Here’s everything to know about 2019’s Arrowverse crossover, Crisis On Infinite Earths. Based upon the seminal 1985-1986 Crisis On Infinite Earths DC Comics maxi-series created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, this year’s Arrowerse crossover will be the superhero universe’s biggest event yet and will span every Arrowverse series on The CW: The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, Batwoman, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

Since the original Arrowverse crossover, Flash Vs. Arrow, in 2014, the annual crossover events have escalated in size and scope as The CW’s superhero shared universe has grown. In 2016, The Flash and Arrow were joined by Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow in Invasion! as the heroes teamed up to repel an attack by the alien Dominators. 2017’s Crisis On Earth-X saw the wedding of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton) interrupted by the heroes’ Nazi doppelgangers from Earth-X. In 2018’s Elseworlds, the Arrowverse grew even more by introducing Batwoman (Ruby Rose) and Gotham City, setting the stage for her new solo series. Elseworlds not only featured Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and the Flash switching bodies, but the debut of the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) also laid the groundwork for 2019’s Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover event.

It could be said that the Arrowverse has been building to Crisis On Infinite Earths for many years, in the same way that the Marvel Cinematic Universe culminated with Avengers: Endgame. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine an Arrowverse event bigger than Crisis On Infinite Earths, which could potentially alter The CW’s shared universe in fundamental ways - just as the comic book series redefined the DC Universe in the 1980s. Further, Crisis On Infinite Earths will honor previous superhero movies and TV series that influenced the Arrowverse by bringing in special guest stars, which should create major fan service moments. Here is everything to expect from Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Crisis On Infinite Earths Air Dates

Keeping with the monumental scope of the comic book story, Crisis On Infinite Earths will be the biggest Arrowverse crossover yet. The mega-event will span all five Arrowverse series and will be broken up into segments, with the first three hours airing on three consecutive nights in December 2019 and then the final two hours wrapping up the Crisis on the same night in January 2020 after the annual holiday hiatus. Here’s how Crisis On Infinite Earth’s schedule breaks down:

  • Supergirl: Sunday, December 8 @ 8pm - Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 1 Batwoman: Monday, December 9 @ 8pm - Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 2 The Flash: Tuesday, December 10 @ 8pm - Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 3 Arrow: Tuesday, January 14 @ 8pm - Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 4 Legends of Tomorrow: Tuesday, January 14 @ 9pm - Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part 5

Note that this Crisis schedule moves Supergirl up to 8pm on December 8; it otherwise airs at 9pm during the 2019/2020 Arrowverse season. Batwoman, which will normally air Sundays at 8pm, moves to Monday night for the Crisis. Also, the final two hours of Crisis on Tuesday, January 14 bumps The Flash from its normal night and moves Arrow up an hour from its normal 9pm slot this season. Additionally, Legends of Tomorrow’s Crisis conclusion is considered a “special episode”, with the time-traveling series getting a proper season 5 premiere later in January.

Crisis On Infinite Earths Story Details

The Crisis On Infinite Earths comics series eliminated the DC Comics Multiverse and merged all of its disparate continuities into one Prime universe. It involved the superheroes banding together to defend their various worlds as they’re caught in the middle of a war between two cosmic beings who are siblings and opposites: the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor (both will be played by LaMonica Garrett). Given that the Crisis is about entire worlds being destroyed and merged into one reality, many fans speculate that Crisis On Infinite Earth’s endgame is to do the same to the Arrowverse, specifically that it will bring Supergirl, which is set in Earth-38, into Arrow’s Earth-1.

The Arrowverse’s Crisis will pick up story threads that began with 2018’s crossover, Elseworlds, where the Monitor made a secret bargain with Oliver Queen after the Green Arrow sacrificed himself to save Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) and the Flash. Arrow season 7 ended with Oliver leaving with the Monitor to prepare for the Crisis, the ramifications of which will be seen in Arrow season 8. Crisis On Infinite Earths will also pay off The Flash’s story since season 1 in which a Central City newspaper’s headline dated 2024 read “Flash Missing - Vanishes in Crisis”. The events of The Flash season 5’s finale moved the timeline of the Crisis up to 2019. Meanwhile, the Monitor made appearances in Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow’s season finales as well, setting up their roles in the Crisis.

Crisis On Infinite Earths also ominously teases major deaths: Oliver Queen could meet his demise since Arrow is ending with season 8. However, in the comics, both the Flash and Supergirl died saving the universe during the Crisis - could their tragic fates be echoed in the Arrowverse crossover as well?

Which Arrowverse Shows Are Crossing Over?

Not only are all five Arrowverse series - Supergirl, Batwoman, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow - taking part in Crisis On Infinite Earths but characters from Black Lightning will also join the crossover. Black Lightning, which was originally developed for another network like Supergirl, isn’t part of the Arrowverse but Crisis On Infinite Earths could end up changing the reality of the superheroes of Freeland as well.

Elseworlds also introduced Batwoman into the Arrowverse, setting the stage not just for her solo series on The CW but for the red-haired vigilante’s role in Crisis On Infinite Earths. This will include a team-up with Batwoman and Supergirl since the two World’s Finest heroines really hit it off when they met in Elseworlds.

Superhero Actors Returning For Crisis On Infinite Earths

The Arrowverse is already bursting at the seams with superheroes across the five series, but Crisis On Infinite Earths will bring in even more heroes and villains to honor past DC Comics TV series and movies.

First, Crisis On Infinite Earths will feature more than one Superman: Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel from Supergirl will be joined by the Kingdom Come Superman, with Brandon Routh reprising the role he played in 2006’s Superman Returns (Routh will likely also play Ray Palmer/The Atom from Legends of Tomorrow in Crisis). In addition, Supergirl’s Lois Lane (Elizabeth Tulloch) and Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) will have major roles in Crisis On Infinite Earths and the crossover is also expected to debut Lois and Clark’s baby, paying off how the Super couple has been off the planet since Supergirl season 4.

Batman, whose whereabouts remain a mystery in Batwoman’s Earth-1, will also be represented in Crisis On Infinite Earths: Kevin Conroy, who voiced the Dark Knight in Batman: The Animated Series and numerous other projects, will portray an older Bruce Wayne from the future. In addition, Burt Ward, who played Robin the Boy Wonder in the classic 1960s Batman TV series, will also appear in an unspecified role in Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Lastly, Tom Cavanagh, who plays multiple versions of Harrison Wells in The Flash, will play another new character: Pariah. In the comics, Pariah is a tragic being who is forced by the Anti-Monitor to watch every world be destroyed. Crisis On Infinite Earth’s version of Pariah will play an integral role in unleashing the Anti-Monitor onto the Arrowverse.

Next: Predicting What 2020’s New Arrowverse Show Will Be