The Arrowverse was full of appointment television throughout its run with its annual crossovers, but which ones were the absolute best The CW had to offer?
The Arrowverse has officially come to an end. The CW’s long-running shared universe of DC Comics superheroes concluded with the ninth and final season of The Flash (which also became the longest-running series within that shared universe).
Its conclusion was down to new ownership at both The CW and Warner Bros. Discovery each deciding to move in new directions, and while that is unfortunate, there is no taking away the success of what the Arrowverse accomplished throughout its decade-long run.
Undoubtedly, one of TV’s greatest experiments, it brought to life some of the most popular DC Comics superheroes across various TV shows, such as Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Black Lightning (while also setting the stage for Arrowverse-adjacent series Stargirl and Superman and Lois). It’s not easy for any TV franchise to spawn a shared universe, but to do it with such larger-than-life characters and a limited budget was unheard of. Somehow, Greg Berlanti’s TV heroes pulled it off, entertaining audiences for 11 years with countless adventures on The CW.
The most ambitious aspect of the Arrowverse was its annual crossover, as it was a treat to see the casts from all of these shows unite to tackle major world-ending adventures once a year. But those weren’t the only crossovers, as there were some lower stakes, more fun, adventures thrown into the mix as well. Anything was possible with this universe. And that’s one of the things we’ll miss most.
Speaking of which, let’s take this opportunity to reflect on all of the Arrowverse crossovers, ranking them as we go.
Note: While some Arrowverse characters made crossover cameos and appearances throughout each TV season, we are only ranking all of the official crossover events between two or more shows.
If you’re a fan of the Arrowverse or DC TV, listen to The CW Spiral Podcast for news and updates about its future. Subscribe to their YouTube Channel here.