Ever since The Flash joined the Arrowverse universe, the Berlanti-led collection of DC Comics shows has been growing into a bigger and more influential phenom. It has ridden the superhero craze to enormous heights and now has an event of its own for audiences to look forward to every year: their big crossover episode(s). It started with the back-to-back crossover episodes during the Flash’s inaugural season: “Flash vs. Arrow” and “The Brave and the Bold", and the crossover events gradually started to get bigger. First they fought Mongol Savage, then they introduced the cast of the Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl which led to them repelling an alien invasion and their evil alternate-Earth doppelgangers.
This year, the crossover will be titled "Elseworlds" after the DC imprint that follows the stories of alternate universe versions of existing DC characters. This crossover is also set to heavily feature Kate Kane, aka Batwoman, played by Ruby Rose. This means that this year’s crossover will introduce Elseworlds characters and a version of Gotham. This opens up a massive well of characters that could potentially appear in this crossover from fan favorite sidekicks to well-known villains. This crossover has the chance to give us many characters we have yet to see in the Arrowverse. However, not everything is possible. For one reason or another, some characters are almost guaranteed to be no-shows during the crossover. With that, let’s compare 10 C=characters the Elseworlds crossover could bring us, and 10 that would be impossible.
21 POSSIBLE: BATMAN
Batman served as the inspiration to Batwoman and with Batman’s future in the Worlds of DC in flux, this is the perfect window for them to at least cameo Batman in the Arrowverse. Gotham and Bruce Wayne have already been name dropped on Arrow, meaning that he exists in the Arrowverse universe. But with the crossover taking place in Gotham City, it’s almost impossible not to have Batman at least cameo in the crossover.
In the DCEU, it’s unclear if Batman is in their immediate plans or even who the definitive Batman is. This uncertainty presents the Arrowverse with the perfect opportunity to shock fans an introduce a Batman to their universe.
20 IMPOSSIBLE: DICK GRAYSON
Dick Grayson is one of the most important characters in the Batman mythos. The very first Robin eventually carved out his own legacy in Blüdhaven as Nightwing, but he was always around when Gotham needed him. He lent a hand to Batman more than once and even took up the mantle of Batman while Bruce was gone.
While Dick may be important to Gotham, there’s virtually no chance of him appearing in "Elseworlds". He is a main character in the fledgling Titans series which was a big enough show for Warner Bros to hinge their DC streaming service on. They wouldn’t risk confusing audiences by having two live action versions of Dick Grayson.
19 POSSIBLE: RENEE MONTOYA
Montoya was a long time Gotham City police officer who helped Batman numerous times. She eventually encountered Vic Sage, also known as the superhero/PI: The Question. He trained her which led to her to becoming the new Question upon Sage’s demise.
Renee Montoya is a very important character in Batwoman’s life, as the two dated for quite a while when Montoya was just a beat cop and the two of them even worked together as vigilantes for a while. Montoya is slated to appear in DCEU’s Birds of Prey portrayed by Rosie Perez, but Montoya is so integral to the Batwoman mythos that there’s still a chance for her to appear.
18 IMPOSSIBLE: JASON TODD
In the aftermath of the fallout between Dick Grayson and Batman, Bruce was quick to adopt another Robin into his life, leading to Jason Todd becoming the new Robin. However, his bad attitude led to fans voting for him to be written off which then led to his resurrection and transformation into the lethal Red Hood.
Jason is actually also on Titans, so the same reasoning for Dick’s exclusion applies to Jason as well. However, there’s another reason: Jason’s Red Hood alter ego is a gun-toting vigilante known for his more brutal methods. While Batwoman is not as cruel as Jason, she does make use of guns due to her military training.
17 POSSIBLE: JACOB KANE
Though Batman served as the inspiration for Kate to become Batwoman, her father Jacob helped her turn that inspiration into a reality. As possibly the most accepting father in comics, Jacob was completely onboard with Kate becoming a vigilante. He pointed her in the direction of numerous contacts who trained her and gave her access to experimental, military-grade training and weapons.
Jacob would almost certainly serve as the “guy in the chair” for Kate as he does in the comics. Plus, including family in your crimefighting crusades is an easy shortcut for some personal drama. This is an easy addition to the crossover since every show on the Arrowverse has someone playing tech support.
16 IMPOSSIBLE: HELENA WAYNE
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One of the earlier "Elseworlds" creations, Helena Wayne is the daughter of alternate universe versions of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. She enjoyed the lavish lifestyle one would expect from being the daughter of two retired superheroes. However, Catwoman was blackmailed into action one day which resulted in her demise. A distraught Helena made herself a costume and resolved to use the training her parents gave her as the Huntress.
In order to introduce Helena Wayne, you would need to introduce Catwoman and though this is possible, the crossover is supposed to focus on Kate Kane as Batwoman. Therefore, it’s likely that the focus will be on her rather than introducing the mother of another potential character likely to get lost in the crossover shuffle.
14 POSSIBLE: SQUIRE
Squire was in important play during 2009’s "Battle for the Cowl". Following Batman’s end at the hands of Darkseid, Gotham fell into chaos very quickly. This prompted the Bat family to scramble to find some way to replace Batman. Though Batwoman wasn’t in this storyline, Squire was an important and fun addition to the story.
She was called in to help the Bat family on the streets but ended up pairing with Damian Wayne to help find a missing Tim Drake. Squire is a fun character and British hero, and her addition would provide some more muscle and diversify the show just a little bit more.
13 IMPOSSIBLE: WONDER WOMAN
Whenever anybody mentions female superheroes, the first one that people think of is Wonder Woman. She was the first major female superhero, so it’s fitting that her movie is seemingly responsible for the return to prominence for the female superhero. But beyond the obvious, Wonder Woman and Batwoman have also teamed up in the past to repel an invasion.
However, as awesome as it would be, there’s almost no chance that Wonder Woman gets introduced in the Arrowverse. As the only indisputably successful character in the Worlds of DC, Warner Bros definitely won’t be too keen on share Wonder Woman with the Arrowverse, despite the fact that Themyscira exists in the universe.
12 POSSIBLE: FLAMEBIRD
The character of Flamebird has gone through numerous reinventions over the years, seemingly being totally reinvented with every reboot DC Comics ever had. The current incarnation is Bette Kane, cousin of Kate Kane better known as Batwoman. She looks up to her cousin and, upon finding out that she’s Batwoman, insisted that Kate train her and make her her sidekick.
If Batwoman is to have a team, Flamebird would be an easy addition. Families often fight crime together in the Arrowverse, so there’s an easy connection. Plus, Flamebird has an interesting costume with a color scheme that would serve as a nice callback to Roy’s costume as Arsenal.
11 IMPOSSIBLE: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT BRUCE WAYNE
Gotham by Gaslight was one of the earliest and most stylish Elseworlds series in the DC Universe. This story followed a Victorian-era Batman as he faces off against history’s most infamous criminal: Jack the Ripper. The steampunk atmosphere and Victorian-era gadgets led to a unique take on the Dark Knight that leaves it regarded as one of the best "Elseworlds" tales of all time.
Though this Batman offers a unique style compared to the main version, we probably won’t be getting steampunk elements in a crossover focused on the decidedly more modern Batwoman. He’d be a cool addition but we’d be lucky to get the regular version of Batman.
10 POSSIBLE: TIM DRAKE
As the only Robin that is currently not in live-action media, there’s a chance that Tim could appear in "Elseworlds". He’s well-liked by fans, a talented vigilante, and has become a big influence in Gotham City and the Bat family, with many people viewing him as a potential successor to Bruce.
But the Tim also has a connection with Batwoman specifically. Following the DC Rebirth relaunch, he is a part of a team of young heroes started by Batman and Batwoman. Kate actually ran a boot camp for him along with Orphan, Clayface, and Spoiler. Therefore, Kate is very familiar with Tim and if she is going to have a team like Oliver did, then Tim would be an easy fan-favorite addition.
9 IMPOSSIBLE: VAMPIRE BATMAN
Because of a fairly obvious connection, this may be the most well known Elseworlds Batman. This version of Batman premiered in 1991’s Batman & Dracula: Red Rain which saw the Caped Crusader take on Dracula and a band of vampires who invaded Gotham City.
While there’s a faint possibility that we could get Batman on the Arrowverse, Vampire Batman is asking for a bit much. Plus, Legends of Tomorrow has taken a hard turn into supernatural territory this season. So the fact that they’re not going to be included in the crossover is a giveaway that the crossover won’t feature as much of a supernatural element as Vampire Batman. That would be very cool though.
8 POSSIBLE: DAMIAN WAYNE
The daughter of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, Damian was always going to be a handful. His skill is undeniable and led to him becoming the fifth Robin and one of the most skilled iterations of the character. His upbringing ensured that he would be hard, but working with Batman made him care for others.
Talia has already been introduced in the Arrowverse. Thought to be long gone she actually survived and revealed that she has ties to Gotham. Therefore, it’s easy to make the leap that, in this Elseworlds universe, she could have gotten with Batman and had Damian. Watching his abrasive personality slowly morph into something a bit more caring makes him such an interesting character and an easy addition to the universe.
7 IMPOSSIBLE: CASSANDRA CAIN
Cassandra Cain is a supremely skilled fighter who was trained to take on the mantle of Batgirl. She’s the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, two of the premiere martial artists in the DC Universe. After proving her mettle during the tumultuous “No Man’s Land” storyline, she was appointed to be the new Batgirl and her training was supplemented by Batman, Oracle, and Black Canary.
However, Cain is almost certainly off the table now since she was rumored to appear in the Birds of Prey movie portrayed by Peyton Elizabeth Lee. With the rumored Batgirl movie looking very uncertain now, they may just include the Cassandra Cain version to put on the team while Barbara Gordon serves as the “gal in the chair”.
6 POSSIBLE: STEPHANIE BROWN
Stephanie Brown is definitely one of the least known but most important members of the Bat family. Stephanie began her costumed adventures early when she helped Batman and Robin take down her father, the villainous Cluemaster. During this period, she adopted the title of Spoiler and she went on to date Tim Drake and even became Robin.
Stephanie is mostly forgotten because her impulsive nature cut her tenure as Robin very short. She went out and tried to implement one of Batman’s plans to end crime citywide. However, this ended up with Black Mask seizing control of Gotham’s gangs and Brown very close to her demise. However, she recovered and became Spoiler again who joined a team of young heroes led by Batman and Batwoman.
5 IMPOSSIBLE: BARBARA GORDON
Unfortunately, because of Batman and Robin, Alicia Silverstone’s Barbara Pennyworth is the only version of Batgirl that some people know. In the comics, she’s actually the daughter of Jim Gordon and has far more agency and intelligence than she did in her only film appearance.
The Worlds of DC may be fairly nebulous right now, but with their recent pivot to highlighting more of their female characters, it’s easy to assume that Barbara Gordon is one of the characters set to be featured soon. She is an incredibly important character in Gotham and the Bat family. Whether she’s Batgirl or Oracle, you can count on Warner Bros taking advantage of her popularity, most likely precluding her from appearing on the Arrowverse.
4 POSSIBLE: RED ALICE
Batwoman’s most personal antagonist, Elizabeth “Beth” Kane, would be give the showrunners a good way to unsettle and challenge Kate. In the absence of the Joker, Red Alice has the potential to give us a character reminiscent of the Clown Prince of Crime. Mentally broken from a past tragedy, Alice has grown into a damaged and sadistic high ranking agent of the “Religion of Crime” organization.
Batwoman and Red Alice’s enmity hasn’t had the time to grow like Batman and Joker’s has, but introducing her character could still have the a major impact due to their familial ties and Red Alice’s juxtaposition with who Beth used to be.
3 IMPOSSIBLE: KILLER CROC
Most people wouldn’t think of Killer Croc as being connected to Batwoman, however, they have a link you may not realize. After yet another failed plan, an unconscious Killer Croc was taken in by an offshoot of the “Religion of Crime” criminal organization and sent to take out Batwoman for her transgressions against their organization. Obviously Croc fails after Batwoman receives help from Maggie Sawyer and her cousin Bette (who was Hawkfire at the time) which leads to him fleeing Gotham.
As awesome a villain as Croc would make, it’s unlikely that he will be in "Elseworlds". He’s now tied up with Suicide Squad which the Arrowverse will most likely want to avoid for a minute after the DCEU’s failure with the property.
2 POSSIBLE: JIM GORDON
Every vigilante needs their partner that functions within the law. Renee Montoya is a strong possibility to fill this role, but if she has already become the Question, then she’s out of the running. In that case, the most obvious alternative is the one who popularized this trope: Jim Gordon.
Gordon has been Batman’s partner and friend for too many years to count. As one of the very few incorruptible souls on Gotham’s police force, Gordon is the point of contact for numerous vigilantes that operate in Gotham. And as a world-weary but good natured law enforcement officer, he’s an interesting character with a funny perspective. He’d fit into the Arrowverse just fine (once Gotham is done).