Actor David Ramsey recently gave an update regarding the John Diggle-led Justice U. According to the former Arrow star, the series is still very much in the works, with producers having just hired a writer to pen the second draft of the pilot script. This news led many fans to speculate that the Arrowverse isn't as dead as the upcoming end of The Flash indicated. However, setting Justice U on Earth-Prime would be a mistake. For the series to truly thrive, it would be better off taking place on the as-yet-unnamed Earth of Superman & Lois.
Despite sharing multiple characters and actors with the Arrowverse -- including Diggle -- Superman & Lois established that it exists within a separate continuity during its Season 2 finale "Waiting for Superman." This revelation surprised many, but considering the fast dwindling number of shows set on Earth-Prime, the series' creators were smart to make that move. Better to forge a new path than to linger in an empty shared universe. The producers of Justice U would be wise to follow that same approach for a number of reasons.
With the conclusion of The Flash, there will be no other Arrowverse-set series. Should Justice U try to change that, it would have no one left to share the universe with. Former stars could show up in guest spots to help keep the Arrowverse alive, but there's no guarantee that the actors would be available or even interested in doing so. With no legacy characters aside from Diggle himself to connect the series to established history, Justice U could only ever pay empty lip-service to the Arrowverse's larger continuity.
And Diggle's story feels complete. For two years following the end of Arrow, Diggle showed up on multiple series, trying to find answers about a mysterious box he'd found and the headaches it caused. By the time his quest led him to Eobard Thawne on Lian Yu, he was desperate and estranged from his family. He rejected the box and the cosmic power it offered to recommit himself to his wife and children. Unlike so many other Arrowverse characters, Diggle's arc had a satisfying conclusion. Why ruin that when another largely unexplored version of Diggle exists in the world of Superman & Lois?
Setting Justice U on the Earth populated by Superman & Lois also gives the series much greater narrative potential. Thus far, Superman is his world's only powered superhero. That makes it a blank slate for stories about metahumans. If Justice U is to follow Diggle as he mentors a group of young people with superpowers -- maybe including survivors of Lt. Gen. Anderson's ill-fated Supermen of America program -- doing so on a planet where such an occurrence is new would make for a more exciting story. Arrowverse Diggle would have an entire collection of superhuman friends to consult while teaching his young charges. Superman & Lois' Diggle would only have Superman to ask for advice. As both a dad and the world's only powered superhero, the Man of Steel is likely to be busy much of the time, which would force Diggle to figure things out for himself right alongside the people he's trying to teach. This would both raise Justice U's stakes and provide it with a stronger emotional core.
Looking at the sharp drop in the number of Arrowverse series over the last year, the fact that Justice U is still in development feels like a miracle. If the series actually makes it all the way to the production stage, its creators will want to do everything they can to give it a shot at long-term survival. That means embracing change. The Arrowverse was vital to the creation of Justice U, but it will be gone soon. To have any kind of future, Justice U's best bet is to join with Superman & Lois and create the new Superverse.