Two years after Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Arrowverse‘s future is finally exciting again, especially with the announcement of John Diggle’s (David Ramsey) Justice U spinoff in development at The CW. The Arrowverse series currently consists of The Flash, Batwoman, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Superman & Lois, with Stargirl set on Earth-2 and Naomi recently premiering on The CW. While the cancelations of Arrow and Supergirl, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, hit the Arrowverse hard, and the potential sale of The CW may affect the Arrowverse’s future, creatively, the superhero TV shows are starting to recapture their old magic.
Crisis On Infinite Earths aired in five parts at the end of 2019/start of 2020 and it was the culmination of the Arrowverse’s macro story since Arrow kicked off The CW’s DC Universe in 2012. Bringing together the Arrowverse’s marquee heroes like Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), the Flash (Grant Gustin), and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) to battle the Multiverse-smashing Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), Crisis also brought back Superman (Brandon Routh), Dick Grayson (Burt Ward), and other past DC heroes to make them officially part of the Arrowverse. But for many fans, Crisis On Infinite Earths also felt like the ‘series finale’ of the Arrowverse as a whole and the various TV series struggled to maintain fans’ interest after the epic crossover was done. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed plans for the next crossover, so that the excitement Crisis generated for the Arrowverse gradually fizzled away. The cancelations of Arrow, Black Lightning, and Supergirl also gave the impression that the Arrowverse’s best years were behind it.
Thankfully, the Arrowverse is rebounding with intriguing new superhero series while the tried-and-true mainstays are still going strong. En route to The Flash becoming the longest-running Arrowverse show, the five-part Armageddon crossover event kicking off The Flash season 8 saw Green Arrow Mia Queen (Katherine McNamara), Black Lightning (Cress Williams), Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), and Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) team up with the Scarlet Speedster. While it lacked the pure spectacle of Crisis On Infinite Earths, The Flash‘s Armageddon reminded fans of the thrills of the shared universe and it opened the door to future crossover events. In addition, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow continues to reinvent itself as the most daring and unpredictable Arrowverse show while Batwoman‘s replacement of Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane with Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder quickly reinvigorated the Gotham-based adventure series.
Perhaps the most exciting news the Arrowverse has seen since Crisis is the announcement of Justice U, which brings David Ramsey’s popular John Diggle back to the Arrowverse. Diggle visited Superman & Lois and other series after Arrow ended but Justice U sees Spartan finally take center stage as he trains five new metahumans as heroes. Justice U will potentially create a new generation of superheroes to carry the mantle of the Arrowverse forward. In addition, while it may not be set in the main Arrowverse, Naomi brings in another powerful young do-gooder, Naomi McDuffie (Kaci Walfall), who is just starting her own journey as a superhero inspired by her idol, Superman.
As for the Man of Steel, Superman & Lois redefined the mold of what an Arrowverse show can be in season 1 with a crowd-pleasing new iteration of Clark Kent (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) as parents of teenage sons in Smallville. Superman & Lois season 2 begins an exciting new story that tests the Kryptonian hero’s loyalty to America. Meanwhile, Superman’s most powerful enemy, Doomsday, will soon emerge from beneath his hometown to attack the Man of Steel. Finally, Stargirl carved out her own place in the Arrowverse while delivering thrilling superhero action mixed with heartfelt teenage drama. Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) could also eventually crossover into Earth-Prime so that Courtney Whitmore can meet her fellow superheroes, but Stargirl is already a harbinger of the Arrowverse‘s bright and exciting future.
