Arrowverse Stars Snubbed from ‘Flash’ Crossovers After Salary Showdowns

The Arrowverse came to a close last year after Superman & Lois wrapped up its fourth season in December 2024, marking the end of The CW’s superhero lineup. But fans might not know the full story behind some of the biggest crossover events that happened earlier in the franchise’s history, especially why certain fan-favorite characters didn’t show up as much as expected.

Danielle Panabaker, who played Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost on The Flash, opened up about some of the behind-the-scenes drama on the latest episode of Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.

She explained that a big reason some actors disappeared from the popular crossover episodes was because of pay disputes. When actors asked to be paid the same amount they earned on their main shows for their crossover appearances, they were often written out instead.

Panabaker shared that in The Flash’s first season, the crossovers with Arrow were pretty simple. Cast members from each show would appear in the other, but the pay didn’t match the workload. She said, “When we guest-starred on Arrow, it was top of show. So at the time, less than $10,000. This was the first inclination of like, ‘Oh! This is crazy. You hired me to play the role of Caitlin Snow…’”

Michael Rosenbaum clarified that “top of show” just meant appearing on another show, not the actual salary. Danielle continued, “You’re going to do this job at the same time, and you’re going to work twice as hard. So you’re doing two jobs, we’re going to pay you a fraction of what you’re paid to do that job on The Flash.”

She added that when The Flash started, Arrow was already on the air and crossovers weren’t part of the contracts. Other shows like Legends of Tomorrow or Supergirl had clauses that said actors would only get paid a fraction of their usual rate for crossover episodes.

Over time, some bigger stars like Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, and Melissa Benoist managed to negotiate better pay. Panabaker revealed, “I know someone who said, ‘No, pay me my salary.’ And they wrote that person out of the crossovers.”

This explains why some characters were missing from crossover events that fans loved so much. While the crossovers grew in scale and excitement, the pay struggles behind the scenes caused some stars to step back or be left out entirely. Danielle Panabaker’s candid insights reveal the tough reality behind making those exciting superhero team-ups happen.

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