The Arrowverse is an American
superhero media franchise and a
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
that is centered on various interconnected
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
based on
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
superhero characters, primarily airing on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
as well as
web series
A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...
on
CW Seed
CW may stand for:
Science and technology
* centiwatt (cW), one hundredth of a watt
* Cω, a programming language
* CW complex, a type of topological space
* Carrier wave, in radio communications
* CodeWarrior, an integrated development environ ...
. The series were developed by
Greg Berlanti
Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
,
Marc Guggenheim
Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series '' Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Leg ...
,
Andrew Kreisberg
Andrew Kreisberg (born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and comic book writer. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Flash'', ''Arrow'', '' Supergirl'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
Personal life ...
,
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim.
He serv ...
,
Ali Adler
Allison Beth Adler (born May 30, 1967) is a Canadian-American television producer and writer. She is the co-creator of ''Supergirl'' and '' The New Normal'', and is also known for her work on '' Chuck'' and '' Family Guy.''
Early life
Adler was ...
,
Phil Klemmer
Phil Klemmer is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work on UPNs ''Veronica Mars'', the NBC series ''Chuck'', and The CW series ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
Early life
Klemmer grew up in Winchester, Virginia being kept ...
,
Salim Akil
Salim Akil is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter from Oakland, California. He developed the television series ''Black Lightning'' based on a DC comics character of the same name. He is a co-founder of Akil Prod ...
,
Caroline Dries
Caroline Dries is an American television writer and a producer who has worked as a writer on three series for The CW; '' Smallville'', '' Melrose Place'' and served as an executive producer on ''The Vampire Diaries''. She is also known for the ...
and
Todd Helbing
Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing are American sibling screenwriters who had formerly worked as a team. They are known for their work on the Starz series ''Spartacus'' and '' Black Sails'', and for The CW superhero drama '' The Flash''. They stop ...
. Set in a shared fictional multiverse much like the
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...
and
DC Multiverse
In DC Comics, the Multiverse is a "cosmic construct" composed of the many fictional universes the stories of DC take place in. The worlds in this multiverse share a space and fate in common, and its structure has changed several times in the h ...
in comic books, it was established by
crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast and characters that span six live-action television series and two animated series.
The franchise began with ''
Arrow'', based on the character
Green Arrow, which debuted in October 2012. It was followed by ''
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
'' in 2014, and the animated web-series ''
Vixen
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
'' in 2015. The franchise was further expanded in 2016, when in January of that year a new series titled ''
Legends of Tomorrow
''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American time travel superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, who are also executive producers a ...
'' debuted, starring characters that originally appeared on both ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash''. Later that year, the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
series ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'', having already crossed-over with ''The Flash'', was moved to The CW for its second season and following seasons until its ending. A second animated web-series, ''
Freedom Fighters: The Ray'', was released in 2017, which followed
Ray Terrill / The Ray, who would make a live-action appearance during that year's crossover event "
Crisis on Earth-X
"Crisis on Earth-X" is the fourth Arrowverse Crossover (fiction), crossover event, featuring episodes of the live-action television series ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'', ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash ...
". In addition to the live-action and web-based series, the franchise has spawned three promotional tie-in live-action web series, ''Blood Rush'', ''Chronicles of Cisco'', and ''The Flash: Stretched Scenes''; released in 2013, 2016, and 2017 respectively. A fifth series, ''
Batwoman'', premiered in 2019. Six ensemble crossover events involving many of the live-action series of the Arrowverse took place, beginning with "
Flash vs. Arrow" in 2014 and concluding with "
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
" in-between 2019 and 2020. Additionally,
Matt Ryan has reprised his role as
John Constantine
John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...
from the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
series ''
Constantine
Constantine most often refers to:
* Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I
*Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria
Constantine may also refer to:
People
* Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...
'', initially in guest appearances in episodes of ''Arrow'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', before becoming a series regular for the latter, in addition to continuing storylines from the former series.
The 2018 and 2019 crossovers, "
Elseworlds" and "Crisis on Infinite Earths", respectively, saw multiple DC television series and films be retroactively added to the franchise's multiverse. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" also rebooted the multiverse, which saw ''Supergirl'' join the other live-action series on a new fictional Earth along with the series ''
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
'', which had been separate up to this point. The franchise has been successful, creating a large fandom around the world and has received positive reviews, where critics have praised the themes, acting, action sequences, direction and character development.
Development
In January 2012,
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
ordered a
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
for ''
Arrow'', revolving around the character
Green Arrow and developed by
Andrew Kreisberg
Andrew Kreisberg (born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, producer and comic book writer. He is best known as the creator of the television series ''The Flash'', ''Arrow'', '' Supergirl'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
Personal life ...
,
Greg Berlanti
Gregory Berlanti (born May 24, 1972) is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series ''Dawson's Creek'', '' Brothers & Sisters'', '' Everwood'', '' Political Animals'', ...
, and
Marc Guggenheim
Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series '' Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Leg ...
.
Stephen Amell
Stephen Adam Amell (born May 8, 1981) is a Canadian actor. He came to prominence for playing the lead role of Oliver Queen on The CW superhero series ''Arrow'' (2012–2020). Amell also appeared in subsequent Arrowverse franchise media, along wi ...
was cast in the titular role. When developing the series, Guggenheim said that the creative team wanted to "chart
heirown course,
heirown destiny", and avoid any direct connections to the series ''
Smallville'', which featured its own Green Arrow (
Justin Hartley
Justin Scott Hartley (born January 29, 1977) is an American actor. He has played Fox Crane on the NBC daytime soap opera ''Passions'' (2002–2006), Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on The CW television series ''Smallville'' (2006–2011), and Adam New ...
). In July 2013, it was announced that Berlanti, Kreisberg, and
Geoff Johns
Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash and Superman, has drawn critical acclaim.
He serv ...
would be creating a spin-off television series based on
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
. The character, played by
Grant Gustin
Thomas Grant Gustin (born January 14, 1990) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series ''The Flash'' as part of the Arrowverse, and as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series '' Gl ...
, was set to appear in three episodes of ''Arrow''s second season. The third episode was supposed to act as a
backdoor pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
for the new series,
but a traditional pilot was eventually ordered instead.
In November 2014, Berlanti expressed interest in making his
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
series ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'' exist in the same universe as ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash'', and in January 2015,
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
president Mark Pedowitz revealed that he was also open to a crossover among the series and networks. However, CBS president Nina Tassler stated that month that, "those two shows are on a different network. So I think we'll keep ''Supergirl'' to ourselves for a while." In August 2015, Tassler revealed that while there were no plans at the time to do story crossovers, the three series would have crossover promotions.
In January 2015, the CW announced that an animated web-series featuring the DC heroine
Vixen
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
would debut on
CW Seed
CW may stand for:
Science and technology
* centiwatt (cW), one hundredth of a watt
* Cω, a programming language
* CW complex, a type of topological space
* Carrier wave, in radio communications
* CodeWarrior, an integrated development environ ...
in late 2015 and be set in the same universe as both ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash''.
Amell and Gustin would reprise their respective roles in the series,
and the character of Vixen was expected to make a live-action appearance on ''The Flash'' and/or ''Arrow'' as well.
The next month, it was reported that another spin-off series, described as a superhero team-up show, was being discussed by The CW for a possible
2015–16 midseason release. Berlanti, Kreisberg, Guggenheim and Sarah Schechter would be executive producers of the potential series, which would be headlined by several recurring characters from both ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash''. That May, the CW officially confirmed ''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'' for a January 2016 premiere. Pedowitz later stated, "There is no intention, at this point, to spin anything else off" to add to the universe, though after ''Vixen'' was renewed for a second season he said, "Hopefully, that character could actually spin itself out, if not, maybe join as one of the Legends" in ''Legends of Tomorrow''. In October, additional ''Arrow'' showrunner Wendy Mericle revealed that the producers had begun having someone track all the characters and plots used by each series, in order to make sure everything lines up, but the following April, ''The Flash'' executive producer
Aaron Helbing
Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing are American sibling screenwriters who had formerly worked as a team. They are known for their work on the Starz series ''Spartacus'' and '' Black Sails'', and for The CW superhero drama '' The Flash''. They stop ...
noted that "sometimes the schedules don't line up exactly...and that stuff is out of our control", such as when Barry was shown using his abilities on ''Arrow'', while not having them the same week on ''The Flash''.
In January 2016, Tassler's successor Glenn Geller said "I have to be really careful what I say here" in regards to a potential ''Supergirl''/Arrowverse crossover, so "Watch and wait and see what happens." The following month, it was announced that Gustin would appear on the ''Supergirl'' episode "
Worlds Finest". Berlanti and Kreisberg, also ''Supergirl'' executive producers, thanked "the fans and journalists who have kept asking for this to happen. It is our pleasure and hope to create an episode worthy of everyone's enthusiasm and support."
In "Worlds Finest", ''Supergirl'' is established as being in an alternate universe where the Flash helps Kara fight the Silver Banshee and Livewire in exchange for her help in returning home. The events of the episode intersect with the events of the eighteenth episode of ''The Flash'' season two, "Versus Zoom".
The crossover required "a lot more logistical trickery" than the usual Arrowverse crossovers, due to Gustin filming ''The Flash'' in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
alongside ''Arrow'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', while ''Supergirl'' was produced in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. The producers chose to use the Flash as the character to crossover, due to his ability to travel between various Earths, and because it was "a little more fun at first to bring the veteran from that show to the chemistry of a new show." Berlanti stated that "in a perfect world", the crossover would have featured both Gustin and Amell's Green Arrow, "but logistically that would have been a nightmare to try and do both shows. We had to facilitate one."
Gustin was optimistic that the crossover in 2016 would allow another crossover the following year with the rest of the Arrowverse shows.
In May, it was announced that ''Supergirl'' would move from CBS to The CW for its second season, and that production would move from Los Angeles to Vancouver, where the CW Arrowverse series film. The second season premiered on October 10, 2016.
It was also announced that Supergirl would appear on ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'', and ''Legends of Tomorrow'' during the 2016–17 season crossover episodes, though Guggenheim cautioned that "She is going to be coming over but we're not going to do a full on ''Supergirl'' crossover".
Kreisberg also confirmed that, despite the series moving to The CW, the title character's universe would not be integrated into Earth-1, the main universe of ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', and would continue to exist in a parallel universe. The Earth the ''Supergirl'' series inhabits is Earth-38 in the Arrowverse multiverse,
and has been informally referred to as "Earth-CBS" by Guggenheim, named for the network where ''Supergirl'' first aired.
In August, the CW announced the animated web-series ''
Freedom Fighters: The Ray'' for CW Seed, intending that the actor cast as
Raymond "Ray" Terrill would appear in the live-action series, much like Mari McCabe / Vixen.
In May 2017, The CW ordered ''
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
'' to series.
The series had previously been in development at
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, at which point Berlanti had stated ''Black Lightning'' would not crossover with his other DC Comics television properties on The CW, nor would it exist in the Arrowverse. With the move to The CW, Pedowitz said the series "at this time, is not part of the Arrowverse. It is a separate situation."
Showrunners
Salim Akil
Salim Akil is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter from Oakland, California. He developed the television series ''Black Lightning'' based on a DC comics character of the same name. He is a co-founder of Akil Prod ...
later clarified that they were not ruling out eventual crossovers, but wanted to establish the series and its own world first.
In July 2018, it was revealed that the CW was developing a script for a potential series centered on
Batwoman, intending to launch it after the character debuted in the "
Elseworlds" crossover event. The series, if picked up, would be written by
Caroline Dries
Caroline Dries is an American television writer and a producer who has worked as a writer on three series for The CW; '' Smallville'', '' Melrose Place'' and served as an executive producer on ''The Vampire Diaries''. She is also known for the ...
, with plans to air in 2019.
In August,
Ruby Rose
Ruby Rose Langenheim (born 20 March 1986) is an Australian model, actress, disc jockey and television presenter. Rose was a presenter on MTV Australia (2007–2011), followed by several high-profile modelling gigs, including Maybelline New Yor ...
was cast as Kate Kane / Batwoman.
In December, it was announced that "
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
" would be the fifth annual crossover, following the "Elseworlds" crossover.
Further details explained that "Crisis" would run for five hours, marking the Arrowverse's longest crossover, and that the five parts would not air on consecutive nights, as with previous crossovers. Instead, three episodes would air in December 2019 and two in January 2020. It would also include ''
Batwoman'' and ''Legends'', which were not part of the "Elseworlds" crossover.
In January 2019, ''Batwoman'' received a pilot pick-up from the CW. On January 31, 2019, the four series already running on The CW were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through the
2019–20 television season.
On March 6, 2019, it was announced that the eighth season of ''Arrow'' would be the final season of the series, with an abbreviated ten-episode season.
On May 7, The CW ordered ''Batwoman'' to series.
Discussing a potential ''Black Lightning'' crossover with the Arrowverse in July 2019, Cress Williams revealed that "there's been lots of talk
..nothing official, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised." Two weeks later in August, Williams confirmed reports that characters from ''Black Lightning'' would appear in "Crisis on Infinite Earths". Also in August, it was reported that another untitled spin-off has been plotted. In September 2019, it was reported that The CW was developing a female led spin-off series with
Katherine McNamara
Katherine Grace McNamara (born November 22, 1995) is an American actress, known for playing Clary Fray on the 2016–2019 supernatural drama television series '' Shadowhunters'', and Mia Smoak in the superhero series ''Arrow''. She has also s ...
,
Katie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita Cassidy (formerly Rodgers) (born November 25, 1986) is an American actress. Following several minor television roles, she came to attention as a scream queen after starring in the horror films '' When a Stranger Calls'' ...
and
Juliana Harkavy as the leads. The following month, Marc Guggenheim released an image indicating ''Green Arrow and the Canaries'' as a potential name for the show. The same month, a ''Superman & Lois'' spinoff series entered development with
Tyler Hoechlin
Tyler Lee Hoechlin (; born September 11, 1987) is an American actor. Initially earning recognition for starring as Michael Sullivan Jr. in the 2002 film ''Road to Perdition'', Hoechlin went on to star as Martin Brewer on '' 7th Heaven'' between ...
and
Elizabeth Tulloch
Elizabeth Tulloch (born January 19, 1981) known as Bitsie Tulloch, is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Juliette Silverton / Eve in the NBC television series '' Grimm'' and as Lois Lane in The CW superhero television series ''S ...
reprising their roles as
Clark Kent / Superman
Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
and
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
from ''Supergirl''.
In January 2020, the five series running on The CW (''The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'', ''Batwoman'', and ''Black Lightning'') were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through the
2020–21 television season.
''Superman & Lois'' was also ordered to series.
At the end of "Crisis on Infinite Earths", the new Earth-Prime was formed, which saw ''Black Lightning''s earth merge with the former Earth-1 and Earth-38, creating a fictional universe where all of The CW series exist together.
On September 22, 2020, it was announced that ''Supergirl'' would conclude after its sixth season. A backdoor pilot for a potential spinoff based on
Painkiller
An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic (American English), analgaesic (British English), pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used to achieve relief from pain (that is, analgesia or pain management). It i ...
was in development, directed by
Salim Akil
Salim Akil is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter from Oakland, California. He developed the television series ''Black Lightning'' based on a DC comics character of the same name. He is a co-founder of Akil Prod ...
, and aired as the seventh episode of the fourth season of ''
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
'' with
Jordan Calloway
Jordan Calloway is an American actor. He is known for his role as Zach Carter-Schwartz on the Nickelodeon series ''Unfabulous'' (2004–2007). Calloway has also had recurring roles on NBC's '' ER'' (2005–2006), as well as The CW series '' Riverd ...
reprising his role from the show. On November 16, a series centered on the Yara Flor version of
Wonder Girl
Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Donna Troy, the original Wonder Girl, was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani and first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #60 (June/July ...
was in development from Gerg Berlanti and Dailyn Rodriguez. On November 20, 2020, ''Black Lightning'' was announced to conclude after its fourth season. The CW officially passed on the ''Arrow''-spinoff ''Green Arrow and the Canaries'' in January 2021, passed on ''Wonder Girl'' in February 2021, and passed on the ''Black Lightning''-spinoff ''Painkiller'' in May 2021.
In February 2021, the three remaining series that were not set to conclude at the time (''The Flash'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and ''Batwoman'') were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through the
2021–22 television season.
In March 2021, ''Superman & Lois'' was renewed for a second season.
In January 2022, ''Justice U'' was in development from Michael Narducci and Zoanne Clack. It would star David Ramsey reprising his role as John Diggle, in which Diggle recruits five young meta humans to live undercover as freshmen at a prestigious university, with Diggle overseeing their education and training. Ramsey would also direct the pilot if ordered, with Berlanti, Schechter, David Madden, and Johns executive producing alongside Narducci and Clack. In March 2022, ''The Flash'' and ''Superman & Lois'' were both confirmed for a ninth and third season respectively, carrying them through the
2022–23 television season.
In April 2022, ''Batwoman'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'' were both canceled. On August 1, 2022, it was announced that ''The Flash'' would be concluding with its upcoming ninth season,
which would also act as the conclusion of the Arrowverse, due to ''Superman & Lois'' having been confirmed to take place in an adjacent universe.
Name
In August 2015, in a video about the production of ''Vixen''s first season, Guggenheim referred to the series'
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
as the "Arrowverse". Kreisberg confirmed that this was the name the producers used for it. The universe has also been referred to by the media as the "Flarrowverse", "Berlanti-verse" and "DC TV-verse".
In September 2020, The CW released a trailer for the various series that would be airing on the network in 2021, which featured the name "The CWverse" in it. Many outlets felt the change was due to ''Arrow'' having ended and the character no longer a part of the shared universe.
However, Matt Webb Mitovich of ''
TVLine
''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs.
History
In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s Michael Ausiello announced that he would be leaving ''EW'' after nearly two years in their employ to est ...
'' felt that with the inclusion of ''
Stargirl'' in the trailer, which exists on a parallel earth to the Arrowverse, the name was perhaps a way to discuss all of the superhero series airing on network at the time. Mitovich also pointed out the term had been used a year prior in a similar trailer, which had featured the Arrowverse series plus ''Black Lightning'', which was not part of the universe at that time.
Jake Abbate of ''
SuperHeroHype'' also referred to the name as encompassing the "programming block" of superhero shows on the network.
Daniel Gillespie from ''
Screen Rant'' felt if this was The CW's attempt to change the Arrowverse's name, that fans and the media would not "suddenly start" using the name, and if The CW kept using the term, could "lead to a situation where the universe is called one thing officially, but another entirely by the majority of people who watch it".
In May 2021, when discussing the
2021–22 season of shows, Pedowitz referred to the series as the "CWverse".
Television series
Six television series make up the bulk of the Arrowverse franchise: ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'', ''Black Lightning'' and ''Batwoman'', along with two web series, ''Vixen'' and ''Freedom Fighters: The Ray''. All series in total amount to episodes across seasons of television.
''Arrow'' (2012–2020)
Billionaire playboy
Oliver Queen
Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His secret identity, real name is Olive ...
returns home after being stranded on a deserted island for five years. Upon his return to
Starling City
Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of Green Arrow. Beyond that, it is also known to other characters ...
, Oliver rekindles his relationships and spends his nights hunting down wealthy criminals as a hooded vigilante known as The Green Arrow.
''The Flash'' (2014–present)
Crime-scene investigator
Barry Allen awakens from a nine-month
coma after being struck by lightning due to the
S.T.A.R. Labs
Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories (S.T.A.R. Labs) is a fictional scientific research facility and organization appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in ''Superman'' #246 (December 1 ...
'
particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams.
Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...
explosion and finds himself with superhuman speed. Barry vows to use his new powers to protect
Central City
In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A central city ...
as the Flash, a masked superhero, while he pursues his mother's murderer, the
Reverse-Flash
The Reverse-Flash is a name used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Each iteration of the character serves as a foil and an enemy of the Flash.
Characters Edward Clariss
Edward Clariss (also known ...
.
''Supergirl'' (2015–2021)
Kara Zor-El
Kara Zor-El (Supergirl) also known by her adoptive names of Linda Lee Danvers, Kara Kent, Linda Lang, and Kara Danvers, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She was created by Otto Binder and designed ...
, who was sent to Earth from
Krypton
Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
as a 13-year-old and taken in by the Danvers family, must learn to embrace her powers after previously hiding them. After an unexpected disaster, Kara is forced to reveal her powers, and becomes
National City's protector.
''Legends of Tomorrow'' (2016–2022)
Rip Hunter
Rip Hunter is a fictional time traveling hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jack Miller and artist Ruben Moreira, the character first appeared in ''Showcase'' #20 (May 1959). Following three more appe ...
travels back in time to the present day where he brings together a team of heroes and villains in an attempt to prevent
Vandal Savage
Vandar Adg of the Blood Tribe, more widely known as Vandal Savage, is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is said to be a Cro-Magnon warrior who gained immortality and advanced healing abilities after encount ...
from destroying the world and time itself.
''Black Lightning'' (2018–2021)
High school principal Jefferson Pierce, who retired from his
superhero persona
Black Lightning
Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April 1977), during ...
nine years ago after seeing the effects it had on his family, is forced to become a
vigilante
Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority.
A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
again when the rise of the local gang called
The 100 The 100 may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* 100 (DC Comics), fictional organized crime groups appearing in DC Comics
* ''The 100'' (novel series), a 2013–2016 science fiction novel series written by Kass Morgan
* ''The 100'' (TV series), 20 ...
led by
Tobias Whale
Tobias Whale is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Black Lightning.
Whale appears in the live-action Arrowverse series ''Black Lightning'', portrayed by Marvin "Krondon" Jones II ...
leads to increased crime and corruption in his community of Freeland.
''Batwoman'' (2019–2022)
After the disappearance of Batman,
Kate Kane
Batwoman (Katherine Rebecca Kane) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Kane is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources toward ...
must overcome her own demons before being able to protect the streets of
Gotham as
Batwoman and becoming their symbol of hope.
From the second season onward, after Kate's plane mysteriously crashes and she is believed to be dead,
Ryan Wilder
''Batwoman'' is an American superhero television series developed by Caroline Dries based on the DC Comics character Batwoman, a costumed crime-fighter created by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, and Keith Giffen. It is set in th ...
takes up the mantle of
Batwoman.
Web series
''Vixen'' (2015–2016)
After her parents were killed in Africa by local corruption,
Mari McCabe inherits her family's Tantu Totem, gaining the powers of animals, using them to fight as Vixen to stop threats like those that claimed her family.
''Freedom Fighters: The Ray'' (2017–2018)
Raymond "Ray" Terrill is a reporter who gains light-based powers after being exposed to a genetic light bomb. Ray discovers the bomb in his investigation of a secret government project attempting to harness the power of light and weaponize it.
The Ray is a member of the Freedom Fighters on Earth-X, a world in the multiverse where the Nazis won World War II.
Recurring cast and characters
* A number beside a character's name indicates the character is from that alternate world (i.e. a indicates a character from Earth-2).
After Miller's exit as a series regular during ''Legends of Tomorrow''s first season, it was revealed he signed a deal with Warner Bros. to become a series regular across any of the shows in the Arrowverse. The deal was initially focused on Miller and his characters of Leonard and Leo Snart appearing on ''The Flash'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow''. Berlanti stated that Miller's deal was "the first contract not applicable to just one show," adding "In success we hope to continue with other characters finding their way across all the shows." Barrowman signed a similar deal to Miller in July 2016, allowing him to continue being a series regular on ''Arrow'' as well as ''The Flash'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', followed by Cassidy for her character Laurel Lance.
Expanded setting
Official crossover events
List indicators
* A grey cell indicates the series was not a part of the crossover event.
* The number in parentheses next to the episode title indicates which part of the crossover it is, if not clear otherwise.
Yearly crossover events in the Arrowverse began in the
2013–14 television season, when
Barry Allen was introduced in the eighth episode of ''Arrow''s
second season ahead of the debut of ''The Flash''. The next year, the eighth episodes of the third season of ''Arrow'' and the first season of ''The Flash'' formed a two-part event known as "
Flash vs. Arrow". In January 2015, The CW president
Mark Pedowitz
Mark Pedowitz is the former chairman and CEO of The CW. He replaced Dawn Ostroff in 2011, who had been the Head of Entertainment since the network's inception in 2006. Pedowitz oversaw all aspects of The CW, including programming, sales, marketing ...
said that there would be an Arrowverse crossover every season.
In the
2015–16 television season, a two-part event, "
Heroes Join Forces" between the eighth episodes of the fourth season of ''Arrow'' and the second season of ''The Flash'' was used to set up a new team-up series, ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
For the
2016–17 television season, the "
Invasion!" crossover included ''The Flash'', ''Arrow'', and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', with the event beginning at the end of ''Supergirl''.
A true four-part crossover occurred in the
2017–18 television season with "
Crisis on Earth-X
"Crisis on Earth-X" is the fourth Arrowverse Crossover (fiction), crossover event, featuring episodes of the live-action television series ''Supergirl (TV series), Supergirl'', ''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'', ''The Flash (2014 TV series), The Flash ...
", which also tied into the animated web series, ''
Freedom Fighters: The Ray'', and featured characters and concepts from that series.
The
2018–19 crossover, "
Elseworlds", included ''Supergirl'', ''The Flash'', and ''Arrow'' and saw the introduction of Batwoman ahead of her debut in her own series.
At the end of "Elseworlds", it was revealed that the
2019–20 television season crossover would be "
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
",
a five-part crossover with episodes of ''Supergirl'', ''Batwoman'', ''The Flash'', ''Arrow'', and ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
Additional crossovers include "
Worlds Finest", an episode which sees Barry Allen travel to Supergirl's Earth for the first time, and "
Duet", a musical crossover with ''The Flash'' and ''Supergirl''.
For the 2021–22 season, the eighth season of ''The Flash'' began with a five-episode event known as "
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
" that featured additional heroes and actors from other Arrowverse series.
Pedowitz said the episodes would "not quite be a crossover, but it will have a crossover-type feel".
''The Flash'' showrunner Eric Wallace noted that these event episodes were meant to be a temporary replacement for the yearly crossovers because of the various COVID-19 production protocols, saying, "we want to deliver the same feeling to the audience
ith the event episodesthat you would get with a crossover kind of story".
In 2022, the comic book crossover event series ''Earth-Prime'' was released. The six-issue event features five issues focusing on each current series (''Batwoman'', ''Superman & Lois'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'', ''Stargirl'', and ''The Flash'', respectively) with the sixth issue being a crossover between the series. Actors, writers, and executives from each of the series were involved in their creations, with the stories approved by the producers and considered in-canon to the series. The ''Batwoman'' issue, released on April 5, was written by show writers Natalie Abrams and Kelly Larson, and actor Camrus Johnson, with art by Clayton Henry. The ''Superman & Lois'' issue, released on April 19, was written by show writers Adam Mallinger, Jai Jamison, and Andrew Wong, with art by Tom Grummett and Norm Rapmund. The ''Legends of Tomorrow'' issue, released on May 3, was written by show writers Lauren Fields and Daniel Park, with art by Paul Pelletier and Andrew Hennessy. The ''Stargirl'' issue, released on May 17, was written by show writers James Robinson and Paula Sevenbergen, with art by
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.
He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ...
.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossovers
The 2019 crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" incorporated several DC Entertainment properties into the Arrowverse multiverse, including those that had already been established in previous series and crossovers. The new properties that appeared in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" included:
* ''
Batman'' (1966–1968 television series):
Burt Ward
Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. , July 6, 1945) is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman. He played Dick Grayson's Robin, the sidekick of Batman (played by Adam West), in the television series ''Batman'' (1966–1968), ...
reprises his role as an aged
Dick Grayson
Richard John "Dick" Grayson is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman and Teen Titans. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in ''Detective Comics ...
. This reality is designated Earth-66 in the pre-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Batman'' (1989 film):
Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series '' Arliss'' (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim Bu ...
reprises his role as Alexander Knox. This reality is designated Earth-89 in the pre-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Smallville'' (2001–2011 television series):
Tom Welling and
Erica Durance
Erica Durance (; born June 21, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Lois Lane in the WB/ CW superhero television series ''Smallville'' and as Dr. Alex Reid in the CTV medical drama '' Saving Hope''.
Early life
Durance was b ...
reprise their roles as
Clark Kent and
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...
, respectively. This reality is designated Earth-167 in the pre-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
'' (2002–2003 television series):
Ashley Scott
Ashley McCall Scott (born July 13, 1977) is an American actress and model, best known for providing the voice and motion capture for Maria Miller in the video games ''The Last of Us'' (2013) and ''The Last of Us Part II'' (2020). She has also a ...
and
Dina Meyer
Dina Meyer (born December 22, 1968) is an American actress. She began her career appearing in a recurring role on the Fox teen drama series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1993–94), before landing a leading role opposite Keanu Reeves in the 1995 fi ...
reprise their roles as
Helena Kyle / Huntress and
Barbara Gordon / Oracle, respectively. This reality is designated Earth-203 in the pre-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Superman Returns
''Superman Returns'' is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and fina ...
'' (2006 film):
Brandon Routh
Brandon James Routh (; born October 9, 1979) is an American actor. He portrayed Superman in the 2006 film '' Superman Returns'', which garnered him international fame. In 2011, he played the titular character of the film '' Dylan Dog: Dead of N ...
reprises his role as
Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman, albeit as an aged incarnation inspired by the
''Kingdom Come'' comic story. This reality is designated Earth-96 in both the pre- and post-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'' (2011 film): This reality is designated Earth-12 in the post-Crisis multiverse.
*
DC Extended Universe
The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films and television series produced by DC Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that ...
(2013–present film franchise):
Ezra Miller
Ezra Matthew Miller (born September 30, 1992) is an American actor. Their feature film debut was in '' Afterschool'' (2008), which they followed by starring in the drama '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' (2011) and '' The Perks of Being a Wallf ...
reprises their role as
Barry Allen, though his universe was left undesignated.
* ''
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
'' (2016–2021 television series):
Tom Ellis reprises his role as
Lucifer Morningstar
Lucifer Morningstar (also known as Samael before his banishment from heaven) is a fictional character and titular protagonist of the urban fantasy comedy-drama television series ''Lucifer''. The character is portrayed by Welsh actor Tom Ellis ...
. This reality is designated Earth-666 in the pre-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
'' (2018–present television series):
Alan Ritchson
Alan Michael Ritchson (born November 28, 1982) is an American actor, model, singer and songwriter. He made his acting debut as Aquaman / Arthur Curry on The CW superhero series ''Smallville'' (2005–2010), where he appeared as a guest star betw ...
,
Curran Walters
Curran Walters (born January 16, 1998) is an American actor and former model. He is best known for portraying Jason Todd on the DC Universe / HBO Max superhero series ''Titans'' (2018–2021).
Early life
Walters was born on January 16, 1998, in ...
,
Teagan Croft,
Minka Kelly
Minka Kelly (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress and model. Her first starring role was in the NBC drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2009) and she has also appeared on the shows '' Parenthood'' (2010–2011), ''Charlie's Ang ...
, and
Anna Diop
Mame-Anna Diop (born February 6, 1988) is a Senegalese-American actress and model. Since 2018, she has portrayed Kory Anders on the DC Universe / HBO Max series ''Titans''. Diop was also a series regular on The CW supernatural mystery '' The Messe ...
appear in their roles as
Henry "Hank" Hall / Hawk,
Jason Todd / Robin,
Rachel Roth,
Dawn Granger / Dove, and
Koriand'r / Kory Anders / Starfire, respectively, from archive footage.
This reality is designated Earth-9 in both the pre- and post-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing is a superhero in American comic books published by DC Comics. A humanoid/plant elemental creature, created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, the Swamp Thing has had several humanoid or monster incarnations in v ...
'' (2019 television series):
Derek Mears
Derek Mears (born April 29, 1972) is an American actor and stuntman. Often appearing in horror and science-fiction titles, he came to prominence for portraying Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of ''Friday the 13th''. His film roles also include ...
appears in his role as
Alec Holland / Swamp Thing.
This reality is designated Earth-19 in the post-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol is a superhero team from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in ''My Greatest Adventure'' #80 (June 1963), and was created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney, along with artist Bruno Premiani. Doom Patrol has appe ...
'' (2019–present television series):
April Bowlby
April Michelle Bowlby is an American actress and model. She is known for portraying Kandi on the CBS comedy series ''Two and a Half Men'' (2006–2015), Stacy Barrett on ''Drop Dead Diva'' (2009–2014), and Rita Farr on ''Titans'' (2018) an ...
,
Diane Guerrero,
Joivan Wade
Joivan Wade ( ; born 23 July 1993) is an English actor known for playing Manyou in the BBC comedy television series '' Big School'', Jordan Johnson on the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', and Victor Stone/Cyborg in the HBO Max series ''Doom Pa ...
, Riley Shanahan, and Matthew Zuk appear in their roles as
Rita Farr,
Jane
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fil ...
,
Victor "Vic" Stone / Cyborg,
Cliff Steele, and
Larry Trainor
Larry Trainor (April 20, 1905 – July 22, 1975) was a leading activist of the Socialist Workers Party (US) in Boston and a member of the party's National Committee.
Trainor was a noted socialist educator, giving classes on Marxism, the history o ...
, respectively from archive footage.
This reality is designated Earth-21 in the post-Crisis multiverse.
* ''
Stargirl'' (2020–2022 television series):
Brec Bassinger
Brec Bassinger (born May 25, 1999) is an American actress. First coming to attention, over 2013–2014, in the recurring role of Emma in ''The Haunted Hathaways'', Bassinger then starred in the lead role of Bella Dawson in the 2015–2016 Nickel ...
debuted as
Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl, alongside
Yvette Monreal as
Yolanda Montez / Wildcat, Anjelika Washington as
Beth Chapel / Doctor Mid-Nite, and Cameron Gellman as
Rick Tyler / Hourman from footage from ''Stargirl''.
This reality is designated Earth-2 in the post-Crisis multiverse.
2021 crossovers
=Planned
=
By November 2019, Guggenheim, Berlanti, and Pedowitz had discussed what the 2020 crossover would entail,
with Guggenheim revealing in January 2020, that a general idea had been approved by Pedowitz and Berlanti.
Guggenheim confirmed they had "no intention of trying something
sambitious" as the previous year's "Crisis on Infinite Earths", hoping "to really go back to the basics".
He felt a crossover like "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was something "you’ve got to build to" and the goal of the next crossover was to "return to the roots" of the Arrowverse crossovers.
In May 2020, Pedowitz revealed the crossover would be two hours, occurring on episodes of ''Batwoman'' and ''
Superman & Lois'', airing in Q1/Q2 of 2021. Pedowitz added that the event would also see many characters from the other Arrowverse series appear. ''Batwoman'' showrunner Caroline Dries was excited to integrate more of the ''Batwoman'' characters in this crossover after she "was really protective of them in "Crisis" because it was like blowing open a whole genre world to our characters, but now people are a little bit more integrated" to the larger Arrowverse. In August 2020, Berlanti reiterated that "aspirations aren't quite as large" for the crossover, particularly with the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
necessitating additional safety precautions and guidelines for filming. However, by January 2021, the crossover was no longer moving forward because of the pandemic, with Dries explaining they could not have the crews of each series interact for fear of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
exposure.
=John Diggle storyline
=
In December 2020, David Ramsey was revealed to be reprising his role of John Diggle on ''Superman & Lois'', ''Supergirl'', ''The Flash'', and ''Batwoman'', as well as on ''Legends of Tomorrow'' as "a historical Western character". Ramsey directed the episodes of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and ''Supergirl'' he starred in.
According to ''Superman & Lois'' showrunner Todd Helbing, Ramsey's return was originally conceived as a five-episode story across the various series that was "pretty cool". However, because of the production difficulties that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, his appearances were adjusted since it would have been "impossible to make it make sense", though there would still be a through-line between each appearance.
The ''Batwoman'', ''Flash'', ''Superman & Lois'', and ''Supergirl'' episodes explore what Diggle has been up to since the end of "Arrow" when he encountered a glowing green box. Ramsey spoke to the grounded nature of Diggle as a character, and given that, "he refused the invitation of whatever was in the box" since the last thing he would want to do is "receive an invitation from something otherworldly". However, there are consequences for Diggle with that decision.
His appearance on ''Superman & Lois'' was described by Helbing as "more of a one-off" while still touching on the overall story thematically.
Ramsey appeared in "
Rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* ''The Re ...
" on ''Batwoman'', "
Stressed Western" on ''Legends of Tomorrow'',
"
P.O.W.
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
" on ''The Flash'', "
Through the Valley of Death" on ''Superman & Lois'', and "
Blind Spots" on ''Supergirl''.
While in Gotham City for a neurological exam, Diggle crosses paths with Luke Fox and gives him some advice. Diggle then assists Team Flash in Central City with the war against Godspeed. Cecile Horton tells Diggle she senses pain in his head from an infinite presence, and during a fight, Diggle has a dizzy spell and collapses to the ground, hearing the repeated phrase "worlds await". He leaves Central City soon after and is next seen in Smallville to aid Superman and Lois Lane. Finally, Diggle heads to National City to help Kelly Olsen with her decision to become the new Guardian, telling her he had an opportunity to become a special kind of hero and turned it down. The storyline was concluded in 2022 in ''The Flash''s season 8 episode "
The Man in the Yellow Tie". After the revelation that ''Superman & Lois'' is set in an adjacent universe, the Diggle appearing in that series was confirmed to be an alternate version of the Arrowverse character.
Multiverse
In October 2014, Johns explained that DC's approach to their films and television series would be different from
Marvel Studios'
cinematic universe, stating that their
film universe and TV universes would be kept separate within a
multiverse to allow "everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world." The second season of ''The Flash'' began to explore this concept of the multiverse, by introducing Earth-2, which features
doppelgängers of the inhabitants of Earth-1. ''Supergirl'' was confirmed as an alternate universe, later designated Earth-38,
with ''The Flash'' crossover episode "Worlds Finest" (2016). ''Freedom Fighters: The Ray'' is set on Earth-X.
The 2019 crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths", inspired by the
comic of the same name, destroyed all of the universes within the Arrowverse multiverse, both on- and off-screen.
At the time, the highest-numbered universe to be referenced was Earth-898,
though the multiverse contained an infinite number of universes. The end of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" saw the creation of a new multiverse, most notably the new Earth-Prime, a world featuring inhabitants from the pre-Crisis Earth-1, Earth-2, Earth-38, and ''Black Lightning''s Earth, combining all of the CW series at the time and moving forward with all of them on one fictional earth. Six additional Earths within this new multiverse were revealed in the crossover.
Ezra Miller
Ezra Matthew Miller (born September 30, 1992) is an American actor. Their feature film debut was in '' Afterschool'' (2008), which they followed by starring in the drama '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' (2011) and '' The Perks of Being a Wallf ...
's cameo as Barry Allen from the DC Extended Universe in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" opened up more possibilities for crossovers between the DC films and Arrowverse.
DC Films president
Walter Hamada
Walter Hamada is an American film executive and producer. He joined New Line Cinema in 2007, where he served as an executive producer on horror films such as '' The Conjuring'' (2013), '' Annabelle'' (2014), ''The Conjuring 2'' (2016), '' Lights ...
revealed prior to "Crisis", DC had been structured in a way that the television division had to clear the use of characters with the film division. Now, the company could "really lean into this idea of
he multiverseand acknowledge the fact there can be a Flash on TV and one in the movies, and you don't have to pick one or the other, and they both exist in this multiverse." Berlanti agreed, feeling that "moving forward, there’s more opportunity to do more things like this". In February 2021, Casey Bloys, chief content officer for
HBO and
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
, indicated that DC and WarnerMedia were working to ensure the creative decisions for theirs shows on HBO Max and The CW and their films were aware of each other "so that there's nobody overlapping" and everything worked to make sense together. Bloys added everything would exist in a larger multiverse.
''The Flash '' (1990–1991)
In ''The Flash'' (2014 TV series) episode "
Welcome to Earth-2
"Welcome to Earth-2" is the thirteenth episode, and first part of a two-part story arc, of the second season of the American television series '' The Flash'', based on the DC Comics character Barry Allen / Flash. It follows a crime scene inves ...
" (2016), glimpses of the multiverse are seen, including an image of
John Wesley Shipp
John Wesley Shipp (born January 22, 1955) is an American actor known for his various television roles. He played the lead Barry Allen on CBS's superhero series '' The Flash'' from 1990 to 1991, and Mitch Leery, the title character's father, on ...
as the Flash from the
1990 television series, implying that the series exists on an alternate Earth within the Arrowverse multiverse; Shipp reprised his role as Barry Allen / The Flash from the 1990 series in the annual crossover events "
Elseworlds" (2018),
and "
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
" (2019). His native universe was designated Earth-90 in the pre-Crisis Multiverse.
''Constantine'' (2014–2015)
By May 2015, Amell had had discussions with DC Entertainment about portraying Queen on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
s ''Constantine'', starring
Matt Ryan; saying, "The reason that I was going to guest star on ''Constantine''...was
onstantine'san expert when it comes to the Lazarus Pit, which is now something that is a part of and will continue to be a part of ''Arrow''." Amell stated that, even though ''Constantine'' was not renewed for a second season, a crossover "was and is still on the table". Guggenheim revealed a desire to integrate
John Constantine
John Constantine () is a fictional character who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Constantine first appeared in ''Swamp Thing'' #37 (June 1985), and was created by Alan Moore, Stephen R. Bissette, Rick Veitch, and John Tot ...
into the Arrowverse, saying, "A lot of the pieces are in place, except for that one final piece, which is what's the fate of ''Constantine''? That's the tricky thing. But it comes up in the writers' room constantly—we have a number of ideas, one idea that's particularly exciting to me. We're in a little bit of a wait-and-see mode". In July 2015, Mericle added on the subject, "It's something we've been talking to DC about and it's just a question of some political things, but also
yan
Yan may refer to:
Chinese states
* Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty
* Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC
* Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...
s schedule."
In August 2015, it was confirmed that Ryan would appear in ''Arrow''s fourth-season episode "
Haunted
Haunted or The Haunted may refer to:
Books
* ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005
* ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004
* ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005
* ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...
" for a "one-time-only-deal". Guggenheim said, "This is something the fans were clamoring for," praising DC for being so "magnanimous and generous in giving us this one-time dispensation." Due to ''Arrow'' and ''Constantine'' sharing the same studio, the producers of ''Arrow'' were able to use Ryan's original outfits: "The trench coat, the tie, the shirt...the whole wardrobe is being taken out storage and shipped up to Vancouver
here ''Arrow'' shoots"
John Badham
John MacDonald Badham (born August 25, 1939) is an English television and film director, best known for his films ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977), ''Dracula'' (1979), ''Blue Thunder'' (1983), ''WarGames'' (1983), ''Short Circuit'' (1986), and ...
, a director on ''Constantine'', directed the episode that Constantine appears in. Mericle confirmed that this version of Constantine would be the same character that had appeared in ''Constantine''.
On filming the episode, Guggenheim referred to it as "a ''Constantine''/''Arrow'' crossover" and felt that "we got the chance to extend Matt Ryan's run as Constantine by at least one more hour of television. I think you'll see he fits very neatly into our universe. It never feels forced".
In July 2017, Guggenheim indicated that "really good conversations" had taken place with Ryan to appear again in the Arrowverse, and in October 2017, it was revealed that Ryan would appear in two episodes of the third season of ''Legends of Tomorrow'', "
Beebo the God of War" and "
Daddy Darhkest", with the appearance taking place chronologically after "Haunted", revisiting the setting of ''Arrow''s fourth season and the events following that season's final episode. Klemmer described the tone of the episodes as "''
The Exorcist
''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty ...
'' meets ''
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest''".
Ryan was made a series regular for the fourth season of ''Legends of Tomorrow''.
Jesse Schedeen of IGN felt in October 2018 that none of the character's Arrowverse appearances thus far "really directly reference the events of the ''Constantine'' series, leaving it up in the air as to whether this John Constantine is the same character from that series or if Ryan is merely playing a different, very similar version of his character." In November 2018, Ryan spoke to the relationship between the character seen in the NBC series and the one seen on ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and in the Arrowverse. He said the two were the same character with "the same DNA", and likened each appearance to that of different comic book writers and artists working with the character: "He has the same outline, but he looks different. The hair is slightly different. He has a slightly different cadence sometimes. Different artists and different writers write him in different ways." Ryan also noted that while the fourth season of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' mentions the Astra storyline from the NBC series, it would not explore the Brujeria storyline, though Constantine "still carries that baggage around with him".
''Superman & Lois'' (2021–present)
Although initially conceived as a spin-off of ''Supergirl'' with many of the cast in the universe reprising their roles, the series' second season finale established it as set in an adjacent universe.
Showrunner Todd Helbing explained his initial pilot script included multiple references to the Arrowverse, that were slowly removed. Once they were, it "became a can of worms" to try to tie into the universe, with Helbing discussing with DC during the first season that the series would instead be on an alternate earth, which he could not reveal publicly until the end of the second season, which concluded in June 2022. At that time he said, "I totally understand DC’s position... This wasn’t meant to alienate us from the Arrowverse, but because a lot of the other shows are sadly no longer going to be on the air, it felt like the right thing to do."
Marketing
In April 2015, to celebrate the season three finale of ''Arrow'' and season one finale of ''The Flash'', The CW released a short promo titled "Superhero Fight Club". The short features characters from ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash'' battling each other in a hero vs. villain showdown. Characters include The Arrow, Flash,
Arsenal,
Black Canary,
Dark Archer, Reverse-Flash,
Captain Cold
Captain Cold (Leonard Snart) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Rogues, a loose criminal association, as well as the older brother of Golden Glider. An adversary of the various su ...
,
Heat Wave
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
,
Firestorm
A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used ...
,
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul, commonly pronounced correctly as ''Re'sh'', hence or ; "The Head of the Demon" or, in a rougher translation, "The Chief Demon". is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary o ...
, and Atom in a
cage match fight, with Black Canary and Arsenal vs. Dark Archer, Arrow vs. Ra's al Ghul, Flash vs. Captain Cold and Heat Wave, which is interrupted by Reverse-Flash, until Firestorm intervenes and the Atom makes an appearance at the end. In September 2016, The CW released the promo "Superhero Fight Club 2.0" to promote the start of the 2016–17 season with the addition of ''Supergirl'' to their lineup, as well as their new mobile app, where the promo could exclusively be viewed initially. The new Superhero Fight Club sees Green Arrow, Flash, Atom, Firestorm,
White Canary, and
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
go up against a new fight simulator created by
Cisco Ramon and
Felicity Smoak
Felicity Smoak is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Her first appearance was in ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #23 (May 1984), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of ...
, while
John Diggle
John William Diggle (2 March 1847 – 24 March 1920) was an English Anglican bishop. He was Archdeacon of Westmorland from 1896 to 1901, Archdeacon of Birmingham from 1903 to 1904, and Bishop of Carlisle from 1905 to his death in 1920.
Early ...
and
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and designed by artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in the story "The Manhunter from Mars" ...
observe. After defeating the simulator, Cisco releases
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain character appearing in American comic books and other media published by DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. The character was created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, and first appeared in ''The F ...
into the arena for the heroes to face. In January 2018, The CW released the promo "Suit Up", featuring the various heroes putting on their costumes in order to promote the return of ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'', ''Legends of Tomorrow'', and ''Supergirl'' from their first mid-season break, as well as the premiere of ''Black Lightning''.
Reception
Ratings
Critical response
Commentary
After the first ''Arrow''/''Flash'' crossover, Brian Lowry of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' talked about the spin-off series and the crossover, applauding the producers for replicating the success of ''Arrow'' but with "a lighter tone" and "a hero with genuine super powers" in ''The Flash'', and calling the crossover an appropriate moment for everyone concerned to take a short but well-deserved victory lap." Lowry also said that the crossover "does a nifty job of bringing the two series together, although probably not in a manner likely to boost the shared audience between them much more than already exists." Meredith Borders at Birth.Movies.Death. called the crossover episodes "fun" and said positively that "too much happened that was unrelated to one show or the other – and that's a good thing. While the crossover episodes were definitely open to new viewers of either ''The Flash'' or ''Arrow'' (or both, presumably), with each episode wrapped up tidily by the end of its hour, plenty of show-specific plot stuff was advanced without spelling it out for newbies. New viewers to either show could follow along and have a good time, but veteran viewers were rewarded with major storyline motion."
Following the release of the first trailer for ''
Supergirl
Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. The character made her fir ...
'', Paul Tassi wrote for ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' about why he felt that series should be kept separate from the Arrowverse: He called the moment in the ''Arrow'' third-season finale where Barry Allen appears briefly, but abruptly leaves since "''Arrow'' needs to let its own characters solve its problems", a "weird moment" that shows "the cracks
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
form when it's just two shows that have to work together on the regular." Tassi then noted the further complications of adding ''Supergirl'', saying, "The more shows you have, the more heroes you introduce, the harder it is to keep explaining away why they're not constantly around to help each other. ''Supergirl'' already has that problem built-in with Superman, who it seems will not be a regular fixture on the show, and I'm sure there will be many excuses as to why he's too busy to help Supergirl fight her latest battle. Add in ''Arrow'', ''The Flash'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'' mythology, and it's probably too much to juggle....I think ''Supergirl'' deserves to launch without ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash'' on its shoulders, and be allowed to find itself before being assimilated into an existing universe."
With the premiere of ''Legends of Tomorrow'', ScreenRant's Alice Walker discussed how the series "has hurt ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash''", noting that the latter required minimal setup when it was spun-off from the former and had an element of mystery surrounding its quality with "a "wait and see" attitude" from audiences, while ''Legends'' was instead met with much excitement long before its release leading to each piece of news concerning it being "publicized and met with fanfare – to the detriment of the other shows involved." Walker felt that audiences knowing which characters would appear in ''Legends'', and how, took "the thrill out of the story" of the other series as such information spoiled some of their upcoming plot twists, including the resurrection of Sara Lance or the fact that Ray Palmer "could never really pose a threat to Oliver
ueenand Felicity
moaks relationship, or run Palmer Technologies long term, since it was widely known that he would be a huge part of ''Legends''." Additionally, the annual ''Arrow''/''The Flash'' crossover suffered from also trying to set up ''Legends'', which was "too much to ask from the already crowded storylines and ended up feeling like an exercise in synchronicity, with producers planting more seeds than they could reap. The crossover event was no longer a fun way to contrast the two shows; it now had to serve the much larger purpose of setting up an entirely new world." Walker stated that the premiere of ''Legends'' "means that ''Arrow'' and ''The Flash'' can finally stop dedicating so much time and plot to laying the groundwork for the spin-off, and start focusing on the fundamentals of their own shows again."
After the conclusion of the "Elseworlds" crossover revealed that the next crossover would be an adaptation of the ''
Crisis on Infinite Earths
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is a 1985 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics. The series, written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Pérez, was first serialized as a 12-issue limited series from April 1985 to Mar ...
'' comic, Mike Cecchini of ''Den of Geek'' stated: "The Arrowverse is becoming the most intricate, risky live action superhero universe in history. Yes, it's at least as big and crazy (perhaps even moreso in some ways) than the
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...
, and we had best enjoy this while we have it, because it's unlikely we'll ever see this much crazy DC Comics love on screen in one place at one time ever again."
Other media
Comic books
Books
Novels
On February 23, 2016,
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of Titan Entertainment Group, which was established in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cinema reference books; and graphic novels and c ...
released ''
Arrow: Vengeance'', a tie-in novel by Oscar Balderrama and Lauren Certo, which is set before and during
Arrow's second season, which details the origins of
Slade Wilson
Slade are an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The ''British Hit Singles ...
,
Isabel Rochev, and
Sebastian Blood, and how they would all eventually meet and collaborate with each other to battle Oliver Queen / The Arrow as seen in the TV series. On November 29, 2016, Titan released ''
The Flash: The Haunting of Barry Allen'', a tie-in novel by Susan and Clay Griffith, which is set during
The Flash's second season and
Arrow's fourth season, which detailed that after he closed the temporal anomaly that nearly destroyed Central City, Barry an older version of himself, beaten, injured, and batter, but before he can speak, his doppelganger disappears. Barry then starts experiencing glitches in his powers, moments that leave him immobile and ghostly during missions. When a group of his worst villains, including
Pied Piper
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany.
The legend dates back to ...
,
Weather Wizard
Weather Wizard (Mark Mardon) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Weather Wizard made his first live appearance in the television series '' The Flash'', played by actor Liam McIntyre, who played Mark Mardon. He appear ...
, and
Peek-a-Boo, decide to launch an assault on him, so Barry decides to seek help from his most trusted ally, Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. The story continues in ''
Arrow: A Generation of Vipers'', by Susan and Clay Griffith, which was released by Titan on March 28, 2017, which detailed Team Flash and Team Arrow working together to eliminate the bizarre energy that threatens to kill the Flash. When their quest leads them to Markovia, they must get past an army of mercenaries and assassins to face the mysterious Count Wallenstein.
A fourth novel entitled ''
Arrow: Fatal Legacies'' was released in January 2018. It is co-authored by ''Arrow'' executive producer
Marc Guggenheim
Marc Guggenheim (born September 24, 1970) is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series '' Eli Stone'' (2008–2009), ''Arrow'' (2012– 2020), and ''Leg ...
and James R. Tuck, and is set between the fifth-season finale and sixth-season premiere of ''Arrow''. A fifth novel, following ''The Flash'' villain Weather Wizard in his attempts at revenge, was released in May 2018. Written by
Richard A. Knaak, the novel is titled ''
The Flash: Climate Changeling''.
In May 2017, it was announced that
Abrams Books would be releasing two trilogies of middle-grade novels for ''The Flash'' and ''Supergirl'', written by
Barry Lyga
Barry Lyga (born September 11, 1971) is an American young adult novelist and short story writer. He lives in New York. Lyga majored in English at Yale receiving his BA in 1993. He then spent ten years working at Diamond Comic Distributors after h ...
and
Jo Whittemore, respectively. The first of these novels, ''
The Flash: Hocus Pocus'', was released on October 3, 2017. The novel takes place in an alternate timeline where the show's
"Flashpoint" event never occurred, and The Flash must fight a villain known as Hocus Pocus who can control the minds and actions of people. A sequel, ''
The Flash: Johnny Quick'' was released on April 3, 2018, as well as a third novel titled ''
The Flash: The Tornado Twins'' released on October 2, 2018.
The second of these trilogies began in November 2017, with ''
Supergirl: Age of Atlantis''. The novel features Supergirl dealing with a surge of new powered people in National City, as well as a mysterious humanoid sea creature captured by the DEO who is seemingly attracted by the new superpowered people. A sequel, ''
Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients'', was released on May 1, 2018, with a third novel, titled ''
Supergirl: Master of Illusion'', released on January 8, 2019.
In July 2017, a third trilogy titled ''Crossover Crisis'' was announced, focusing on crossovers between characters within the universe on this alternate earth. The series is again penned by Barry Lyga. The first novel, ''The Flash: Green Arrow's Perfect Shot'', was released on August 13, 2019 with the second ''The Flash: Supergirl's Sacrifice'' released on May 26, 2020. The final novel in the series, ''The Flash: Legends of Forever'', was published on March 23, 2021.
Guidebooks
The first guidebook to be released was ''
Arrow: Heroes and Villains'' by Nick Aires and published by Titan Books, released in February 2015. Described as "a companion" to the series, the book features sections on the various characters of the series, along with descriptions, backgrounds, comic book origins, and "where they stand as of the end of the second season of 'Arrow.'"
A follow up to ''Heroes and Villains'' by the same author and publisher, titled ''
Arrow: Oliver Queen's Dossier'', was released in October 2016, during the series' fifth season. The book is presented as information collected by the Green Arrow and Felicity Smoak over the course of his four years of activity. Included in the book are "handwritten notes" and "police reports" regarding the Green Arrow and those he targets.
In May 2018, Titan Books and Aires released a guidebook similar to ''Oliver Queen's Dossier'', but for its sister series, ''The Flash'', from the perspective of Cisco Ramon. ''
S.T.A.R. Labs: Cisco Ramon's Journal'' features "his confidential journal entries, covering everything from his tech designs, the villains and other heroes the team encounter, the team's personal challenges and his own Vibe abilities prior to Flashpoint."
A second guidebook for ''The Flash'' was released in November 2018, this time published by Abrams Books. ''
The Secret Files of Barry Allen: The Ultimate Guide to the Hit TV Show'' features the Flash's "top-secret notes", as well as "classified S.T.A.R. Labs dossiers on everyone in Central City", an episode guide on the first four seasons of the series, and details on the life of the Flash "in Barry's own words."
A similar guidebook for ''Supergirl'' was released in March 2019 from the same publisher. ''
Supergirl: The Secret Files of Kara Danvers: The Ultimate Guide to the Hit TV Show'' features "detailed profiles on characters and super powers, a heroes and villains gallery, episode guide, and more" from the first three seasons of the series.
Promotional tie-ins
''Blood Rush''
On November 6, 2013, a six-episode series of shorts, titled ''Blood Rush'', premiered alongside the broadcast of ''Arrow'', as well as online. The series, which was presented by
Bose
Bose may refer to:
* Bose (crater), a lunar crater
* ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha
* Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name)
* Bose, Italy, a ''frazioni'' in Magnano, Province of Biella ...
, and features
product placement for Bose products, was shot on location in Vancouver, similarly to the main show. The miniseries features Emily Bett Rickards, Colton Haynes and Paul Blackthorne reprising their roles of Felicity Smoak,
Roy Harper and
Quentin Lance
''Arrow (TV series), Arrow'' is an American Superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed crime-fighter created by Mor ...
, respectively. The episodes set during the course of the second season of the television series, show Roy coming to Queen Consolidated to have a meeting with Oliver. As he is out, Felicity tells Roy to go wait in the lobby. As Roy leaves, Officer Lance calls Felicity, telling her that the blood sample the Starling City police found on the vigilante, which Felicity destroyed, has resurfaced. Felicity then calls Roy, using Oliver's voice encoder, asking him to break into the lab to retrieve the sample. Felicity guides Roy through the lab, where he is able to recover the sample. As Roy is leaving, doctors enter the room, seemingly trapping him. He notifies Felicity, who then hacks into the building's PA system, and issues an evacuation notice, giving Roy a chance to escape. Roy gets out of the room before it enters into lock down, and is able to avoid two guards with the help of Felicity and exit the lab. Roy returns to Queen Consolidated, and Felicity offers to mail the acquired sample for Roy as he goes in to meet with Oliver.
''Chronicles of Cisco: Entry 0419''
On April 19, 2016, a four-episode series of shorts, titled ''Chronicles of Cisco'', premiered on
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile te ...
. The series features Valdes and
Britne Oldford
Britne Oldford (born July 23, 1992) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for portraying Cadie Campbell on '' Skins'', Alma Walker on '' American Horror Story: Asylum'', Remy Beaumont on '' Ravenswood'', Regan on '' Hunters'', and as Fei Harg ...
reprising their roles as
Cisco Ramon and Peek-a-Boo respectively. Set in the second season of the television series, the series sees Cisco attempting to make the Flash suit bulletproof and body-odor proof. While working on these, he receives a late-night Meta-Human Alert within S.T.A.R. Labs, and learns that Peek-a-Boo triggered the alert. She has come to S.T.A.R. Labs to make Cisco create a weapon for her, as he did for
Golden Glider, Captain Cold, and Heat Wave. When he does not cooperate, she shoots him. Cisco survives being shot, realizing that the orange soda he spilled on his shirt was the missing catalyst to his bulletproof formula. Cisco tries to bring Peek-a-Boo back to the pipeline, but she locks him in the cell instead. Cisco is then seen being woken up due to a call from Barry. He believes he dreamt the whole experience, until he finds the bullet that shot him on the ground.
''Stretched Scenes''
On November 14, 2017, a three-episode series of shorts, known as "Stretched Scenes", premiered. The series, presented by
Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface is a series of touchscreen-based personal computers, tablets and interactive whiteboards designed and developed by Microsoft, running the Microsoft Windows operating system, apart from the Surface Duo, which runs on Andro ...
, features
Hartley Sawyer
Hartley Sawyer (born January 25, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Kyle Abbott on the CBS Daytime soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' and Ralph Dibny / Elongated Man on The CW series '' The Flash''.
Career
In ...
,
Danielle Panabaker
Danielle Nicole Panabaker (born September 19, 1987) is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the The Walt Disney Company, Disney films ''Stuck in the Suburbs'' (2004), ''Sky High (2005 film), ...
, and
Candice Patton
Candice Kristina Patton is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Iris West-Allen in the television series ''The Flash'' (2014–2023), which earned her a Saturn Award from four nominations.
Early life
Patton was raised in Pl ...
as
Ralph Dibny
Elongated Man (Randolph "Ralph" Dibny) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in '' The Flash'' #112 (February 25, 1960).
The character made his live-action debut in the fourth season of T ...
,
Cailtin Snow, and
Iris West
Iris West is a fictional character, a supporting character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She has been the main love interest and later wife of Barry Allen, the alter ego of the Silver Age version of the superhero The ...
respectively. Set during the
show's fourth season, it shows Dibny as he continually bothers Cailtin and Iris for their help, or for attention. The shorts premiered online as well as during the commercial breaks of the episodes "
When Harry Met Harry...", "
Therefore I Am
Therefore I Am was an American post-hardcore band formed in Boston in May 2004. After recording two independent extended plays, they signed to Epitaph Records in 2005 and later to Equal Vision Records in 2008, on which they recorded one full-l ...
", and "
Don't Run".
Christmas special
The ''
Legends of Tomorrow
''DC's Legends of Tomorrow'', or simply ''Legends of Tomorrow'', is an American time travel superhero television series developed by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, and Phil Klemmer, who are also executive producers a ...
'' toy character Beebo, voiced by
Benjamin Diskin
Benjamin Isaac Diskin (born August 25, 1982) is an American actor who was affiliated in Studiopolis, Bang Zoom!, SDI Media, Funimation, VSI Los Angeles, and NYAV Post.
Early life
Diskin was born in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish fa ...
, starred in his own animated Christmas special, titled ''Beebo Saves Christmas'' and aired on December 21, 2021. Narrated by
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber (born March 16, 1949) is a Canadian-American actor and singer. Known for his work in film, television, and theatre, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also ...
(who portrays
Martin Stein / Firestorm in the parent series), the special sees Diskin reprising his role, alongside
Ernie Hudson
Earnest Lee Hudson (born December 17, 1945) is an American actor. His roles include Winston Zeddemore in the '' Ghostbusters'' film series, Sergeant Darryl Albrecht in '' The Crow'' (1994), and Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's '' Oz'' (1997–2003) ...
as
Santa Claus,
Chris Kattan as a
Christmas elf
In English-speaking cultures, a Christmas elf is a diminutive elf that lives with Santa Claus at the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are usually depicted as green- or red-clad, with large, pointy ears and wearing pointy hats. ...
named Sprinkles,
Kimiko Glenn
Kimiko Elizabeth Glenn (June 27, 1989) is an American actress and Broadway performer known for portraying Brook Soso in the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'', for which she received three ensemble Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also st ...
as Tweebo,
Yvette Nicole Brown
Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress, comedian, writer and host. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 version of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS and as Dina Rose on the AB ...
as Turbo, and
Keith Ferguson as Fleabo.
Notes
References
{{DC Comics TV
Mass media franchises introduced in 2012
DC Comics dimensions
DC Comics franchises
Television franchises