The Arrowverse’s latest crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” is the CW’s biggest yet. The television event’s first three chapters have involved characters from Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning, and offered fans an adaptation of the classic comic book story by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. While there are still two episodes left in the crossover, it’s clear “Crisis on Infinite Earths” is a faithful adaptation of the 1985 comic. Despite its changes from the source material, the story and essence of the television adaptation is very much the same.
The original comic book essentially led to the departure of the DC Multiverse, as the Anti-Monitor’s destruction of parallel realities and the superheroes’ efforts to defeat him resulted in the creation of New Earth. However, decades later, a sequel would come in the form of Geoff Johns, George Perez, Ivan Reis ad Phil Jimenez’s Infinite Crisis, an essential chapter of DC’s modern continuity. Despite the story’s importance, and the pieces set in place in the current “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” it seems unlikely The CW’s next Arrowverse crossover will adapt Infinite Crisis.
At the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, the DC Multiverse was erased, and its continuity was streamlined. However, the parallel realities would be re-established in Infinite Crisis, after a group of superheroes from alternate worlds worked to bring them all back. These characters, which included Alexander Luthor, Earth-2 Superman and Superboy-Prime, came from alternate Earths and had survived the initial Crisis by taking refuge in a pocket dimension. However, their efforts would lead to total chaos, and Superboy-Prime would emerge as one of the DC Universe's greatest and most vicious supervillains.
For the time being, it’s unclear if the Arrowverse’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” will end the same way as the comic book. Nothing is set in stone with the finale still weeks away, but all signs sure seem to indicate that a New Earth will be created following the destruction of the Multiverse, one that will bring the cast of Supergirl and Black Lightning into the same Earth as The Flash, Arrow and the rest. However, if that is the case, it would be extremely unlikely that the Arrowverse’s next crossover event undoes all of that.
For one thing, an Infinite Crisis adaptation would feel somewhat counterintuitive. While decades separated the two comic book events, a follow-up television crossover would likely take place in the next one or two years, something that would take away the importance of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
What’s more, an adaptation of Infinite Crisis may never happen because it doesn’t seem likely The CW would introduce Superboy-Prime, the comic book’s main villain. In fact, there currently isn’t even a Superboy in the Arrowverse. Superman and Lois Lane only just had their son, who is bound to appear a bit older in the pair’s upcoming spinoff series. But with Jon Kent/Superboy destined to make his Arrowverse debut very soon, The CW may simply not opt to feature an older, villainous incarnation of the character in a crossover that would undo everything “Crisis on Infinite Earths” did.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" will return after the winter hiatus. The crossover will conclude on Tuesday, Jan. 14 on Arrow at 8 p.m. ET/PT and in DC's Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The Supergirl, Batwoman and Flash episodes are now available to stream on The CW.