvline.com/news/cw-cancelled-shows-explained-legends-of-tomorrow-batwoman-1234831515/). The seventh season had ended in March 2022 on a cliffhanger in which the newly introduced [Booster Gold](https://www.edgepedia.org/booster-gold), played by [Donald Faison](https://www.edgepedia.org/donald-faison), told the Legends they were under arrest for time crimes[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/).
**No resolution.** Co-creator Marc Guggenheim later said that The CW offered to pay for a wrap-up movie to close the storylines but that Warner Bros. refused; the film never progressed past a phone call from CW chief Mark Pedowitz[7](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-the-legends-of-tomorrow-cw-movies-season-7-finale-marc-guggenheim-warner-bros). The show's cancellation, alongside *The Flash*'s 2023 conclusion, marked the end of the Arrowverse era[17](https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/cast-legends-of-tomorrow-canceled-but-olivia-swann-softened-blow-arrowverse). The series remains available on Netflix[7](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-the-legends-of-tomorrow-cw-movies-season-7-finale-marc-guggenheim-warner-bros).
## Reception and legacy
The show's fortunes reversed after its weak first season. GameSpot's 2022 retrospective called it the best Arrowverse show, and a later [Space.com](https://www.edgepedia.org/space-com) retrospective praised how it made settings such as [Ancient Egypt](https://www.edgepedia.org/ancient-egypt) and 1970s London come alive on a television budget through costumes, sets, and hammy setups, arguing that its commitment to absurdity counteracts the corporate-sanitized version of superhero production[18](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-a-eulogy-for-the-best-arrowverse-show/1100-6502974/) • [11](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/legends-of-tomorrow-at-10-celebrating-dcs-scrappy-version-of-back-to-the-future).
The character Booster Gold, introduced in the final episode, has since been slated for his own DC television series[5](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/) • [19](https://www.gamesradar.com/upcoming-dc-movies/).
## References
1. [CW Press: DC's Legends of Tomorrow, About](https://www.cwtvpr.com/the-cw/shows/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/about/print)
2. [DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dcs_legends_of_tomorrow/s01)
3. [DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016-2022), DC.com](https://www.dc.com/tv/d-cs-legends-of-tomorrow-2016-2022)
4. [Doom Patrol and Legends of Tomorrow Turned Losers into TV's Best Superheroes, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/doom-patrol-and-legends-of-tomorrow-turned-losers/1100-6467450/)
5. ['Legends of Tomorrow' Cancelled at The CW, No Season 8, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/legends-of-tomorrow-cancelled-season-8-cw-1234822890/)
6. [Parents Television Council study, DC's Legends of Tomorrow entry](https://www.parentstv.org/resources/ComicsStudy.pdf)
7. [The CW wanted a Legends of Tomorrow movie to wrap up the show's story, Warner Bros. said no, Popverse](https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-the-legends-of-tomorrow-cw-movies-season-7-finale-marc-guggenheim-warner-bros)
8. [CTV Two: DC's Legends of Tomorrow promotional sheet, Bell Media](https://www.bellmedia.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/CTV-Two-DCs-Legends-of-Tomorrow.pdf)
9. [We Got the Scoop on What to Expect from DC's Legends of Tomorrow, Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/we-got-the-scoop-on-what-to-expect-from-dcs-legends-of-1717766359)
10. [Executive producer Greg Berlanti says time travel isn't real, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-tca-cw-legends-of-tomorrow-ep-greg-berlanti-time-travel-20160110-story.html)
11. ['Legends of Tomorrow' at 10: Celebrating DC's scrappy version of 'Back to the Future', Space.com](https://www.space.com/entertainment/space-movies-shows/legends-of-tomorrow-at-10-celebrating-dcs-scrappy-version-of-back-to-the-future)
12. [Farewell to Legends of Tomorrow: The Little Show That Could, DC.com blog](https://www.dc.com/blog/2022/05/19/farewell-to-legends-of-tomorrow-the-little-show-that-could)
13. [The 'Legends of Tomorrow' Sets Inspired by Movies, Inverse](https://www.inverse.com/article/27541-legends-of-tomorrow-time-travel-cinematographer-todd-williams)
14. [DC's Legends of Tomorrow critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/critic-reviews/)
15. [Las viñetas del cómic rompen las reglas de la tele, El País](https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/08/14/television/1565787633_472854.html)
16. [Why Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman Were Cancelled at CW, Explained, TVLine](https://www.tvline.com/news/cw-cancelled-shows-explained-legends-of-tomorrow-batwoman-1234831515/)
17. ['I Was Disappointed': Olivia Swann on the Legends of Tomorrow cancellation, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/cast-legends-of-tomorrow-canceled-but-olivia-swann-softened-blow-arrowverse)
18. [DC's Legends of Tomorrow: A Eulogy for the Best Arrowverse Show, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-a-eulogy-for-the-best-arrowverse-show/1100-6502974/)
19. [Upcoming DC movies and TV shows, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/upcoming-dc-movies/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Adapted and franchise screen series › Comic-book and superhero television series › DC television series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license