Arrowverse renewals will stage a unique post-"Crisis" crossover in 2020
The whole Arrowverse will return in fall 2020, but the anticipated crossover special will not outmatch the scale of "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
You thought a crisis of the multiverse would kill the Arrowverse? You thought wrong. The CW has renewed virtually its entire programming for the second year in a row, which means every show in the Arrowverse will return for the 2020-2021 season. And you know what that means: A new crossover!
On late Tuesday, The CW announced it renewed almost its entire slate of shows, including DC Comics series like The Flash, Supergirl, and Black Lightning. The only exceptions are shows already scheduled to end, like Arrow and The 100, and the Riverdale spinoff Katy Keene, which received an additional 13-episode pickup the network just granted.
Looking at only the DC shows, here’s a quick count of The CW’s renewals.
- The Flash renewed for Season 7
- Supergirl renewed for Season 6
- Legends of Tomorrow renewed for Season 6
- Black Lightning renewed for Season 4
- Batwoman renewed for Season 2
This is especially good news for fans of the Arrowverse. As fans are still in between episodes of the crossover epic “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” The CW’s renewal means another special is practically guaranteed for fall 2020.
However, with Arrow taking its final bow this year (to be replaced by Green Arrow and the Canaries should it receive official green light), fans should expect a much smaller special. In fact, the producers already confirmed there is “no intention” of striving for the same scale as “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
The heroes, though not all of them, of the Arrowverse in "Crisis on Infinite Earths."
In November 2019, IndieWire spoke to producer Marc Guggenheim, who said planning for the 2020 crossover is already underway, something he admitted was “insane.” “Tt’s kind of like going into a delivery room and asking the woman who’s in labor when she plans on having her next kid,” Guggenheim joked.
He then elaborated that the crossover won’t be on the same massive scale as “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” Said Guggenheim:
“I think we’re crazy. I think we kind of can’t help ourselves. I can tell you right now that we have no intention of trying something this ambitious next year. I think that would be a mistake.”
The producer said something similar to IGN, saying: “Last year we sort of took a step back and… took a breath and then took the giant bite out of the cake. [In 2020] we’re going to take a step back again. We’re going to take several.”
With “Crisis on Infinite Earths” still yet to air its final episodes on January 14, there are hardly any hints towards the actual plot of the 2020 crossover. But if it’s “a step back” the producers are thinking, then perhaps DC’s murder mysteries like 2004’s Identity Crisis and 2018’s Heroes in Crisis are ideal stories to imitate after. Without the need for big, cosmic threats, the Arrowverse can look inward and raise the stakes by sowing mistrust within the ranks.
Regardless, the Arrowverse will return to see another year. All of it.
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” will air its final two episodes on January 14 on The CW.
