The tradition of the CW crossover event of the Arrowverse – Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl – began in 2014. It had been the first time two superhero shows had interacted, establishing to new fans they shared the same universe. The crossover was repeated in 2015, and as each new series was introduced, the interactions that followed – “Invasion,” “Crisis on Earth-X,” and “Elseworlds” – dominated four days of primetime viewing. The adaptation of Crisis on Infinite Earths teased at the conclusion of “Elseworlds” is due in the fall, and producers will again break the mould
Five Hours of Adventure
Legends, which sat out this year’s “Elseworlds” crossover, is scheduled to return in 2020 and will be involved in the story. CW President Mark Pedowitz announced Thursday that the scheduling will span across the midseason break. Fans can expect to tune in to the first quarter in December, then wait till after the holidays to view the second.
“‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ [will be] the biggest and most complicated [Arrowverse crossover to date], ” Pedowitz previously announced.
The Crossover Vs. The Comic
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 1984 plot by Marv Wolfman and George Perez which reset the DC Universe. It was a solution to the convoluted problem that had plagued the company’s books involving the Multiverse. The end result simplified their line by eliminating other realities while survivors were merged into one, single dimension and Earth. Supergirl and Barry Allen were amongst the casualties and did not return to regular continuity until the early 2000’s. The Multiverse, as well, was nonexistent until its resurrection in 2007’s Infinite Crisis.
“I can’t tell you if it’ll follow the comic book version, ” he added. “[But] if you know the history, things collapse.”
Over the past five years, elements from that epic story have been teased throughout the Arrowverse. However, the most prominent facet has remained on The Flash. That foreshadowing comes in the form of a 2024 digital news article. Written by Iris West-Allen, the story details The Flash’s disappearance amidst the crimson-skied event. The seasoning of teasers increased in this past year’s crossover.
The Foundation Laid Thus Far…
“Elseworlds” introduced key Crisis players such as The Monitor (Lamonica Garrett) and Psycho Pirate (Bob Frazer). Writers went the extra mile with the canonization of John Wesley Shipp’s version of The Flash from the CBS series in 1990 as a survivor of the doomed Earth-90. And, finally, it was the teased focus of The Arrowverse’s founding pillars. The season finale of The Flash saw the Time Vault article’s date moved up from 2024 to 2019. In Arrow, meanwhile, The Monitor returned to collect on Oliver’s deal that saved Kara and Barry’s lives in “Elseworlds.” With Arrow in its final season, Oliver’s predicted end during the Crisis seems all the more inevitable. Supergirl has its own season finale this Sunday and will reportedly have its own teaser scene for the Crisis.
There is still no definitive start date for “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”