| "Crisis on Infinite Earths" | |||
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| Arrowverse crossover event | |||
_first_poster.jpeg) Promotional poster for the first three episodes | |||
| Part 1:Supergirl | |||
| Episode title | "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One" | ||
| Episodeno. | Season 5 Episode 9 | ||
| Directed by | Jesse Warn | ||
| Story by | |||
| Teleplay by |
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| Production code | T13.21809 | ||
| Original air date | December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| Supergirlseason 5 | |||
| List ofSupergirl episodes | |||
| Part 2:Batwoman | |||
| Episode title | "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two" | ||
| Episodeno. | Season 1 Episode 9 | ||
| Directed by | Laura Belsey | ||
| Written by |
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| Production code | T13.21958 | ||
| Original air date | December 9, 2019 (2019-12-09) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| Batwomanseason 1 | |||
| List ofBatwoman episodes | |||
| Part 3:The Flash | |||
| Episode title | "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Three" | ||
| Episodeno. | Season 6 Episode 9 | ||
| Directed by | David McWhirter | ||
| Story by | Eric Wallace | ||
| Teleplay by |
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| Production code | T27.14009 | ||
| Original air date | December 10, 2019 (2019-12-10) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| The Flashseason 6 | |||
| List ofThe Flash episodes | |||
| Part 4:Arrow | |||
| Episode title | "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Four" | ||
| Episodeno. | Season 8 Episode 8 | ||
| Directed by | Glen Winter | ||
| Written by |
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| Production code | T27.13958 | ||
| Original air date | January 14, 2020 (2020-01-14) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| Arrowseason 8 | |||
| List ofArrow episodes | |||
| Part 5:Legends of Tomorrow | |||
| Episode title | "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Five" | ||
| Episodeno. | Season 5 Special episode | ||
| Directed by | Gregory Smith | ||
| Written by |
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| Production code | T13.21908 | ||
| Original air date | January 14, 2020 (2020-01-14) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
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| Legends of Tomorrowseason 5 | |||
| List ofLegends of Tomorrow episodes | |||
| Crossover chronology | |||
| Preceded by | Elseworlds | ||
| Followed by | Armageddon | ||
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" is the sixthArrowversecrossover event, featuring episodes ofSupergirl,Batwoman,The Flash,Arrow, andLegends of Tomorrow onThe CW. TheSupergirl,Batwoman, andThe Flash episodes aired in December 2019 while theArrow andLegends of Tomorrow episodes aired in January 2020. The events of theBlack Lightning episode "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis" (which aired betweenBatwoman andThe Flash) and a two-issue comic book with characters and concepts unused in the live-action episodes also tied into the event.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths", inspired by thecomic of the same name, continues plotlines established in the previous crossover, "Elseworlds". The preceding episodes ofArrow season eight and much ofThe Flash season six serve as a prelude to the crossover. In "Crisis", theMonitor gathersGreen Arrow, theFlash,Supergirl,Batwoman,Sara Lance,Ray Palmer, and several others from throughout the multiverse to stop theAnti-Monitor from destroying reality. The crossover's events result in some aspects of the Arrowverse beingrebooted, affecting all of the series.
Initial references to the crossover began in 2014 withThe Flash'spilot episode. The adaptation began in earnest during the development of "Elseworlds", and the crossover's title was revealed at the end of "Elseworlds" in December 2018. Casting was announced in mid-2019 and included actors who previously portrayedDC characters in other media, such asBurt Ward andKevin Conroy.Cress Williams fromBlack Lightning crossed over with the Arrowverse for the first time, and other actors reprised their roles from various DC films and television series. The event was filmed from the end of September to the beginning of November 2019.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" was met with positive reviews from critics, with praise for its scope, ambition, and cameos, though the fate of Oliver Queen had a mixed reception. The crossover proved popular, as each episode gave season-highratings to its corresponding series. A two-episodeaftershow,Crisis Aftermath hosted byKevin Smith, aired after parts one and three to explore the crossover's events. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was intended to be followed by a crossover betweenBatwoman andSuperman & Lois in 2021,[1] but this did not occur because of theCOVID-19 pandemic,[2] being replaced informally byDavid Ramsey appearing asJohn Diggle on multiple Arrowverse series.[3] The next crossover, "Armageddon", occurs over the first five episodes of theeighth season ofThe Flash in November and December 2021.[4]
To prepare for the coming crisis, theMonitor recruitsOliver Queen andMartian Manhunter and sends the former on missions to collect a variety of items,[5] while he retrieves the body ofLex Luthor and revives him.[6][7] Meanwhile,Barry Allen andIris West-Allen learn that the crisis date has moved up to December 2019 and that the Flash must die to save billions of lives.[8] Barry travels toEarth-3 to seeJay Garrick andJoan Williams, who have been tracking antimatter signatures across the multiverse, to learn more about what happens to him. They send Barry's mind forward in time, making him see billions of timelines where the multiverse is destroyed and one where he dies saving it.[9]
While on a mission, Oliver witnesses the destruction ofEarth-2 from an antimatter wave.[10] InStar City,William Clayton,Connor Hawke, andMia Smoak time-travel from 2040 to the present,[11] while Oliver andJohn Diggle learn thatLyla Michaels has been working with the Monitor.[12] Moments before the crisis begins,Nash Wells is pulled into a chamber underCentral City after he is promised a new life.[7] As the crisis starts, the sky overCentral City andLian Yu turns red. Lyla, now a "harbinger of things to come", collects Oliver and Mia on Lian Yu.[13][14]
On an unspecified Earth, the sky also turns red over Freeland and adversely reacts toJennifer Pierce's powers, tearing her between her Earth and those of two of her doppelgängers. As the Pierce family andPeter Gambi try to bring her back, the antimatter wave overtakes them whileJefferson Pierce is transported away.[15]
Having already destroyed countless parallel universes,[a] the antimatter wave makes its way toEarth-38.Brainiac 5 detects the wave approachingArgo City, promptingKara Danvers to warn her motherAlura Zor-El, her cousinClark Kent, and his wifeLois Lane. Clark and Lois send their son,Jonathan, off in an escape pod just before the wave hits. Harbinger brings Oliver, Mia, Barry,Kate Kane,Sara Lance, andRay Palmer to Earth-38 and rescues the Kents from Argo. As Harbinger briefs the heroes on the situation, the Monitor raises a tower to impede the wave while theDEO andLena Luthor evacuate Earth-38's inhabitants. Brainy finds Jonathan's pod onEarth-16, so he, Lois, and Sara leave to retrieve him while the others fight theAnti-Monitor's forces. Preparing to die, Oliver passes the Green Arrow mantle to Mia. When he learns that Barry is fated to die, however, he argues with the Monitor about their deal.[b] The heroes fight an army of Shadow Demons until the Monitor breaches them off-world. Refusing to leave, Oliver nullifies the Monitor and stays behind to protect the exodus. Lois' team returns toEarth-1 with Jonathan just as the Monitor brings a dying Oliver to say goodbye. Nash, now a "Pariah" for releasing the Anti-Monitor, announces that events have changed and all is lost.[17]
Harbinger recruitsEarth-74'sMick Rory so the heroes can use hisWaverider as their headquarters. Following Oliver's death, the Monitor consults the Book of Destiny and learns about four of seven Paragons: Hope (Kara); Destiny (Sara); Truth (a Superman who has suffered "more than any mortal man"); and Courage (the "Bat of the Future"). Clark, Lois, and Iris locate the second Superman onEarth-96, where Lex uses the Book of Destiny to brainwash that Earth's Clark until Lois knocks Lex out. Kara and Kate travel toEarth-99, but fail to recruit its Batman after discovering he murdered his world's Superman while Sara, Barry, Mia, andJohn Constantine take Oliver to a Lazarus Pit onEarth-18 in an attempt to resurrect him, only to learn his soul is missing. On theWaverider, the Monitor has Ray build a "Paragon Detector", which identifies Kate as the Paragon of Courage. Elsewhere, Harbinger is secretly contacted by the Anti-Monitor.[18]
The Paragon detector identifies Barry as the Paragon of Love,J'onn J'onzz as the Paragon of Honor, andIvy Town scientistRyan Choi as the Paragon of Humanity; Iris, Ray, andRalph Dibny leave to recruit Choi. After the Monitor restoresCisco Ramon's powers, he, Barry, andCaitlin Snow meet Pariah in the Anti-Monitor's chamber and find an anti-matter cannon powered byEarth-90'sFlash. When Cisco frees Barry-90, the cannon goes critical, so Pariah recruits Jefferson from his recently destroyed Earth to contain its energy. Barry-1 volunteers to destroy it, but Barry-90 stops him, saying that the Monitor did not specify which Flash would die, and sacrifices himself in his place. Meanwhile, Constantine, Mia, and Diggle visitLucifer onEarth-666 for help enteringpurgatory and retrieving Oliver's soul. Before they can leave, aSpectre namedJim Corrigan appears and beckons Oliver to come with him, forcing Constantine's team to return to theWaverider without him. Suddenly, the Anti-Monitor sends a brainwashed Harbinger to kill the Monitor so he can absorb his power and finish destroying the multiverse. Before he is killed, Pariah sends the Paragons to the Vanishing Point, where they witness Lex replace Superman-96 with himself using a Book of Destiny page.[19]
On the planet Maltus 10,000 years earlier, Mar Novu attempts to see the birth of the universe, only to end up in the antimatter universe and reveal the multiverse's existence to the Anti-Monitor. Back in the present, following the multiverse's destruction, the Paragons struggle to survive at the Vanishing Point. Once Corrigan teaches him to how use the Spectre's power, Oliver goes to the Vanishing Point to rescue the Paragons and strengthen Barry. Barry drops off Kara, Choi, and Lex on Maltus, but temporarily loses everyone else in the Speed Force after an encounter with the Anti-Monitor. Kara and Choi convince Novu not to implement his plans before Barry takes them and the other Paragons to the dawn of time. There, they learn that the Anti-Monitor will always learn about the multiverse's existence because they only stopped one version of Novu. The Paragons battle the Anti-Monitor and his Shadow Demons until Oliver uses the Spectre's power to restore the multiverse while the Paragons provide help via Lex's page. Despite succeeding, Oliver dies once more, with Barry and Sara at his side.[20]
In the recreated universe, the Paragons discover only they remember the crisis and that Earth-1, Earth-38, and Jefferson's Earth were merged intoEarth-Prime, and the multiverse is reborn. J'onn uses hispsionic powers to restore their allies' memories while Sara tries to find Oliver. When the Paragons are attacked by Shadow Demons, a restored Nash discovers that the Anti-Monitor is still alive and plans to resume destroying the multiverse. The heroes find the Anti-Monitor and engage him in battle, buying time for Nash, Ray, Barry, and Choi to develop a bomb that shrinks the Anti-Monitor, banishing him to the microverse. Barry, Kara, Sara, Kate, Clark, J'onn, and Jefferson hold a memorial service for Oliver and agree to protect their new world in his memory.[21]
Despite being credited,Andrea Brooks,Julie Gonzalo, andStaz Nair do not appear in theSupergirl episode;[17]Danielle Nicolet andJesse L. Martin do not appear inThe Flash episode;[19]Ben Lewis andJoseph David-Jones do not appear in theArrow episode;[20] andTala Ashe,Maisie Richardson-Sellers,Courtney Ford,Olivia Swann, andAmy Louise Pemberton do not appear in theLegends of Tomorrow episode.[21]
A † indicates the actor was uncredited in their appearance.
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" was first hinted at in theArrowverse inthe pilot episode ofThe Flash.[77] In September 2018, three months before the release of "Elseworlds" (theArrowversecrossover in the2018–19 television season),[78]Legends of Tomorrow executive producerPhil Klemmer said that the next crossover had "a loose shape".[79] In early December 2018, a week before the airing of "Elseworlds",ArrowshowrunnerBeth Schwartz said that the producers of all the series "already know a lot about what's going on in next year's crossover";[80] according toMarc Guggenheim, "Elseworlds" would "lay the groundwork" for it.[81] The end of "Elseworlds" revealed the crossover title and premise as "Crisis on Infinite Earths", adapting the story from the 1985comic of the same name byMarv Wolfman andGeorge Pérez.[82] "Elseworlds" introduced the charactersMar Novu / Monitor andPsycho-Pirate, and alluded to an impending "crisis".[77][83]
In January 2019,The Flash showrunnerTodd Helbing said that the remainder of thefifth season would contain elements of the upcoming crossover.[84]The CW presidentMark Pedowitz called the crossover "the biggest, the most complicated one" to date, and was hopeful thatLegends of Tomorrow (which did not participate in "Elseworlds" because of production complications) would be part of "Crisis".[85] In May 2019, Pedowitz announced at The CW'supfront presentation that the crossover would includeThe Flash,Arrow,Supergirl,Legends of Tomorrow, andBatwoman in a five-episode event spanning late 2019 and early 2020.[86] The crossover occurred in the ninth episodes ofSupergirl's fifth season,[87]Batwoman's first season,[88] andThe Flash's sixth season,[89] in the eighth episode ofArrow's eighth season,[90] and as a special episode ofLegends of Tomorrow's fifth season which had not yet begun airing; this episode is not considered the series'season premiere.[91] Guggenheim said that when they first presented the crossover to the studio and network, the creators stressed that they did not want the event to be "Crisis on CW Earths" but "to touch as many strands of the DC tapestry as possible".[63] About the crossover's comparison to theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) filmAvengers: Endgame (2019), Guggenheim said "forBarry andOliver, there is an emotional denouement that is reminiscent ofEndgame ...Endgame is an exclamation point. 'Crisis' is a semicolon".[92]
The May 2019season finales ofThe Flash,Arrow,Supergirl, andLegends of Tomorrow contained hints of the upcoming crossover, with the Monitor appearing in all series exceptThe Flash.[93]The Flash season six showrunner Eric Wallace said that when all the series' showrunners discussed plans for their series before the crossover, "all of this synergy started to happen" with "a lot of cross collaboration" in service to the crossover's events. Wallace felt the themes of grief, death, and the end of all worlds in "Crisis" worked with the story they were trying to tell in the first half of season six ofThe Flash, particularly that ofRamsey Rosso / Bloodwork, "who is facing the end of his own world". This allowed the season's start to help set up the crossover.[89]
Most ofArrow's eighth season is a prelude to the crossover.[94] TheArrow writers consulted with their counterparts onThe Flash about the destruction ofEarth-2 in "Starling City" to ensure that they could destroy this Earth.[10] OnSupergirl, co-showrunnerRobert Rovner said that the season would tease the crossover "in our way, which is a little bit different from the wayArrow andThe Flash are doing it". Rovner cited the return ofMalefic (J'onn J'onzz's brother) as a major plot thread leading to the crossover, calling it "a gauntlet for J'onn".[95]LaMonica Garrett, who portrays the Monitor and theAnti-Monitor, said before the crossover that the Anti-Monitor's "presence [would] be felt before you physically see him ... You see just enough of him to know this guy means business, but it's not in your face in every scene leading up to" the crossover.[96] The preceding episodes ofBatwoman,Supergirl,The Flash, andArrow contained atag scene ofNash Wells accessing a chamber under Central City.[7][13][97]
TheBlack Lightning episode "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Four: Earth Crisis" tied in to "Crisis on Infinite Earths" beforeJefferson Pierce first appeared in the crossover'sFlash episode. In theBlack Lightning episode, a red sky covers Freeland before anti-matter strikesJennifer Pierce and sends her to a void where she finds her Earth-1 and 2 counterparts. An anti-matter wave wipes them and her Earth out, except for Jefferson, who is transported to an unknown location.[98]
The crossover story was expanded in a two-issue comics seriesCrisis on Infinite Earths Giant, written by Marv Wolfman (who wrote the original 1985 series) and Guggenheim, and illustrated by Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott,John Kalisz, Andy Owens, Hi-Fi,Tom Grummett, Danny Miki, andChris Sotomayor.[99] The series reprinted material from the originalCrisis on Infinite Earths comic, and its second issue included material fromDC Universe: Legacies #6 (2010). About the series, Guggenheim said that its concept "came pretty early on in the process" when it was realized that the story's scope would exceed the five episodes. By creating the comics, it allowed the producers to utilize "all of the characters that we don't have in the crossover proper for logistical reasons, or financial reasons, or creative reasons ... [The comic series] allows us to tell a major piece of the story that we're designing, with characters and concepts that we couldn't achieve in live -action". Its four main characters areFelicity Smoak, theRay,Nyssa al Ghul, andWally West, in addition to appearances byAtom,Sara Lance,Batwoman, the Flash,[100] the Monitor,Lex Luthor, and others.[101] Serious consideration was given to theHuntress, but Guggenheim opted for Nyssa al Ghul because "we had donea comic-book tie-in that bridgedseasons two andthree ofArrow and [Huntress] had featured prominently in that, so Nyssa had not yet had her chance to be immortalized that way".[101] Wolfman added that the comics were "created to tie in perfectly with The CW shows" so it felt like a main part of the story and not ancillary:[100] "This is integral to the entire storyline".[101] The first comic debuted atWalmart on December 15, 2019, with the second releasing on January 19, 2020; both were released in comic stores the following month.[100] The series is set during the first part of the crossover'sBatwoman episode.[102] Its stories and behind-the-scenes extra content was published in a deluxe hardcover edition on July 7, 2020.[103]
TheSupergirl episode was written by Derek Simon andJay Faerber, withRobert Rovner and Guggenheim contributing to the story;[104] Don Whitehead and Holly Henderson wrote theBatwoman episode;[23] and Lauren Certo and Sterling Gates wroteThe Flash episode, based on a story by Eric Wallace.[37] TheArrow episode was co-written by Wolfman and Guggenheim,[34] and theLegends of Tomorrow episode was written byKeto Shimizu and Ubah Mohamed.[105] Guggenheim was initially nervous about collaborating with Wolfman due to him being one of his idols and writing with a "heavy hand", but thankfully, their collaboration had no problems, with Guggenheim appreaciating Wolfman's work for Luthor in the crossover.[92]
The writers gathered for a two-week session to work on the crossover. Guggenheim, as the overall creative for "Crisis on Infinite Earths", began by creating "a series of big tentpole beats that could happen in each of the five hours". These moments were designed to be modular and could be moved throughout the episodes depending on each series' creative needs, actor availability, and other factors, while also determining episode order. Guggenheim's initial template hadArrow as the fourth hour andLegends of Tomorrow the fifth, "because in crossovers past,Legends has always been the finale of the crossover". The CW requested thatThe Flash be the third hour and after working "out those tentpoles, for a variety of different plot reasons, it made a lot of sense for the first hour to beSupergirl".Batwoman was the second hour.[106] Certain characters were considered "integral" while others would makecameo appearances, depending on actor availability.[107]
With the large moments determined, the writers separated to write each episode. The group reconvened to review the whole, making adjustments as necessary. Each series' writers would work on its title character's scenes, to ensure consistency.[106] For scenes set inGotham City,Batwoman showrunnerCaroline Dries retained the series' grounded tone because it was "not normal for [the characters ofBatwoman] to interact with aliens and travel to different universes".[108] Although the crossover is considered "a five-hour epic", the title character of each series and characters appropriate in those worlds (such asBarry Allen ofEarth-90 appearing onThe Flash) are highlighted.[106] The episode scripts were completed by early September 2019.[109]
The original comic was created to help withDC Comics' continuity problems that could intimidate new readers; since the Arrowverse does not have those, however, the crossover allowed its creators to focus on the characters and their interactions.Supergirl and Batwoman's relationship was developed, after it was seen at the end of "Elseworlds" that "those two characters [are] supporting each other much in the same way that Barry and Oliver have been supporting each other in previous crossovers".[92] This version of the Anti-Monitor was inspired by the character's appearance in theNew 52 "Darkseid Wars" storyline.[96]Sara Lance is the focus of theLegends of Tomorrow characters, with the crossover "kick[ing] off Sara's emotional journey for season 5 ofLegends" and giving Sara "a different perspective on things".[92]
Guggenheim said that the crossover would try to incorporate "seminal moments" from the comic book, opening with a similar destruction of parallel universes.[110] Regarding the deaths ofSupergirl and theFlash in the comic storyline, Wallace conceded that the writers "can't just kill all of our number ones on our shows", but a proper balance was found in killing some.[89] Although it was revealed in "Elseworlds" that Oliver would die in the crossover (which, Guggenheim felt, "spoiled our own story"), his death in the first hour was an attempt to "surprise the audience" who may have expected him to die in the fifth; it also "establish[ed] the stakes going into the next four hours".[111] The third-hour death of Barry Allen from Earth-90 was "a way to honor what was said [by] the Monitor ... saying the Flash must die", without killingGrant Gustin's character. According to Wallace, this gave "it a nice story twist, [to] get in some emotion" while "complet[ing] a 30-yeararc" forJohn Wesley Shipp's character, who felt thankful in turn as his show didn't get a properseries finale. Theflashback scene from the1990Flash television series, featuring Shipp's Barry Allen withAmanda Pays' Dr. Tina McGee, was added while editing the episode "to give a little bit of his life flashing before his eyes".[68] Oliver dies a second time at the end of theArrow episode. Guggenheim said that it was also done to "[surprise] the audience with the unexpected" ... "I think [Stephen Amell] enjoyed A) the opportunity to play two death scenes and B) the creative sleight of hand in terms of surprising the audience".[112]
The inclusion ofClark Kent andLois Lane fromSmallville in the crossover explored the characters afterSmallville ended.[113]Smallville Season Eleven, a 2012–2015 comic book series, had previously explored Clark's adventures after the show'stenth and final season, and Guggenheim confirmed that while not directly referenced, the events from the comic series were consideredcanonical for the crossover.[114]Erica Durance, who portrayed that series' Lois Lane, said: "It's a little bit of a look into their future and the different choices they've made to be together. It's a full-circle moment that's really nice". TheBatwoman episode in which the characters appear was written by formerSmallville writers, allowing Guggenheim to "[step] aside and let them speak to where things were headed. As a fan of the show, it answered a lot of questions that I had. It provided a lot of closure, I think, in a really nice way".[63] The removal of this Clark's powers was a reference toSuperman II (1980), whereChristopher Reeve'sSuperman temporarily surrenders his powers. Although the details of howSmallville Clark lost his powers are not explored, "the idea that Clark would give up his powers in order to have this kind of life, that really resonated with all of" the writers andTom Welling.Daily Planet articles written by Lois were shown "to make it very clear" to the audience "that he did become Superman, that he did have all these adventures, but they are left to your imagination".[115]Smallville co-creatorAlfred Gough was informed about theSmallville scenes before filming began.[63] The three actors who portrayed Clark Kent / Superman in the crossover did not have a scene written containing all three. The writers wanted a clear distinction between Welling's character at the Kent Farm andBrandon Routh's character at theDaily Planet. Guggenheim said, "The desire to have multiple Supermen [together] is what inspired the backup story" in the comic tie-in.[116] Appearing asBruce Wayne in live-action for the first time allowedKevin Conroy to "explore a lot of [the] dark corners" of the character in a different way than when he voiced an older version of the character in theDC Animated Universe (DCAU) seriesBatman Beyond.[117]
Lucifer Morningstar's appearance was considered to be five years before the events ofLucifer, according to actorTom Ellis: "This is him in his proper playboy, don't-give-a-damn-about-anything stage in his life. He is very irreverent with our characters when they turn up in the scene and obviously, withConstantine, there is some history there".[118] His scene, written by Certo (aLucifer fan), was sent to that series' creative team for their feedback.Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson suggested Lucifer's flirting joke, and Ellis contributed his pronunciation of Constantine as "Constantyne". Henderson called Lucifer's appearance "the coolest thing" since he had wanted to participate in the crossover when he learned that it was adaptingCrisis on Infinite Earths.[119] Black Lightning's inclusion was decided "very late in the game", according to Guggenheim. He worked closely withBlack Lightning showrunnerSalim Akil to incorporate the character not as a cameo but "in a way that feels significant". Once the logistics and creative elements were solved, Black Lightning "elevated the crossover to another level". ActorCress Williams said that the character enters "in a very surprising way. He's not prepared for it. So, he doesn't know these people". Because of this, there is "some conflict early on when he's trying to figure out, who are you people and why am I here?".[120]
Barry's journey through theSpeed Force in theArrow hour was an opportunity for the writers to "revisit a series 'greatest hits' for Oliver, key moments in terms of his relationships ... it's a little bit of a 'Before you die, your life flashes before your eyes' kind of feel"; they wanted to "look backwards before Oliver's death". Oliver andJohn Diggle's fight in theArrowseason six episode "Brothers in Arms" was originally planned for Kate's scene in the Speed Force in which she helps break up the fight. Since the writers considered season six "relatively recent", they chose "Suicidal Tendencies" fromseason three. This episode (one of Guggenheim's favorites) and the argument between Oliver and Ray helped show "how much all of the shows have evolved and relationships between the characters have evolved". The other moments in the Speed Force were based on "showing how far the characters have come". In the Speed Force, Barry encountersEzra Miller'sBarry Allen from theDC Extended Universe (DCEU). Guggenheim worked with DC Comics chief creative officerJim Lee andDC Entertainment film vice president Adam Schlagman on the scene to ensure that it would not conflict with their plannedThe Flash film (2023),[121] which also deals with the multiverse. Much of the dialogue between Gustin and Miller was improvised. Miller's Allen, who had not yet gone by the moniker "The Flash", is given the name by Grant's Allen in the scene.[122]
The glimpse ofStargirl and theJustice Society of America on Earth-2 fromStargirl was not originally intended.Stargirl creatorGeoff Johns said that production of that series had completed, and Pedowitz advocated its inclusion after seeing footage of the series. Johns continued, "I was incredibly excited about the opportunity for that because it just meant more people would see it. And [tonally], Stargirl and the show has always been for everybody. Anyone can watch it. So it fits in nicely to that world".[73] The end of the crossover sees Barry converting the oldS.T.A.R. Labs hangar from the "Invasion!" crossover into a spot where the heroes could gather,[123] along with hinting at a possible introduction ofGleek and theWonder Twins. These hints were a "fun bit" for the writers to end the crossover, since an early version of the script had the Wonder Twins making an appearance.[112]
Although early allusions to "Crisis" onThe Flash mentioned theReverse-Flash andTom Cavanagh was said to be reprising his role in the crossover,[124][125] the character did not appear. Guggenheim did not want to be beholden to this, pointing out that the newspaper headline mentioning him had been created by executives no longer involved with the series or this crossover, such asAndrew Kreisberg. The character had also already featured prominently in previous crossovers; Cavanagh nevertheless appeared in the crossover just not as Thawne.[124] Psycho-Pirate, included in "Elseworlds", also appeared in early versions of the crossover. Guggenheim said that he was not included because "given the story we were telling, the only reason we were having him in there was because he was in the original comic".[121] Guggenheim had tried to haveSwamp Thing appear to interact with Constantine, given their history and relationship in the comics. Although Guggenheim considered it "a really important inclusion", "for a variety of different reasons" it did not happen.[126]
LaMonica Garrett was upgraded to series regular on all the series (receiving credit in the episodes he appeared in before the crossover) to ensure that he would be available for "Crisis" and its lead-up.[29] Casting was announced at the July 2019San Diego Comic-Con. They included:Tyler Hoechlin, reprising his role asSuperman,[48] while Brandon Routh, who portrays Ray Palmer / Atom in the Arrowverse, would reprise his role asSuperman fromSuperman Returns (2006) in "an older, more world-weary" version inspired by the comics'Kingdom Come Superman;[127][128][40] Tom Cavanagh also portrayingPariah in addition to Nash Wells;[125][129]Burt Ward, who portrayedDick Grayson / Robin in the1966Batman television series, was cast in an undisclosed role;[130] Amell would portray several versions of Oliver Queen;[131]Jon Cryer would reprise his role as Lex Luthor;[56] and Garrett would portray the Anti-Monitor and the Monitor.[30] Luthor was not originally intended to appear, but Cryer talked toWarner Bros. Television presidentPeter Roth about the character's prominence in the original comic to lobby for his inclusion.[132] Shortly afterwards,Elizabeth Tulloch was confirmed to be reprising her role asLois Lane.[49]
Pedowitz announced at theTelevision Critics Association press tour the following month that cast members fromBlack Lightning would appear[91] (previously hinted at by Cress Williams),[133] and Kevin Conroy would portray an elderly Bruce Wayne after voicing the character in multiple animated media.[91] Conroy "jumped at" the opportunity to portray Wayne in live-action for the first time, saying that it would satisfy the "loyal" fanbase ofBatman: The Animated Series.[117]Concept art by Andy Poon displayed inCrisis on Infinite Earths: Paragons Rising seemingly depictedMichael Keaton filling the role of Earth-99's Bruce Wayne by reprising his role asBruce Wayne / Batman from the1989-1997Batman film series. Though Guggenheim confirmed that Keaton was never approached, a newspaper with his likeness was spotted in a leak from the Earth-89 scene.[134] Guggenheim said that although the producers discussed with DC andWarner Bros. the possibility ofLynda Carter reprising her role asWonder Woman from the1975 television series, they felt that it was unlikely.[90] Guggenheim was initially hesitant in asking Ward if he was interested in returning after the idea of bringing Ward back was brought up in the crossover'swriters' room, butThe Flash line producer Joseph Patrick Finn convinced him under the logical pretext that if he didn't ask, he wouldn't get Ward in case he was interested; Ward gladly accepted to return, though the crew made sure his character wasn't identified onscreen but just hint at his identity.[135]
Johnathon Schaech was confirmed as reprising his role asJonah Hex in September 2019,[136] and John Wesley Shipp was cast in an undisclosed role shortly afterwards.[137] Around this time, Tom Ellis was approached to appear as Lucifer Morningstar from the seriesLucifer. Ellis had "talked over the years about Lucifer being a DC character and 'Is there any chance of this happening?'", saying that "Crisis" was a good chance to explore that connection.[118] In mid-September, it was announced that Tom Welling and Erica Durance would reprise their roles as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, respectively, fromSmallville;[138][113] Durance would also reprise her Arrowverse role asAlura Zor-El.[63] Welling had been previously approached to reprise his role as Kent in past Arrowverse crossovers, but he felt "protective" over the fact his character didn't exist in the main reality of those shows until he was convinced to return by reading the crossover's script. Once on the set, Welling took a walk to get into "John Schneider's spirit" due to loving the idea Clark grew up to become like his father and requested some gloves, which agrip lent to him.[139]Michael Rosenbaum, who portrayedLex Luthor onSmallville, said that he declined Warner Bros. and the producers' offer to reprise the role in "Crisis", as they demanded him a quick response while visiting one of his relatives with no specifics on what his reprisal would consist.[140] TheSmallville scenes had already been shot when the producers approached Rosenbaum thanks to Amell's efforts, with Guggenheim planning to have his version of Luthor interact with Cryer's.[141]Alan Ritchson, who portrayedArthur Curry/Aquaman onSmallville, also declined an offer to reprise his role in the crossover due to scheduling conflicts withTitans;[142] however, he appeared in archive footage asHank Hall / Hawk alongsideCurran Walters asJason Todd / Robin / Red Hood fromTitans.[65]Osric Chau was cast asRyan Choi later in the month, andAshley Scott was confirmed as reprising her role asHelena Kyle / Huntress fromThe WB seriesBirds of Prey.[59][143]
At the beginning of October,Audrey Marie Anderson was announced as reprising her role asLyla Michaels, while also taking on theHarbinger persona from the comics; Lyla previously used "Harbinger" as herA.R.G.U.S. codename.[53] That month,Stephen Lobo was cast asJim Corrigan.[144] By that time, the producers approachedNicolas Cage, who had been attached to portray Superman inTim Burton's plannedSuperman Lives film.[29] Guggenheim later regretted mentioning Cage and tried to refrain from hinting at other actors' involvement because he did not want fans "blowing up" theirTwitter feeds with questions about why they did not appear.[145] At the end of November, it was reported thatBrec Bassinger would appear in the crossover as Courtney Whitmore / Stargirl before the release of herDC Universe series later in 2020.[146]Robert Wuhl reprised his role as theGotham Globe reporter Alexander Knox fromBatman (1989) in a quick cameo appearance set in Earth-89. Wuhl, who had longed to reprise his role as Knox since his conspicuous absence inBatman Returns (1992), readily accepted the offer to return for just asingle take of the crossover upon being approached by the executives.[147]
Ezra Miller appeared in theArrow episode reprising their DCEU role as Barry Allen.[112] During development discussions forThe Flash film, it was suggested that Miller appear in the crossover, and Miller immediately agreed since they "[understand] the importance of the Flash and [the character's] role in the multiverse".[122] Roth then spoke to Guggenheim about including Miller and Guggenheim approached Gustin to see if he would be "on-board" with Miller appearing, and Gustin "was incredibly enthusiastic" about the idea;[112] Guggenheim called Jim Lee "instrumental in making [the cameo] happen".[69]
A number of other actors were considered and approached for cameos. There were "a whole host of reasons why" certain cameos did not occur, according to Guggenheim, as some actors were busy with other projects, some were uninterested in the crossover and others requested more money than the budget permitted, while the showrunners also had to think on those characters' screentime, their requirements in the story and the shooting schedule.[145][141]Cameron Cuffe, who starred as Seg-El on theSyfy seriesKrypton, was approached to appear as a holographic Kryptonian elder whenArgo City was evacuated. Although Cuffe said that he "wanted to make [the cameo] happen", he had committed to another project.[145] Bringing backTeri Hatcher as Lois Lane fromLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was similarly discussed by Guggenheim and the crew as an idea, but possibly scrapped due to Hatcher being unaffordable.[141]
Production of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" began on September 24, 2019.[148] Filming at the farmhouse for the Kent family farm was done at the end of the month;[149] the farmhouse had previously appeared in the "Elseworlds" crossover and onSmallville.[149][150] Production of theLegends of Tomorrow episode began on October 4.[151] Williams took a break from filmingBlack Lightning inAtlanta to spend a week filming his parts of the crossover inVancouver.[66] His scenes were reviewed by the crew ofBlack Lightning to ensure that his characterization was consistent with the series.[106] While on Vancouver, Wuhl arrived during one afternoon to shoot his cameo seven or eight hours later.[147] Primary filming was completed by November 8, with re-shoots and minor filming finished by December 19.[152][153] When Miller's cameo was finalized, a small crew fromThe Flash filmed it since theArrow crew had already wrapped on the series and was no longer around.[112]
Directors of the crossover includedJesse Warn (Supergirl),[104] Laura Belsey (Batwoman),[23] David McWhirter (The Flash),[37]Glen Winter (Arrow),[34] andGregory Smith (Legends of Tomorrow).[105] They were hired specifically for the crossover, because of their previous experience working in the Arrowverse, allowing them (and their directors of photography) to create a unified look.Batwoman, which is normally filmed with a differentaspect ratio from the other series, used the same ratio as the other series for consistency. A number of stunt scenes, particularly in theSupergirl andArrow episodes, were filmed with drones.[106]
Blake Neely and collaborators Nathaniel Blume, Sherri Chung, and Daniel Chan, began work on the crossover on November 20, 2019,[154] and the score was recorded by an orchestra on December 2.[155][106]Tony Kanal andStephen Perkins were featured performers on the score.[156] Neely incorporated a number of musicalEaster eggs into the score, some of which were "cues the production has attempted to obtain the rights to for years";[157] cues included the1960sBatman television-series theme,[158] the1989Batman filmtheme,[159] "hints" of theBatman: The Animated Series theme, themarch theme and "Can You Read My Mind?" from the1978Superman film,[160] the1990sFlash television series theme,[161] and theSuper Friends theme.[162]
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Aiming to live up to the original comic book's promise that "worlds will live, worlds will die and things will never be the same" while simultaneously killing characters and introducing new ones, Guggenheim expected the Arrowverse's adaptation lived up to that.[92] Before the crossover, Guggenheim told each of the series' showrunners that "there's an opportunity here to introduce some majorstatus quo shift[s]" if they desired; this was embraced by each.[29] He described it as not "so much a burden of fixing something, it was the freedom of being able to change whatever we wanted to change".[101] Guggenheim added that each series would be affected except forLegends of Tomorrow, since "the crossover launches much of that season" and there would be "one rather big ramification".[29] After the crossover, Dries wanted to "make Kate's life a little bit more integrated with all of this madness of sci-fi and aliens, and the dense mythology between" the other series, but still keep the grounding established earlier inBatwoman's season.[163] However, this was "a little tricky because our characters aren't yet exposed to this notion of multiple universes, superheroes, powers, and stuff".[116] An action by Barry would have ramifications for the rest ofThe Flash's season.[116] The goal of the crossover for Wallace was to "tap into that feeling that the readers in 1985 would have had, when reading that story, with the tectonic shifts in the comic world, underneath". He called the Arrowverse ending a "game-changer" which "opens up to a whole new world".[89]
By the end of the crossover, the universe wasrebooted, with all of The CW series airing at the time – Arrow,The Flash,Supergirl,Legends of Tomorrow,Batwoman andBlack Lightning – existing on the newEarth-Prime; this was decided going into the crossover. A new multiverse was also created, with six of its Earths revealed.[123] Although Guggenheim had wanted a single Earth-Prime, the crossover would not have been able to visit the worlds of other DC properties had that been done. A compromise was reached in which these properties were returned to different Earths in the multiverse, and the Arrowverse series were combined in a single Earth. The Arrowverse characters are oblivious to the newly formed multiverse.[164]
Guggenheim said that "there is an opportunity going forward after "Crisis" to slowly reveal all of the weird changes,"[112] with each series "get[ting] the chance to tell a piece of that story".[124] Changes include John Diggle and Lyla Michaels' daughter, Sara, returning to the timeline after her change inFlashpoint, and Lex Luthor having more heroic qualities. Returning baby Sara was "very important" to Guggenheim and Schwartz to accomplish in "Crisis" after they almost did so in "Elseworlds"; it was held off until this crossover because they "thought it had more punch if it was a part of the universal reboot".Supergirl showrunners Robert Rovner and Jessica Queller came to Guggenheim with the idea to alter Lex Luthor, something they "were all really excited about".[112] InBatwoman, Kate's sisterBeth returns as a separate person from the season's antagonist Alice;[163] Dries called this a "shocking resonance" for the series.[116]
The inclusion of Miller's Barry Allen from the DCEU opened up more possibilities for crossovers between the DC films and Arrowverse.DC Films presidentWalter Hamada revealed prior to "Crisis", DC had been structured in a way that the television division had to clear the use of characters with the film division. Now, the company could "really lean into this idea of [the multiverse] and acknowledge the fact there can be a Flash on TV and one in the movies, and you don't have to pick one or the other, and they both exist in this multiverse".[165] Berlanti agreed, feeling that "moving forward, there's more opportunity to do more things like this".[122]
| External images | |
|---|---|
 "Crisis" logo without Oliver Queen | |
| "Crisis" logo with Oliver Queen |
Boost Mobile was a promotional partner for the event.[166] The first teaser for the crossover was released on November 10, 2019.[47] On November 15, The CW released a series of show-specific teasers.[167][168][169][170][171] A week later, the event's poster was released.[57] A full trailer was released on November 24,[172] followed by additional trailers on December 3 and 6.[173][174]
When the initial trailers were released in November, a logo with the lead character of each series (except Oliver Queen) was also released. Guggenheim said that at that time, legal and financial considerations prevented the inclusion of Amell's character in the logo.[175] With the release of the full trailer the following month, Oliver was included in the logo. According to Guggenheim, this was due to "the creativity of a lot of very smart people" and "a loophole".[176][177] He had been told that "only actors appearing in all five hours could be in the main title card", and Amell does not appear in the fifth episode, though he lends his voice for the episode's ending.[178]
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A week before the last two episodes aired, a second poster for the crossover was released. Russ Burlingame ofComicbook.com said that the poster was "a mirror to the first "Crisis" poster, but centering on darkness rather than light", with different taglines used, and "the Anti-Monitor standing with his hands raised up and pointed down, whereas The Monitor had stood with his palms up and arms at his sides".[179] Blair Marnell fromSuperHero Hype noted the "prominent" placement of Supergirl and Batwoman in the poster, but pointed out both the Supermen of Earths-38 and 96 were "noticeably absent".[180]/Film's Amelia Emberwing felt there was "a lot going on" with the new poster, saying "some of it's mundane, but other parts of it tell a story". She also noted the prominent placement of Supergirl and Batwoman, but for the other Paragons "there's not a whole lot to be told from their inclusion". Other parts Emberwing focused on was Nash Wells no longer in his Pariah costume, and John Diggle in an outfit with "a whole lot of green", hoping that meant there would be aGreen Lantern nod as had been teased in the past for the character.[181] Andy Behbakht atScreen Rant was drawn to the reveal of Oliver as the Spectre, saying the look was "heavily influenced by Oliver's latest Green Arrow costume while including the iconic cape that the Spectre wears in the comics".[182] Writing forInverse, Eric Francisco called out Ryan Choi's placement next to Ray Palmer, "which heavily suggests Choi will take over as the new Atom after Ray Palmer" and Black Lightning being one of the larger focuses of the poster implied his "appearance in "Part 3" was not a one-off deal".[183]
On January 10, 2020, Amell released a trailer for the event's last two episodes.[35] A behind-the-scenes panel moderated by Guggenheim and featuringThe Flash firstassistant director Phil Chipera,Batwomancostume designer Maya Mani,Legends of Tomorrowproperty master Lynda Chapple, and Arrowverse senior visual effects supervisor Armen Kevorkian, was part ofDC FanDome in September 2020.[184][185] The panel was originally supposed to feature adeleted scene from the crossover, which was ultimately not shown.[185]
"Crisis on Infinite Earths" began withSupergirl on December 8, 2019, continuing withBatwoman andThe Flash on December 9 and 10, respectively. The crossover concluded withArrow andLegends of Tomorrow on January 14, 2020.[91] The December 9, 2019 episode ofBlack Lightning tied into the event.[98] The crossover had two largely complete scenes cut from the final broadcast. The first in the first episode had Pariah witnessing the destruction of Argo City, while the second saw Oliver Queen becoming the Spectre in an end tag of the third episode.. Guggenheim called the second "a critical and important scene" but its quality came out "really ... poorly" so it was decided to be excluded from the broadcast.[186]
"Crisis Management", a behind-the-scenes feature, was released on January 16, 2020, with the purchase of a digital season pass to any of the series.[187] In the United Kingdom,Sky One aired the first part and third through fifth episodes daily between March 30 and April 2, 2020.[188]E4, who acquired the rights toBatwoman in January 2020,[189] aired the second part on August 9, 2020, as the final episode of theBatwoman season for the UK broadcast. The network chose to move the crossover episode to the end of the season instead of airing it as the original ninth episode of the season, in order to not interrupt the season story arc and confuse viewers who might not have been up to date on the other Arrowverse series.[190]
All five episodes of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" were included on theBlu-ray release ofArrow's eighth season.[191] Additionally, aDVD of the crossover was released inRegion 2 on May 25, 2020.[192]
A theatrical release of the crossover had been planned in coordination with Warner Bros. andFathom Events for April 2020 in the United States, which would have involved cast appearances, giveaways, and the inclusion of additional material between the episodes such as deleted scenes with completed post-production. The event did not occur because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[193]
| No. | Series | Air date | Rating (18–49) | Viewers (millions) | DVR (18–49) | DVR viewers (millions) | Total (18–49) | Total viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supergirl | December 8, 2019 | 0.7 | 1.67[194] | 0.4 | 1.00 | 1.0 | 2.67[195] |
| 2 | Batwoman | December 9, 2019 | 0.6 | 1.71[196] | 0.4 | 0.98 | 1.0 | 2.68[197] |
| 3 | The Flash | December 10, 2019 | 0.6 | 1.73[198] | 0.4 | 0.98 | 1.1 | 2.71[197] |
| 4 | Arrow | January 14, 2020 | 0.5 | 1.41[199] | 0.4 | 1.03 | 0.9 | 2.44[200] |
| 5 | Legends of Tomorrow | January 14, 2020 | 0.5 | 1.35[199] | 0.4 | 1.02 | 0.9 | 2.38[200] |
Supergirl's ratings were a season high for the series, with the rating and share on par with the first episode of "Elseworlds".[201]Batwoman had its highest viewership since its premiere, and a season-high rating and share.[202]The Flash also had season-high viewership, its highest since February 11, 2019, while also matching its season high rating and share.[203][204]Arrow had season-high viewership and rating and share (the series' best since "Elseworlds"),[205] and theLegends of Tomorrow episode was well above its season-four averages of 0.95 million viewers and 0.3 rating/share.[206]
Thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 8.97/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "TV's biggest crossover manages to tie these different universes together, offering plenty of cameos, dramatic moments, and surprising twists that will shake the Arrowverse forever".[207]
Jesse Schedeen ofIGN rated the first hour a 9 out of 10. Schedeen called the episode "accessible" to viewers, and said that it did not "lose sight of the personal and emotional stakes of this conflict". He felt that theSupergirl supporting cast was "utilized well" and called the episode "very critical" for fans ofArrow, given Oliver's death, although he regretted Barry's small role.[208] Grading the episode an "A−",Entertainment Weekly's Sara Netzley said that "no amount of watching, reading, and speculating [could] truly [prepare] us for the heroism, the tears, the sacrifice, and the cameos".[209]The A.V. Club's Caroline Siede called the episode's opening "some of the most exhilarating superhero TV I've ever seen". According to Siede, "Crisis" was the first Arrowverse crossover "to deliver an episode that feels like a meaningful part of the crossoverand a meaningful part ofSupergirl as well". Noting that the scene between Kara and Clark discussing Argo City's destruction felt "likeThor: Ragnarok and its 'Asgard is not a place, it's a people' ethos", she gave the episode a "B+".[210] Giving the episode 4.5 out of 5 stars, Kayti Burt ofDen of Geek called Oliver's death "a massively gutsy storytelling move"; the episode "set the stakes for the crossover journey to come". About the cast, Burt said: "By keeping the ensemble in this part of the story relatively small, we were able to spend more time with all of them, not to mention check in with the characters who areSupergirl-specific"; "one of the best scenes" was between Alex and Lena.[211]
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating, based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 7.69/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Part two of DC's ambitious crossover is just as relentless as the first installment, if even smoother around the edges, masterfully juggling many characters, emotions, and Easter eggs to a satisfying result".[212]
Schedeen called the episode "a superhero nerd's dream come true", since it "doubles down on the emotional character drama and manages to deliver some of the best live-action Superman moments in a very long time". Although he considered theSmallville moments the "epilogue fans deserve", he said that some fans would not enjoy them. Schedeen called Routh "a solid Superman and a downright terrific Clark Kent". He wrote that the second hour was less plot-driven and the crossover could be "moving too slowly for its own good", but preferred "prioritizing the character moments over the plot and spectacle". Schedeen called the Lazarus Pit subplot "an unnecessary addition to an already crowded crossover", and rated the episode an 8.8 out of 10.[213] Chancellor Agard ofEntertainment Weekly gave the episode a "B+": "Batwoman's Part 2 of the crossover succeeds where Part 1 stumbled a bit. Yes, tonight's episode was just as busy (and cameo-filled), but it flowed smoothly and all of the important beats landed". Agard credited the simple task of the heroes searching for the Paragons with why the episode worked so well, and Conroy's appearance was "truly something". Although Agard found theSmallville moments a "letdown", they eventually made sense because "Smallville was always about Clark Kent [and] his desire to live a normal life despite his powers".[214] Alani Vargas ofThe A.V. Club said that "the writers did a great job of weaving in some of the most famous versions of Superman" into the episode, noting that other characters and elements fromBatwoman got "the short end of the stick" in the crossover; Vargas graded the episode a "B".[215]Den of Geek's Delia Harrington gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars.[216]
Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating, based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 9.14/10. The website's critical consensus reads:"An emotional episode that packs a surprising punch, 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' sets the stage for a heartbreaking winter premiere".[217]
Schedeen wrote that "the cracks are definitely starting to show" withThe Flash episode, highlighting the number of new characters introduced and its wide-ranging plot. He said that Ryan Choi could have been introduced before the crossover to "get some of the backstory out of the way", and the purgatory storyline "deserved far more attention" than the time allowed. According to Schedeen, it was obvious that in some scenes all the actors were not filmed together. However, "this episode never loses sight of the core appeal of Crisis": giving characters "their big moments and celebrating the connections these characters have forged". Schedeen praised the Earth-90 Flash's sacrifice, Black Lightning's introduction to the Arrowverse, Blake Neely's score, and Lucifer's cameo, rating the episode an 8 out of 10.[218] Agard said that the Earth-90 Flash's death was a "clever way to save Grant Gustin from that fate while also wrapping up that thread in a way that was satisfying and didn't feel like a complete cheat". He liked J'onn J'onnz and Iris West having more substantial roles in this crossover than previous ones, in which they were sidelined or underutilized. To Agard, the introduction of Black Lightning was "the definition of delayed gratification. Seeing Cress interact with everyone in this scene was something to behold because we've been waiting for it to happen and, more importantly, the script does a good job of synthesizing who this guy is to non-Black Lightning viewers". Grading the episode an "A−", he concluded: "Overall, I kind of loved this episode. Sure, it definitely moved a bit too quickly and I lost track of the story at times. But it had an immense heart to it. Not only that, but it also improved on what Part 2 did".[219]
The A.V. Club's Scott Von Doviak also awarded the episode an "A−", calling the crossover "a hot mess, there's no question about it. To call it overstuffed would be an understatement ... There are five-minute subplots here that could have been entire episodes of the various series making up the Arrowverse, and the whole thing feels like it could fly apart like the Flash on the cosmic treadmill at any moment. But that's what makes it so much fun". Von Doviak called the purgatory subplot rushed, and the killing of Earth-90 Flash made "all the angst of the first half of the [Flash] season feel a little cheap". He called the episode's ending "kind of a ripoff ofAvengers: Infinity War ... but as far as cliffhangers to hold us until after the holidays go, it'll do".[220] Giving the episode 5 out of 5 stars, Mike Cecchini ofDen of Geek wrote that the crossover and this episode succeeded in "deliver[ing] 100+ episodes worth of emotional and narrative payoff" as "the climax of the single most ambitious crossover in television history".[221]
For theArrow episode, Rotten Tomatoes reported a 79% approval rating, based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads: ""Crisis on Infinite Earths"'s fourth installment reshuffles the universe in rousing fashion thanks toArrow himself and a delightful cameo from Ezra Miller, even if repeating the same sacrifice twice dilutes the impact of this farewell to Oliver Queen".[222] It reported a 100% approval rating for theLegends of Tomorrow episode, based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 9.84/10.[223]
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Schedeen rated the final two installments a 9 out of 10: "The final two chapters of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" cement this crossover as the most entertaining and most ambitious Arrowverse adventure yet". Concerned that the crossover would buckle under its own weight in part three, Schedeen was glad in theArrow episode that its "consolidating [of] the cast down to a handful of heroes and a few cosmic entities really help[ed] refocus and remind viewers of what's at stake". Although he enjoyed seeing the human side of the Monitor, he could not say the same for the Anti-Monitor, who was just "a faceless threat and an obligatory, all-powerful punching bag in these final two episodes". Schedeen called Oliver's sacrifice "a fitting end" to the character, justifying the decision to resurrect him after his sacrifice in the first part. It did "even more to bring the character full circle and complete his arc. Ollie's story has always been about the sacrifices he makes for the greater good and what better way to end that story than by having the Arrowverse's first hero give his life so that its best heroes can continue the fight?" About theLegends episode, he wrote that the "finale manages to deftly balance the whimsical, self-aware tone ofLegends with the gravitas needed as our heroes confront the Anti-Monitor one last time". Schedeen wrote that part five "manages to juggle its many moving parts elegantly", and he enjoyed the ending scene and the creation of the Arrowverse's version of the Justice League.[224]
About part four, Agard wrote that the Speed Force flashbacks were "very cheesy and reminiscent of thingsArrow has done in the past. On the other hand, I found it very effective in putting us in the mindset for the final battle and, more importantly, the end ofArrow ... [T]his episode honors his connection to the other shows and how this one show's existence has created so much". Oliver's death in this episode "packed way more of an emotional punch [over the one in part one] because of the three actors' performances". About theLegends episode, Agard was "surprised by how strong" it was: "The last episode of a crossover is usually the weakest because the big battle ends up taking precedence over character moments, but that's not the case here at all". He graded both episodes an "A−".[225] Delia Harrington ofDen of Geek called the final two episodes "very different, but equally compelling". Harrington praised Amell and Benoist's performances, and enjoyed the final episodes' cameos and Easter eggs. Like Agard, she found that Oliver's death in these episodes "was much more in line with what his character deserved". About part five, Harrington said: "The governing principle of this episode was the banana pants aesthetic ofLegends, and that's exactly what it needed," noting the appearance of the giant Beebo. Giving the episodes 4 out of 5 stars, she concluded: "For those of us who were toutingArrow as the best superhero property on any screen, big or small, back in Season 1, this is truly the television equivalent toEndgame-level storytelling. Some of the old heroes are gone. New heroes rise in their place. The fandom mourns, but we also get to celebrate all the new stories there are to tell".[226]
Kate Kulzick ofThe A.V. Club was more negative on theArrow episode, giving it a "C−". She said, "Arrow's contribution to the crossover not only fails to live up to the dramatic stakes of that cliffhanger, it sours the goodwill generated by the first three episodes, retreading old ground and sending the crossover limping into its finale". Kulzick was disappointed that the Monitor and Anti-Monitor's godlike powers were poorly explained, and called the Speed Force moments "arbitrary" in what could have been "a wonderful opportunity to relive and re-imagine high points from each of the Arrowverse shows' histories". In the approach to the final battle between the Paragons and Anti-Monitor, she felt that the episode "really starts to flounder". Unlike Agard and Harrington, Kulzick called Oliver's death "a pale shadow of the raw and emotional end of part one", and "one hell of a disappointing way to send [him] out".[227]The A.V. Club's Allison Shoemaker called some of the concepts in theLegends episode "flimsy": "The plot is fine. The characters and their reactions to what's happened, to that loss and the new status quo, is what really hits home". Highlighting Barry and Sara's conversation, followed by Sara and Diggle's, Shoemaker graded the episode a "B+".[228]
Crisis Aftermath is anaftershow which aired after the December 8Supergirl episode and the December 10Flash episode. The show, which went "in-depth to explore" the crossover, was hosted byKevin Smith.[229]Entertainment Weekly helped develop the aftershow, which included discussions with executive producers Guggenheim, Dries, Rovner, Shimizu, and Wallace; the stars Cryer, Garrett, McNamara, and Conroy; and panel guest Dani Fernandez, among others.Entertainment Weekly writer Chancellor Agard appeared in a segment "helping to break down the multiversal destruction" seen in the crossover.[230]
| No. | Guests | Original release date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Guggenheim, Dani Fernandez,Katherine McNamara,LaMonica Garrett, Chancellor Agard,Robert Rovner,Caroline Dries,Marc Bernardin | December 8, 2019 (2019-12-08) | 0.67[194] |
| 2 | Marc Guggenheim, Dani Fernandez,Jon Cryer, Eric Wallace, Chancellor Agard,Kevin Conroy,Robert Wuhl,Geoff Johns,Keto Shimizu | December 10, 2019 (2019-12-10) | 0.72[198] |
