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We’re days away from the beginning of “Crisis on Infinite Earths”, the biggest crossover yet for The CW’s Arrowverse of shows. The four-night, five-episode event is set to take Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, and a ton of other DCTV properties to new heights, as the fate of the multiverse as we know it hangs in the balance. Even before “Crisis” has begun, the event has drawn comparisons to another franchise-defining event that debuted in 2019 — Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame. Both events definitely have a similar kind of “every hero united together” kind of feel, and the pending fates of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin) feel slightly reminiscent of the endings Endgame gave to Iron Man and Captain America. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, crossover showrunner Marc Guggenheim addressed those comparisons and gave an interesting metaphor to describe the two events’ differences.
“I’d say certainly for Barry and Oliver, there is an emotional denouement that is reminiscent of Endgame,” Guggenheim explained. “Endgame is an exclamation point. ‘Crisis’ is a semi-colon.”
It’s easy to see where Guggenheim is coming from, especially with regard to the potential deaths of Oliver and Barry. Oliver’s death – and the fact that Arrow is coming to an end – has added a bit more finality to the proceedings right out of the gate, but the cast and crew have reassured that things are more nuanced than that.
“The good news is unlike Game of Thrones or unlike Lost, were not burdened with having to answer a question,” Guggenheim told ComicBook.com earlier this year. “We’re not burdened with ‘who’s going to sit on the Iron Throne?’ or “what was the island?’ so we get to do, I think, a much more character-based ending. So, at the same time, the complication for us is that we also have Crisis and I think a lot of the stuff that was always in my head in terms of how to end the show we’re now actually going to end up doing in the crossover instead so it’s like now what does the series finale become? But, you know, we’ve got plans.”
“I’m really excited about it. The goal is to make it satisfying for the fans, but the good news for us is we don’t have the challenges that Lost, or Game of Thrones had,” he continued. We also don’t have the ratings, so there’s that, too. But I feel the pain of Damon, Benioff, and Weiss. It’s hard. It’s a hard thing to do in a way that satisfies everyone. I also think, because I’ve been thinking how does one end a series, there’s what the initial reaction to something is and then there’s how it stands the test of time and those two things are not always the same.”
In addition to Arrow, The Flash, Batwoman, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow, the epic event will feature characters from across the DC multiverse. At the time of this writing, these will include Smallville‘s Welling and Erica Durance, Black Lightning‘s Cress Williams, Stargirl‘s Brec Bassinger, Birds of Prey‘s Ashley Scott, Batman‘s Burt Ward, and legendary voice actor Kevin Conroy.
Are you excited to check out The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” will begin with Supergirl on Sunday, December 8th at 8/7c. It will continue across Batwoman on Monday, December 9th at 8/7c, as well as The Flash on December 10th at 8/7c. Following a midseason break, the event will conclude on Tuesday, January 14th, with new episodes of Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.