‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’: Supermans loved, lost, and yet to come

Crisis on Infinite Earths is shaping up to be an honest-to-goodness television event. When was the last time a network managed to garner this much interest in a one-night event? No, ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live did not do it for us.

Crisis on Infinite Earths has involved years of buildup, is rooted in a rich comics tradition, and will feature not one, not two, but three Supermans that will share the screen together. The five-hour Arrowverse crossover event is a continuation of the Elseworlds from 2018.

What can we expect from Crisis on Infinite Earths ?

The event is an adaptation of the eponymous Marv Wolfman and George Pérez comic book event from the 1980s that saw the destruction of multiple universes as well as the death of both Barry Allen & Supergirl.

For this iteration, the multiverse is being disintegrated and entire realities are at risk. It will require all of the heroes from The CW’s Arrowverse to stop the destruction originating from a cornucopia of different villains including Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer).

Last year’s Elseworlds crossover introduced LaMonica Garrett as the Monitor, who played the key villain in the comics and who has popped up in the season finales for various Arrowverse shows. The groundwork is laid for this year’s television arc – all we need to know are the heroes lining up to fight the Monitor.

Enter Superman(s)

So many Supermen are going to be in this thing. So, so many. The CW confirmed Crisis on Infinite Earths would include both Tyler Hoechlin’s version from Supergirl and Brandon Routh from 2006’s Superman Returns.

Routh was a staple on Legends of Tomorrow, which would seem confusing in any other setting, but in multiple universes, it all seems fitting. Routh’s Superman is expected to draw from Alex Ross’s Kingdom Come graphic novel, based on his costume. Tom Welling has also been added to the Superman pot, reprising his famous, 10-year turn as the star of Smallville.

Arrowverse executive producer Greg Berlanti revealed there would be a scene between Welling, Routh, and Hoechlin as all different versions of Superman in an Extra TV interview. “People have seen some of the castings we’ve had in the trades, but in one scene we’ve three Supermen onscreen at one time and that’s pretty cool,” Berlanti opined with sublime objectivity.

What about our favorite fearless lady detective, Lois Lane?

We should get at least two Lois Lanes during Crisis on Infinite Earths, as Elizabeth Tulloch & Erica Durance are both expected to reprise their respective versions of the intrepid reporter during the event.

Durance portrayed Lois for six seasons on Smallville and is expected to appear in numerous episodes, while Tulloch made her debut in the Arrowverse last year and is coming back with Clark and their new child. Hoechlin & Tulloch are also starring in a Superman and Lois series currently in development on The CW, which should follow Crisis on Infinite Earths.

When & how do we watch Crisis on Infinite Earths ?

This is truly an Event with a capital “E.” Crisis on Infinite Earths is slated to run for five hours and spans across every Arrowverse show, including Supergirl, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Arrow.

The first three episodes will air on December 8th, 9th, and 10th, while the other two episodes are slated to air back to back as one of the final episodes for Arrow and as a non-season premiere for Legends of Tomorrow.