The Flash Season 8 will kick off with a five-episode event titled “Armageddon,” which will see the hero and his allies go up against yet another extraterrestrial threat. This time, though, Grant Gustin’s speedster will call upon some reinforcements, as heroes from other Arrowverse shows will lend a hand. One of those familiar faces is Cress Williams’ Black Lightning, and Gustin recently dropped some teases regarding the character's role in the crossover.
Fans are sure to be excited to know that the electrically charged protector will be showing up in Central City to help Team Flash. But how exactly does Jefferson Pierce come into play here? Grant Gustin, while talking to EW, didn't give too much away, but it sounds like Jeff plays a key role in stopping the incoming threat:
He's a lightning-based hero, which is not incredibly different from Barry's powers. Barry has this connection with the Speed Force, which is obviously different from Jefferson's powers. But the whole reason Barry goes to Jefferson during the ‘Armageddon’ five-parter is for a very specific reason, for the powers that Jefferson has. He needs him specifically to help him achieve something that is kind of a dark twist in, I believe, the second episode.
It'll be interesting to see what that “dark twist” is. For a long time, the comic book-faithful superhero show was known to be one of the lighter Arrowverse shows. But over the last few seasons, it’s definitely had its fair share of somber moments. Dire circumstances aside, Barry and Jefferson’s dynamic in the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” special was excellent, and it'll definitely be great to get more of that in the second episode of “Armageddon.” Months ago, Cress Williams also seemed excited when he first revealed that the producers had reached out to him.
The actor wasn't the only franchise alum who was recently asked to return and obliged, either. Around the same time, Katherine McNamara was approached about coming back to the Arrowverse as Mia Smoak/Green Arrow. At the time, she didn’t know if she would, though she wasn't opposed to it. Now, we can take comfort in the fact that she will indeed return for “Armageddon.”
The five-part saga will also feature Chyler Leigh’s Alex Danvers/Sentinel, Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer/Atom, Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder/Batwoman, Osric Chau’s Ryan Choi and more. Given that all of this is occurring within one show, it's definitely not a typical Arrowverse crossover. But given that we haven't had one since "Crisis," fans like myself will certainly take what we can get.
We'll see how things pan out for Barry Allen and his various comrades when The Flash Season 8 kicks off with "Armageddon" on this Tuesday, November 16th at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. And for more on other shows that are premiering or returning this fall, check out CinemaBlend's 2021 guide.
