In 2012, The CW launched a gritty action drama that focused on a millionaire playboy and his vigilante superhero alter-ego, the Arrow. For the first few seasons, the series aimed to be as realistic as possible, much in the same way Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy depicted Batman in a relatively real world manner. But over time, more and more comic book elements crept into the show, much to the initial consternation of Oliver Queen. Before we knew it, the Arrow wasn't the only superhero in the game; with arrival of superpowers came The Flash, who paved the way for the introduction of all sorts of metahumans in what would be known as the Arrowverse.

Now, seven years later, and the Arrowverse contains more superheroes and villains than you can count. Supergirl, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, The Atom, The Guardian, the Flash Family, Vibe, Superman, the Elongated Man and many more -- it's a veritable legion of superheroes! And the Arrowverse architects know it; for the past four years, the various series have participated in annual crossovers, a special television event that comes as close to watching a live-action comic book as we've ever gotten. By now, these superheroes all know each other, and have fought side-by-side many times. And yet, save for the time-traveling Legends of Tomorrow, they've never actually formed any sort of official team. And let's face it -- the Legends are small-time, compared to the big guns of the DC Universe.

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This year, however, all of that might be set to change. Not only will the latest crossover bring back Tyler Hoechlin's Superman, it will also feature the introduction of the first member of the Bat-family, Bruce Wayne's cousin Kate Kane, aka Batwoman. With these characters now set to appear, the Arrowverse's game has just changed and it looks like The CW might finally, after seven years, unite its version of the Justice League.

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The news that Tyler Hoechlin will put the red cape of Superman back on for the next crossover is a big deal. After all, the character was last seen in the Season 2 finale of Supergirl in 2017. And, on that series, the character only ever interacted with his cousin Kara and J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter. But now, Big Blue will finally share the screen with Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen and Grant Gustin's Barry Allen. Superman, Green Arrow and the Flash are finally poised to meet, and they won't be alone; Melissa Benoist's Supergirl will be there as well, as will Ruby Rose's Batwoman.

That kinda looks like a Justice League to us.

Arrow Flash Supergirl Batwoman logo crossover

Objectively speaking, this is quite a line-up of DC Universe heavy hitters, and there may beeves more characters who will join them. Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man... these are all heroes who could appear in the crossover, characters who have comic book history as members of the Justice League of America. Having all of them under one roof, with leadership and inspiration from Superman, could easily end with the superheroes deciding to form an official super team. Yes, they do live o at least two different Earths, but in a reality where characters can jump from one dimension to another on a whim, that's a minor technicality. This team would be founded to take on the biggest threats in the Multiverse, a mission statement that would only facilitate the inevitable next crossover.

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With a core roster of seven of eight characters, this could also lead the other characters and teams, like the Legends of Tomorrow (who will not be a part of this year's crossover), to become an extension of the League, a reserve of sorts. After all, the League's line-up is one that constantly changes in the comics, and is often divided into separate strike teams hand-picked to tackle specific missions.

Previous Arrowverse crossovers had some sort of title; the first crossover between Arrow and The Flash was titled "The Brave and the Bold," the Legends of Tomorrow prequel "Legends of Yesterday," the Dominator-filled "Invasion!" and last year's "Crisis on Earth-X." But for now, we don't have an official title for this fall's highly-anticipated crossover. While the title might ultimately be something that refers to Batwoman (she is making her debut in the event, after all), it wouldn't surprise us if The CW is actually planning to announce something like "Justice For All."

The heroes of The CW's Arrowverse have fought side-by-side for years, and never once have they ever formed an official team populated by its big guns. With Superman and Batwoman now among them, it may finally be the push that is needed for these heroes to organize and sit around the same table. After seven years of buildup, it's time to unite the League.


DCTV returns to The CW this fall with The Flash leading the charge on Tuesday, October 9 with its Season 5 premiere at 8 PM ET/PT, followed by Season 2 of Black Lightning at 9 PM. Supergirl will follow the next week on Sunday, October 14 at 8 PM, with Arrow the next day on Monday, October 15 at 8 PM. Finally, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will return on Monday, October 22 at 9 PM. The highly-anticipated crossover will air over three nights, from Dec. 9 to Dec. 11.