Arrow’s Wendy Mericle Exits as Showrunner for Season 7 – Today’s News: Our Take

Arrow is just about to head into its seventh season, but it will be doing so without one of its major players. Wendy Mericle, who has served as showrunner for the past three seasons, will step down after Arrow wraps up its sixth season, according to Deadline.

Beth Schwartz will be taking over as showrunner, and co-creator Marc Guggenheim will serve as an executive consultant. Schwartz has been working for the show since Season 1 (first as a writers assistant and then as staff writer) and has served as co-executive producer on the series during Season 6.

There are no details on why Mericle has decided to depart or where she’ll head next, but Greg Berlanti, who executive produces and oversees all the CW superhero shows, did release a statement of support to Deadline about Schwartz’s promotion.

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“We are all so incredibly thrilled to announce Beth Schwartz as the new showrunner of Arrow,” Berlanti said. “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.”

Arrow airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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Stephen Amell, ArrowPhoto: SHANE HARVEY, SHANE HARVEY/THE CW