Last year, the Arrowverse went all out with its largest crossover to-date – “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” and understandably so. It was the final crossover to feature the show that started it all – Arrow. Now that the superhero series has ended (without that Batman reference), the Arrowverse’s next crossover event will be completely different, and we now know how.
The Arrowverse is downsizing. Say goodbye to the elaborate affair that was “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” which featured five shows from the franchise, and in a leap from Netflix, Lucifer’s eponymous character. Subtlety will be in store for the Arrowverse’s next crossover foray. Teasing what fans can expect, The CW’s CEO, Mark Pedowitz, said in a conference call (via TVLine):
It will be a smaller event than usual. We’re only planning a two-hour event. We’re talking about doing Superman and Batwoman together, with a lot of characters coming [in] from our other shows.
You read that correctly. Two of the newest shows in the Arrowverse will anchor the annual crossover, as characters from the other shows come in. That is not the only switch-up. Instead of the crossover sprawling across days and even years (Last year’s crossover started in late 2019 and wrapped in early 2020), it will cover two hours on a single Sunday.
The news, while bittersweet, does mean that certain milestones for the overall franchise could happen on these series next year. For instance, Candice Patton shared her empathy for fans “peeved” over Iris West and Barry Allen not getting married on The Flash due to the 2017 Arrowverse crossover “Crisis on Earth-X,” which saw the couple get married on Legends of Tomorrow.
Other developments, such as Oliver’s shocking death, also occurred on another Arrowverse series instead of Arrow. With the upcoming spinoff, Superman & Lois, and returning sophomore drama Batwoman being the main participants in the upcoming crossover, we'll have to wait and see if characters from the other shows go through any life-changing events away from their home series.
The latter show participated in last year’s “Crisis” crossover in a major way. Batwoman was home to Tom Welling’s much-anticipated reprisal of his role as Smallville’s Clark Kent and his reunion with Erica Durance’s Lois Lane. Will a mind-blowing development in a similar vein occur during next year’s briefer Arrowverse crossover?
Two hours is a short amount of time to pack a lot in. The good news is that the cast and crews involved in the exhausting-to-film crossovers will get a much needed break. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was such a huge event, it should satiate fans for quite a while.
Fans have to wait longer for the much-anticipated annual event. Due to our current health crisis and its impact on the television industry, The CW will not be launching new seasons of The Flash and its network neighbors until 2021. News that does not come as a massive shock in the wake of word surrounding when filming could resume on The CW’s slate.
There is a silver lining! You can currently stream Arrow and other Arrowverse series on Netflix along with lots of new 2020 content. New seasons of the Arrowverse will not premiere on The CW until well after this summer’s slate of new shows so hold tight.
