Elseworlds: “Crisis”-themed Arrowverse crossover confirmed for 2019
In the final moments of Elseworlds, Part 3, the theme for next fall’s sixth annual Arrowverse crossover event was revealed.
Since the first annual crossover event back in 2014, the writers and producers of The CW’s Arrowverse have strived to go bigger and bolder every year. While this week’s 3-part Elseworlds didn’t include Legends of Tomorrow, it certainly raised the bar in other ways, most notably by introducing Gotham City and Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, as well as Elizabeth Tulloch’s Lois Lane.
Elseworlds also set the stage for next year’s crossover, which will be the Arrowverse’s most ambitious event yet. As was revealed in the final moments of Supergirl‘s hour, the fall 2019 crossover will take on one of the most iconic storylines in comic book history: “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
Published by DC Comics in the mid-1980s, the acclaimed limited series revolutionized the crossover concept, making large-scale team-ups much more popular in the decades following. What is perhaps most memorable about the storyline, though, is its casualties. The series kills off many, many characters, including The Flash and Supergirl.
More from News
- The Walking Dead Universe receives 3 Saturn Awards nominations
- Snap your fingers, Mattel to release Wednesday dolls and collector sets in 2024!
- Fear the Walking Dead makes TVLine’s 10 Worst Shows of 2023 List
- Disney Plus: The Muppets Mayhem will not be renewed for season 2
- Ted series on Peacock TV drops teaser and release date
How will that translate when the Arrowverse delivers its live-action adaptation next year? For now, who knows? Barry’s “disappearance” has been teased since The Flash‘s first season, but it’s always been slated for 2024. Might he instead disappear, or even die, in 2019? Meanwhile, on Supergirl, Kara’s future has largely remained unspoken for, so anything seems possible.
The only real hold up is real-world logistics. On the one hand, would The CW really kill off two of its show-leading heroes and, thus, effectively cancel two of its most popular series? That seems unwise. On the other hand, the crossover needs stakes, and depicting “Crisis” without fully committing to its tragic arc could come across as a cop out.
Will some kind of loophole save Barry and Kara? Will other heroes make the ultimate sacrifice in their stead? A potentially obvious choice for the latter could be Oliver Queen. He made a deal with the Monitor at the end of Elseworlds that saved Barry and Kara’s lives. Could that deal extend to next year’s crossover and end with Oliver’s death?
Next. Elseworlds: Crossover will have long-term consequences in the Arrowverse. dark
From a logistics perspective, it could make sense. Arrow would then be in its eighth season, a good run by anyone’s standards. Additionally, this season has introduced another Green Arrow, and Oliver doesn’t seem to be alive in the flash forwards.
Could Oliver be the show-running hero we say goodbye to next year? We’ll have to tune for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” to find out!