The Flash’s Danielle Panabaker Opens Up About Low-Paying Arrowverse Crossovers And ‘Bad Behavior’ Being Rewarded On The Set

by

Approximately two years have passed since “The Flash” concluded its nine-season journey, effectively wrapping up The Arrow-verse (with “Superman & Lois” not necessarily belonging to this CW universe). The joint episodes ceased to exist, but if you asked some of the cast members, perhaps that was beneficial. For viewers, it was entertaining watching characters from various shows intermingle; however, Danielle Panabaker is shedding light on the difficulties encountered during crossover filming, and not all of them were positive.

First off, let’s talk about the pay…

How Much Were Crossover Actors Offered Pay-Wise?

In the Arrowverse, crossovers became a regular event once The Flash came into play. On one hand, they were exciting for fans and provided an opportunity for casts to interact; however, as stated by Danielle Panabaker, these events often resulted in decreased morale among some of the younger actors on the show.

During that initial year, everyone found it quite challenging, not merely due to the complexities of creating the crossover, but also in other aspects as well. In an interview with Michael Rosenbaum on his “Inside of You” podcast, Candice Panabaker (who played Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost on “The Flash”) was asked about whether actors receive higher pay for crossovers. She confessed that she was compensated a mere $10,000, which was significantly lower than her earnings per regular episode at the time.

One of the initial surprises for me was that during Flash’s first season, they executed their first crossover event. It featured only The Flash and Arrow, with Stephen Amell, David, and Emily appearing on The Flash, while Grant, Carlos, and I made an appearance on Arrow. Additionally, when we guest-starred on Arrow, the opportunity to perform two roles simultaneously was quite unique – essentially playing the same character in both shows. At that time, the pay was less than $10,000.

The actress further clarified that initially, when “The Flash” premiered, they didn’t include crossovers in their contracts, meaning these collaborations weren’t part of the initial agreements. However, once “Supergirl” and “Legends” entered the scene, crossover episodes were contractually agreed upon. She also claims that if they participated in a crossover episode, they would only receive a fraction of their usual payment for a standard episode.

In light of some high-profile figures associated with these collaborations, I’m not overly astonished by this development, nor does it come as a shock that not everyone was content with their compensation. She openly acknowledged instances where individuals declined participating in the crossovers due to insufficient pay, eventually leading to their exclusion from the project.

Even working twice as hard, the salary wasn’t great, as Panabaker pointed out:

This was my initial reaction of, ‘This is unbelievable! They’ve hired me to portray Caitlin Snow, yet they expect me to perform double the work.’ In essence, I’m handling two roles, and I’ll be compensated a small fraction compared to what I earn for playing that role on The Flash.

Unfortunately, the low pay was not the only problem for the crossovers.

More Issues With The Crossovers Plagued The Cast

Actress from Sky High, Panabaker, shared insights about having to be a “team player.” This entailed giving her best, ensuring punctuality and preparation, as well as memorizing lines. Reflecting on this experience, Panabaker wonders if her diligence was beneficial, considering those who didn’t follow the same approach seemed to receive preferential treatment in her opinion.

I take great care in always being punctual, well-prepared, memorizing my lines, and giving my best. Not everyone operates this way, and it was challenging for me when I saw poor behavior being rewarded, especially when those who behaved differently received better or different treatment. However, I understand that it’s essential to maintain my own side of the street. In other words, I should concentrate on myself and make decisions based on what I can control. That’s just how it goes sometimes.

Danielle Panabaker acknowledged that things had evolved over time mainly for Stephen Amell, Grant Gustin, Melissa Benoist – the main cast in the Arrowverse series. Regrettably, there was only minimal progress seen among other cast members. However, she managed to take on directing roles for some episodes and expand her career in this regard, despite not being particularly fond of directing herself.

It’s disheartening to learn about the backstage circumstances surrounding the Arrowverse crossovers, which were often highlights for fans. However, it seems everyone was in a similar situation. Fans can catch a glimpse of the hard work and effort poured into these crossovers by subscribing to both HBO Max and Netflix.

Read More

2025-08-06 19:41