Fans of the DC universe on television have been all abuzz in recent weeks as the upcoming crossover event between The Flash and Arrow approaches on The CW. The Flarrow crossover of 2014 was a huge critical and popular success across the board. This year, however, the event will feature many more characters than just the principals of Flash and Arrow as Flarrow is used to launch upcoming spinoff Legends of Tomorrow. For his part, Arrow star Stephen Amell is excited about what the expansion will mean for the future of the CW's DC universe.
In an interview with IGN, Stephen Amell had this to say about future crossover events:
And we weave Legends into the crossover this year, but if everything goes well with that show, and I would say it will based on how talented everyone that’s involved in it is…we could be looking at a situation next year where we’re able to weave three shows into a three-night event. Again, Mark Pedowitz, I mean, this has never happened before. It’s incredible, and it’s a real credit to principally Greg Berlanti and secondarily, a tie between The CW and the WB and DC -- a three way tie -- that have given us so much to work with within the DC Universe, to be able to populate three shows. You have to do it. You have to do it.
It’s hard to blame Stephen Amell for his enthusiasm about the prospect of a three-way Legends of Tomorrow/Flash/Arrow - or Legends of Flarrow, if you will – crossover. Back in 2012, not even CW President Mark Pedowitz or executive producer extraordinaire Greg Berlanti could have known for sure that Arrow would not only be a huge success for The CW but also launch spinoffs to expand an entire universe for the relatively diminutive network.
Of course, The Flash hardly needed help from Arrow following its premiere in fall of 2014, as it found success with its own brand of superhero entertainment. The ensemble of characters pulled from Flash and Arrow to pad the Legends of Tomorrow lineup should guarantee an audience for the new show. With so many characters in common, future crossover extravaganzas involving all three shows are inevitable. In fact, as long as the three teams of characters don’t play any games of Six Degrees of Sexual Separation with each other, each crossover event could build upon a beautiful friendship between the series.
The CW has not yet announced when exactly in 2016 Legends of Tomorrow will be hitting the airwaves, but Amell’s tease of a three-night crossover event could mean that the spinoff will not follow either The Flash on Tuesday nights or Arrow on Wednesday nights. Hopefully for fans of the future Legends of Flarrow-verse, Legends of Tomorrow will land on a Monday or Thursday. A three-night crossover event won’t feel nearly as big or cinematic if it’s broken up by nights of Jane the Virgin or Reign.
The latest crossover event will begin with The Flash on Tuesday, December 1 at 8 p.m. ET with “Legends of Today,” and will conclude with Arrow on Wednesday, December 2 at 8 p.m. ET with “Legends of Yesterday.” Legends of Tomorrow is due to debut at some point in 2016.
