When Arrow premiered in 2012, no one could have foreseen the shared universe that would eventually become known as the Arrowverse. The show's success led to the introduction of Barry Allen, which led to the Scarlet Speedster's own series, The Flash. Before long, the CW had a complete roster of superhero series that included Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning. Now, the network is about to welcome a new vigilante in Batwoman, just as the series that started it all, Arrow, is finally coming to a close.
After eight seasons, the Stephen Amell-starring series is bidding fans farewell with a final run of 10 episodes, which are set to culminate in the highly anticipated crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths." But one end just means that a new beginning is around the corner. In fact, during the Television Critics Association summer press tour, CW President Mark Pedowitz confirmed the network was looking to adapt another DC Comics property in 2020/2021. While he didn't give any hints, CBR has rounded up some of the most likely possibilities for the next Arrowverse series.
Batman Beyond
During the TCAs, it was confirmed that Kevin Conroy, who provided the voice of the Dark Knight on Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited the Arkham video games and many more productions, has been signed on to play an aging Bruce Wayne in "Crisis on Infinite Earths." While the announcement provides great fan service, could it also be the first seeds of the CW's next show?
After all, the pitch perfect casting of Conroy as an older Bruce Wayne could lead to a Batman Beyond adaptation. In the Batman Beyond universe, a retired Bruce takes a young man named Terry McGinnis under his wing and trains him as the new Caped Crusader in a futuristic Gotham City. While Warner Bros. appears to have a "no Batman on television" policy, the introduction of Batman Beyond could be a way around this rule.
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes are a team of super-powered characters that come from the far future. They have close ties with the Super-Family, since they were inspired by Superboy to become heroes. While they have gone through many iterations in the comics, they are about to come to the forefront once more with a high-profile relaunch coming this fall from writer Brian Michael Bendis and a crop of some of DC's biggest artists.
The Legion of Super-Heroes already exists in the Arrowverse, and we've met some members like Mon-El, Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl and Dreamer on Supergirl, where others were also hinted at. Since the Legion includes many, many more members, Supergirl has only just scratched the surface. With the team of heroes already established in the Arrowverse, a series devoted to the Legion and their antics in the future could make for an exciting show.
Booster Gold
A few years ago, it was announced that Greg Berlanti, the executive producer behind Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and all of the other Arrowverse shows, was developing a Booster Gold film for Warner Bros. However, in 2019, that film doesn't appear to be on the docket for the DC Extended Universe. In fact, we've barely heard about it since 2018. Could this project have been retooled for the small screen?
After all, DC's Legends of Tomorrow have already established the idea of time travel in the Arrowverse. We could easily see the character first being introduced on that series as a time traveler from the future, just like in the source material. Then, after getting stuck in the present day, a Booster Gold series could follow the misadventures of the greatest hero you've never heard of.
Justice Society of America
During the second season of DC's Legends of Tomorrow, viewers were introduced to the Justice Society of America. Various members appeared throughout the season, such as Hourman, Doctor Mid-Nite and Stargirl. However, a lot of them, ultimately, ended up dead. But death doesn't mean much in the superhero genre, and there are many ways in which the JSA could return. After all, who knows what type of ramifications "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will have? Perhaps another version of the team could even come into play.
Plus, we already know that Stargirl will get her very own series on the DC Universe streaming service. A JSA series could potentially bridge the gap between the two platforms. What's more, if Stargirl is set in the present, then a Justice Society series could be set in the past and feature the adventures of the original super-team. When it comes to the JSA, there are definitely a lot of possibilities, especially since the team is in the midst of a long-awaited return to the DC comic book universe.
Super Sons
At the end of last year's crossover event, "Elseworlds," we learned that Lois Lane and Clark Kent were expecting a child who they were going to raise in Argo City. While the identity of the child hasn't been revealed yet, we do know the character will debut in "Crisis on Infinite Earths." Current speculation would have us believe the crossover will introduce Jon Kent, Lois and Clark's super-powered son from the comic books.
In the source material, Jon Kent eventually suits up as Superboy and begins an epic friendship with Damian Wayne, Batman's biological son and current Robin. As the Super Sons, they make for a fun and powerful crime-fighting duo. Now, if Jon is set to debut in the next crossover, then perhaps he is being built up to star in his own series. Furthermore, the Batwoman series could even introduce Bruce Wayne's son Damian over the course of its first season before spinning him off into a Super Sons TV show with Jon Kent.
Scheduled to air this fall on The CW, "Crisis on Infinite Earths" will involve Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, DC's Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman. Returning Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9 pm ET/PT on The CW, Arrow stars Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Rick Gonzalez as Wild Dog, Juliana Harkavy as Black Canary, Katie Cassidy as Black Siren, Katherine McNamara as Mia Smoak, Joseph David-Jones as Connor Hawke and Ben Lewis as William Clayton-Queen.