Adaptations of comics for television have become incredibly popular in recent years, and two of the biggest names in the game are The Flash and Arrow with their shared universe on The CW. The mega crossover extravaganza between Flash and Arrow in December of 2014 was a massive success, and according to Flash executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, the Flarrow universe will be changing things up for the next crossover episode as Flash and Arrow will make a switcheroo.
In an interview with Variety, Kreisberg explained this bold move:
The Flash episode this year plays more like an episode of Arrow and the Arrow episode plays more like an episode of Flash. We thought that was kind of the fun of these episodes.
This latest tidbit of news promises that the upcoming crossover will indeed see The Flash and Arrow fully combined more so than the original pair of crossover episodes, each of which could be watched independently without familiarity with the other show. The casts may have mingled in the first two big crossovers, but there was no confusing the Flash half with the Arrow half.
Now, with The Flash and Arrow more connected than ever as both go into overdrive in the beginnings of their second and fourth respective seasons to launch the upcoming spinoff Legends of Tomorrow, it looks like we’re in for a more cinematic two-hour event with one big cast rather than a pair of separate episodes featuring a handful of guest stars.
Unfortunately for fans starving for spoilers, Andrew Kreisberg was light on what exactly Flash playing like Arrow and Arrow playing like Flash will entail. Will Barry Allen and Team Flash lower the lights to the bare minimum in S.T.A.R. Labs and start working nights? Will Oliver Queen and Team Arrow start making pop culture references and calling everybody a hero? Will Central become Star and Star become Central?
We can’t say for sure just yet, but the entire extravaganza looks to be so jam-packed with Flarrow characters from all corners of The CW’s comic universe that we may not even have time to notice that Flash and Arrow are trading tones. We do, however, know that not all of the main characters from each show will be playing parts in the crossover, thanks to the abundance of future Legends stars who will be featured. Sorry, Iris.
All in all, the next crossover pair-up looks to be an entirely new experience for fans of either show, and we can only hope that the meshing of the series will allow what is great about Arrow and what is great about The Flash to make Flarrow better than ever. Who knows? Throw Legends of Tomorrow into the mix, and we may be getting three-way crossovers next year.
