15 Crisis on Infinite Earths fan theories so crazy, they might be true

Before the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover begins, we’re taking a look at fan theories so crazy, they just might be true.

This year, the Arrowverse is delivering its most ambitious crossover event yet. In December, The CW will be adapting one of DC Comics’ most iconic storylines of all time: Crisis On Infinite Earths.

Ever since Barry Allen stumbled into Starling City and encountered Team Arrow, the whole Arrowverse has been building to this event — it was teased in the pilot episode of The Flash and has been alluded to ever since.

Now, thanks to the meddling of Nora West-Allen, it seems that the Crisis on Infinite Earths is occurring sooner than anticipated; instead of happening in 2024, the event will now take place in 2019. Because of the iconic status of this storyline, the anticipation for the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover is extremely high and the fans have already started speculating as to how it could be adapted.

Who will live? Who will die? Which characters could return? All of these questions are being discussed at great length. There also plenty of speculation as to which other characters or actors could make a cameo appearance and plenty of fan theories floating around.

Last year’s Elseworlds crossover and the introduction of the multiverse have opened up a whole universe of possibilities. Truthfully, it’s an exciting time for the Arrowverse, but what fan theories could very well pan out and have the most weight behind them? Let’s speculate!

"“Worlds will live, worlds will die, and the universe will never be the same”"

Black Lightning Joins The Arrowverse

Let’s start with something that was heavily speculated, and has now been confirmed: Black Lightning will appear in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event.

When Black Lightning began on The CW, it existed totally separately from the rest of the Arrowverse. There were no crossovers and no mention of Jefferson Pierce or his family was ever made in the rest of the shows. However, it’s now been confirmed that Cress Williams will be heading to Vancouver to join the rest of the heroes in the biggest fight they’ve ever known.

In Black Lightning, there have been numerous references to Supergirl and passing references to a certain caped crusader, but there had never been any attempt to bring Melissa Benoist in for a quick cameo. If anything, it’s possible that the Crisis will bring all of the Arrowverse shows together onto one Earth, rather than being split up as they are currently. For example, Supergirl takes place on Earth-38 and Black Lightning takes place on another undesignated Earth.

What we don’t quite know yet is just how much involvement Black Lightning will have in the crossover. He also has two super-powered daughters, Thunder and Lightning, an ex-wife, and his own tech support, so all of these may join the main character in the fight.

Brandon Routh Will Appear As Superman

Even though he already plays the delightful Ray Palmer in Legends of Tomorrow, Brandon Routh has announced that he will be reprising his role as Superman during the Crisis. Of course, Routh played the Man of Steel in the ill-fated Superman Returns, a loose sequel to Christopher Reeve’s films, so when it was announced he’d be reprising the role, the excitement levels went up even further.

A couple of days later, it was confirmed that Routh would be playing another version of Clark Kent, one that was adapted from the Kingdom Come storyline. This version of the Man of Steel is quite different from any other as he forced himself into exile after the Joker killed Lois Lane. When the Joker was due to stand trial, he was murdered by a new superhero known as Magog but, when the jury allows him to go free, Superman becomes jaded. He can’t believe that the public would support a murderer and as a result, exiles himself in the Fortress of Solitude for 10 years.

It would be interesting to see Routh take on this version of the character as Ray Palmer is a joyful character. But also, this Superman’s ideals would probably clash with Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman, so there would definitely be some sort of conflict.

Tom Welling Joins The Arrowverse

If there’s one thing the Arrowverse is very good at, it’s honoring the legacy actors. Whether it’s Carl Lumbly playing J’onn J’onzz’s father or John Wesley Shipp portraying Jay Garrick, The CW will often find a way to incorporate iconic DC Comics actors into their series. However, there’s one previous DC actor that we want to see feature more than any other: Tom Welling.

Smallville featured the story of a teenaged Clark Kent growing up and learning about his abilities. It culminated in Clark finally becoming Superman in the finale and throughout all ten seasons, we saw Tom Welling take on every single aspect of the character apart from one: Superman. Though his character did wear Brandon Routh’s costume in the finale, we never actually saw Tom Welling in the iconic red and blue suit, which felt a little bit disappointing.

Wouldn’t it be great if Crisis On Infinite Earths finally gave him the chance to put his underpants on the outside and play the Man of Steel properly? Many fans would love to see this happen and Welling decided to add to the speculation in response to a fan on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/tomwelling/?utm_source=ig_embed

Responding to a fan asking if he was appearing in the crossover, Welling responded “duh”… make of that what you will.

Michael Rosenbaum returns as Lex Luthor

It’s not just Tom Welling that the Smallville fans are hoping returns to the fold in Crisis On Infinite Earths. No, they also want to see the return of Michael Rosenbaum who played Lex Luthor across the show’s run. Rosenbaum was a series regular for the first seven seasons of Smallville and made a much-anticipated return for the finale and his portrayal was highly acclaimed.

The depth he brought to the character was something that hadn’t really been explored before. In this version, Lex was a childhood friend of Clark Kent who slowly developed into the villain we’ve all come to know. His story was almost tragic as we witnessed the breakdown in friendship between Lex and Clark. Smallville also introduced the world to Lionel Luthor as Lex’s father who seemed to love Clark more than his own son.

Even after Rosenbaum left the show, Lex’s influence remained, so it was inevitable that he would return in the finale. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see his Lex facing off with Jon Cryer‘s much-praised portrayal of the character? Imagine the impact that not one, but two, Lex Luthors would have on the Crisis, it would truly be something to be feared by the Arrowverse’s heroes.

Kevin Conroy Will Play An Older Bruce Wayne

After years of being THE voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy finally gets to play him in live-action. Basically, if you’ve watched any of the DC Animated Movies or played a Batman game, you will have heard Conroy’s dulcet tones bringing the Caped Crusader to life. He began voicing the character in the excellent Batman: The Animated Series and has gone on to be the most prolific actor to don the cowl.

However, he’d never played the character in live-action before and he finally gets the chance to do that in Crisis On Infinite Earths. There is a small catch — Conroy was only announced to be playing Bruce Wayne and not Batman. So, why is this? And what could it mean?

It’s probably safe to say that it comes down to age; Conroy is 63 years-old. So, while he might keep himself in shape, it’s probably fair to say that he won’t be joining in with the parkour antics of Oliver Queen or Kate Kane. However, it could mean something else: Conroy’s Bruce could be a mentor to a younger Batman. We’re yet to see a live-action adaptation of Batman Beyond, but could the crossover give us a tease for the future? Nothing has been announced as yet, but you never know.

Will Mark Hamill appear as The Joker?

Just as Kevin Conroy is the most prolific Batman voice actor, there’s a man who’s been voicing his greatest foe for just as long. Like Conroy, Mark Hamill also first gave his voice to an iconic Batman character in Batman: The Animated Series — The Joker. It would be a joy to see him bring the character to life in live-action alongside Conroy’s older Bruce Wayne.

While Hamill might have already appeared in the Arrowverse as James Jesse, the Trickster, there’s nothing to say he couldn’t bring the Joker to life as well. After all, Brandon Routh will be playing both the Atom and Superman in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. Conroy himself has even implied he would be up for the idea of Hamill to be cast as his Joker. Responding to a fan on Twitter, he had this to say:

It might not be too much of a stretch for Hamill to go from playing the Trickster to the Joker, but it would certainly be something the fans would love to see. As much as this crossover is about the culmination of the Arrowverse so far, there’s also a great deal of fan service to be delivered. That’s already come to pass with some of the announcements, so why can’t it happen again?

Will Wonder Woman appear?

We already know that Bruce Wayne is featuring in Crisis On Infinite Earths and there’ll be at least two different versions of Superman, but there’s one character missing from DC’s trinity: Wonder Woman.

The only real allusion to the character in the Arrowverse so far was when Zari made a trip to Themyscira to drop off Helen of Troy in Legends of Tomorrow. It’s possible that we could be introduced to Diana Prince in the crossover event. The second question coming from this is who could play her?

Well, we’ve seen that the Arrowverse takes care of their legacy actors, so why couldn’t Lynda Carter make some sort of appearance as the character? There’s a precedent for this (which I’ll go onto in a moment), and she has already appeared in Supergirl as the alien president, Olivia Marsden.

Though she was impeached and replaced with Bruce Boxleitner’s President Baker during season four, Marsden certainly made an impact. The Arrowverse already has a number of strong, kick-ass female characters, so Wonder Woman would certainly fit into the universe. Perhaps an older Diana Prince could act as a mentor the rest of the Arrowverse heroes alongside Kevin Conroy’s older Bruce Wayne?

Burt Ward will appear, but who could he play?

In the 1960s we were introduced to a version of Batman on a screen that would live long in the memory. Adam West’s Caped Crusader remains as iconic today as it was then, though perhaps for different reasons. The 1960s Batman was very light-hearted and had a much sillier tone than most superhero properties today, but many people loved it. Alongside West’s Batman was, of course, his faithful sidekick, Robin, played by Burt Ward.

Ward brought a unique charm to Robin throughout his time playing the character, with his many “Holy ____ Batman!” quotes and his problem-solving skills. When he was announced to be appearing in Crisis On Infinite Earths, eyebrows were raised, who could he be playing?

It’s possible that Ward will actually be reprising his role as Robin, though obviously much older. Ward is 74 now, so his Dick Grayson will have lived a full life and will have a lot of experience to pass on to the heroes in the Arrowverse. Or, perhaps he gave up the cape and tights for a quieter life. It’s possible that we could find out just how his character evolved once Batman finished airing in the late 60s.

Will there be a tribute to Adam West?

As already mentioned, Adam West brought Bruce Wayne and Batman to life in the same series as Burt Ward and, really, he lived off this role ever since. Many references would be made to West’s portrayal of the character long after the series finished due to the reception to the show.

Sadly, Adam West passed away in 2017 at the age of 88 so he can’t take part in Crisis On Infinite Earths. However, the Arrowverse’s tendency to honor its legacy actors means that it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was some sort of tribute to West in the crossover. Perhaps Kevin Conroy’s Bruce Wayne will perform the Batusi dance routine or Burt Ward’s character will make one of his trademark quips. Maybe King Shark will appear and someone will whip out some Bat-Shark Repellant spray.

Either way, it would be nice for them to reference the man who gave us a unique version of Batman. There’s definitely never been another version quite like it since, and the recent animated continuations starring West and Ward showed that this particular incarnation of Batman has a special place in the hearts of the fans.

Could there be some sort of tribute to Christopher Reeve?

If The CW decided to pay tribute to Adam West, it would only be fair if they made some sort of tribute to Christopher Reeve. For many fans, Reeve is the perfect Clark Kent and Superman; his portrayal was so highly praised that even today, many believe him to be the best man to pull on that red and blue suit.

Tragically, Reeve passed away in 2004 at the age of 52 after an accident left him with many health problems. However, his legacy and status as an iconic DC actor would live on.

Before his death, Reeve appeared in Smallville as the scientist, Dr. Virgil Swann. In the series, Swann was a man who knew about Clark Kent’s secret and his true heritage. He taught Clark about his history and his abilities, imploring him to use his gifts for the good of mankind.

Reeve would appear in season two and three of Smallville and the character was said to have died in season four. Perhaps The CW could honor Christopher Reeve with his character appearing in the crossover in some way as a subtle nod to the fans. Or, as when Swann appeared in Smallville, perhaps musical cues from John Williams’ Superman score could be used in scenes featuring the Man of Steel.

Could there be cameos from the DCEU?

Okay, admittedly, this is a very long shot. But, Crisis On Infinite Earths does seem to want to reference every single DC Comics property that’s been on-screen up to now. So, it’s not totally unthinkable that there could be a cameo from the DCEU. While it does seem like the DCEU as a whole is in a state of flux, it would be interesting to see a character from the big screen interacting with the Arrowverse cast.

As already mentioned, Wonder Woman has yet to appear in any of The CW’s shows. Just imagine if Gal Gadot turned up, even for just a quick scene, it would be a really big deal. The whole idea of the Crisis on Infinite Earths is that every single universe is under threat and we’ve already seen that they’re not afraid to add other DC properties to their multiverse. Just look at the 90s Flash series being amalgamated into the multiverse in last year’s Elseworlds crossover.

Some would argue that the Arrowverse has been much more successful than the DCEU in bringing together a shared universe of DC characters, so why couldn’t Aquaman or Batman show up? It’s unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

Will any of the Titans cast make an appearance?

Another DC TV property that began last year, but bears no connection to the Arrowverse is Titans. The slightly grittier story of Dick Grayson’s attempts to distance himself from Batman while also assembling a team of young superheroes takes place separately from the rest of their shows, Doom Patrol aside.

It’s evident that Titans will be its own show and a unique place from the Arrowverse. But, with the whole “Infinite Earths” thing, it’s possible that their world could collide with the Arrowverse. Most likely to appear would be Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson as the leader of the team and main focus of the first season.

It’d be interesting to see him meet an older Bruce Wayne and one that’s obviously different to his Batman as Batman has been cast in Titans season two. There also lies the possibility that Burt Ward will be playing a much older Dick Grayson, so there’s a possibility that he will mentor the younger man.

Or, it could be possible that Anna Diop’s Starfire could make her way into the crossover and she’d certainly add some firepower to the team. Whatever the Anti-Monitor is planning clearly has consequences for the entire DC multiverse, so there’s definitely a need for as powerful heroes as possible.

John Diggle becomes a Green Lantern

Throughout all of the Arrowverse shows, there have been references to Hal Jordan, perhaps the most famous version of the Green Lantern. However, despite the nods to his existence, nobody has encountered him yet, nor has any other reference been made to the Green Lantern Corps… until last year’s Elseworlds crossover.

When John Wesley Shipp’s Barry Allen breached his way onto Earth-1 to warn the heroes of the coming of the Monitor and the Book of Destiny, he made a comment to John Diggle. The Flash of Earth-90 noted that Diggle wasn’t wearing his ring. This was the first outright reference to the Green Lantern Corps and a subtle nod to the fan speculation that Diggle was destined to become a Green Lantern.

Many have speculated that John Diggle was in fact an adapted version of John Stewart, another man to take up the ring and defend Earth. This nod from the other Flash might have set Diggle onto a destined path which will culminate in him acquiring a ring and using it to fight the Anti-Monitor in Crisis On Infinite Earths. It’s possible that the most ambitious crossover yet could also introduce a staple of the Justice League to the Arrowverse.

Lex Luthor returns

At the end of Supergirl season four, the Monitor returned to Lex Luthor and seemingly revived him. For what purpose, we will have to wait, but it did seem he was going around and trying to assemble people who would be essential in the Crisis. Despite his evil, it would make sense that someone like Lex could be useful in the coming war thanks to his intellect and cunning.

While this would cause friction amongst the heroes, particularly those from the House of El, it’s possible the Lex could be the key to defeating the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, Lex’s ego would probably be his undoing and he will end up betraying the heroes.

If, as speculated earlier, Michael Rosenbaum reprises his role as Lex Luthor, it will most likely become a threat that the Arrowverse heroes didn’t need while trying to save the entire universe. It would also be fantastic to see two of the best versions of Lex Luthor playing alongside one another. Rosenbaum’s portrayal was widely praised in Smallville and though there was initial scepticism when Jon Cryer was cast in Supergirl, it’s fair to say he more than lived up to expectations.

Cryer’s Luthor was the perfect mix of menacing and brilliant. Imagine if he was fighting alongside his enemies to defeat an even greater threat.

Oliver Queen will die in the Crisis

This is perhaps the most obvious piece of speculation, particularly with the way Arrow season seven ended and from the events of the Elseworlds crossover.

While Barry Allen and Kara Danvers were zooming around the globe in an attempt to slow down time (superhero science I guess?), Oliver returned to the Monitor’s dimension and made a deal. In doing so, he prevented Barry and Kara from dying in their attempts to save the world, but he was also told, rather ominously, that the universe required an exchange equal to their lives.

With the announcement that season eight of Arrow would be the final season, it seems even more realistic that this Crisis could see the end of Oliver Queen. It would be a fitting end that the man who started it all by beginning a crusade to save his city with a bow and arrow would make the ultimate sacrifice in the biggest and most ambitious crossover yet. There would be questions posed as the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover will take place in episode eight of Arrow‘s ten-episode final season, so there would be two episodes to deal with the fallout. But it would be a fitting end.

In the comic book event, Supergirl and the Flash both died in the Crisis of Infinite Earths event, so it’s not completely unthinkable that there could be other casualties in the event. Superman will return for the event alongside Lois Lane, but could he also make the ultimate sacrifice? All will be answered in December.

The CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event is set to begin Sunday, Dec. 8 beginning with a special episode of Supergirl, before concluding Tuesday, Jan. 14 on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow! 

Which Crisis on Infinite Earths fan theory do you feel has the most merit? Be sure to keep the conversation going in the comments section below and share your personal Crisis on Infinite Earths theories as well!