This Article Contains Spoilers For The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths
The recently released Crisis on Infinite Earths was the culmination of eight years of set-up and almost thirty seasons across all the series that make up the “Arrowverse”. Starting back in 2012, Arrow was The CW’s next move with a DC Comics property following the 10 year-long run of Smallville coming to an end in 2011. Back then it was clear the creatives at both Warner Bros. and The CW were confident that Arrow would be a success. Whether they knew it would lead to this connected world spanning several shows and the spectacle it has become on TV, that is another question.
Since the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which featured the death of Oliver Queen/ Green Arrow, fans and even skeptics have been wondering what the future of DC Television on The CW has to hold? The launch of the DC Universe streaming service did seem to have the potential to be the new center for DC Television, but the Arrowverse on The CW is holding on strong and will be marching forward with there not looking to be any immediate plans to slow down or stop.
While Arrow has now come to an end with Episode 10 of Season 8 being the series finale, as well as the 170th episode overall, all of the other current DC Comics properties on The CW have been renewed for new seasons. Batwoman, Black Lightning, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl will all be around next season as well as the newcomer series Superman and Lois– which has already been picked up for series even before shooting its pilot episode. Stargirl, originally intended to be exclusive to the DC Universe streaming service, will also air on The CW this upcoming spring. Stargirl takes place on “Earth-2” as seen at the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths. It is unknown at this stage whether they will play into the Arrowverse, or more specifically with the heroes on the newly formed “Earth-Prime”. Although, there is hope for even wider crossovers in the future with all of the DCTV properties, not just the ones that call The CW home.
There, of course, is still a question mark over the potential spin-off from Arrow: Green Arrow & The Canaries which had its backdoor pilot in the 9th episode of Season 8 of Arrow. There has yet to be an announcement at the time as to whether this project will be moving forward or not. Though the response to the backdoor pilot episode was fairly positive, it was not an outright hit, which is likely what the creatives would have expected of it. Personally, I think it did enough to get picked up but the choice is not left to me. Ultimately, even in the outcome that the show does not get picked up, there is plenty of material for the universe to prosper in the years to come. Seeing as the spin-off would be set in the close future, 2040, the events of the show would likely not have too much of an impact on the universe.
The Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow are “seniors” of the Arrowverse as they will be heading into their respective sixth and seventh seasons, likely signifying an approach towards the end of their runs. The Flash is the show out of these three that has the potential to run the longest, mostly due to the rich history of the character in the comics, as well as the fact that there is already set up for future villains and arcs that have yet to play out on the show. So long as the leads are willing to continue their roles, mainly titular star Grant Gustin, the show could have several more years on the air. This is also likely since the show has remained at the top of the ratings for The CW, meaning the network will not be anxious to end it anytime soon.
Batwoman was the freshman show this release season of The CW and has been the number two show for said season, even despite early controversy. Batwoman did struggle early on to stand out in the already developed world of the Arrowverse, with the creatives seeming to go for a similar direction to that of the first season of Arrow. However, the fallout from Crisis on Infinite Earths has definitely given a significant boost to Batwoman and its storytelling potential, with it definitely being the most intriguing story that we have seen since the formation of “Earth-Prime” following Crisis. The world of Gotham City has a lot of history, and a lot of Batman’s rogues gallery are likely in the future, whether that be later this season or in seasons to come.
Superman and Lois will premiere in October later this year and appears to be anticipated to be an instant hit. From what we know, the series will follow Clark Kent, better known as Superman, and Lois Lane as they deal with all the stress, pressures, and complexities that come with being working parents in today’s world. As we saw from the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths, instead of just having Jon Kent, as introduced in Crisis, they will have two sons. This change could set up a sort of take on “Super Sons”, a comic duo comprised of Jon Kent and Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne, Batman. What we could see in this series is a mixture of Smallville as well as what you would expect from a standard Superman series. It is believed that the two sons will be aged up to around their teen years, based on casting details. This, of course, is yet to be confirmed but seeing that the pilot is shooting in March, we should get more information for this over the next month or so.
Even though we have just come off the biggest crossover event that The CW has given fans, the question of what we should be expecting next has been raised. Marc Guggenheim, showrunner of the Crisis event, has said that they will be going back to basics, much like what we saw in the first few crossover events. What this means is yet to be revealed, seeing as we will now have up to six shows being involved, with that also opening the possibility to even longer crossovers. Whatever they choose to do, it will excite and please fans, especially with the Justice League tease at the end of Crisis- strengthened by Supergirl‘s reference to a future Hall of Justice. So, as we approach almost a decade in the Arrowverse, it does seem that we will have more to enjoy from a favorite group of Super Friends on TV. The Arrowverse has been a game-changer for comic book media on television and how they look to continue moving it forward over the next few years should interest fans greatly. However, with the introduction of HBO Max’s DC content, also headed up by Greg Berlanti, the man behind all The CW’s DC content, who knows where not only the Arrowverse but also the DCTV Multiverse as a whole is headed.
Here is when you can catch up with the heroes of the Arrowverse on The CW:
Batwoman – Sunday @ 8pm ET
Supergirl – Sunday @ 9pm ET
Black Lightning – Monday @ 9pm ET
The Flash – Tuesday @ 8pm ET
Legends of Tomorrow – Tuesday @ 9pm ET
Stargirl – Coming soon this Spring!
Follow writer Alex Page on Twitter: @Pagmyst