Arrowverse’s Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Almost Played in Theaters, Reveals Showrunner

Arrowverse showrunner Marc Guggenheim recently revealed that The CW‘s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event was almost released in theaters through Fathom Events.

In a post on Substack (via ComicBook.com), Guggenheim — who was the overall creative for the crossover event — shared that they had “been working with Warner Bros. to release all five hours of Crisis in movie theaters across the country. ” He added that the event would have included “special surprises like cast appearances and giveaways,” as well as extended episodes with deleted scenes re-inserted, “all the VFX completed, the sound mixed, and the picture color-timed.”

However, Guggenheim shared that the event, which was scheduled for April 2020, was canceled before it was ever announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Covid ruins everything,” he lamented.

Marc Guggenheim details two deleted scenes from Crisis on Infinite Earths

If Fathom Events’ theatrical release of Crisis on Infinite Earths had gone ahead as planned, it would have likely included the two deleted scenes that Guggenheim had shared earlier in his Substack post. The first, which would have aired during Episode 1, saw Pariah (Tom Cavanagh) witness the destruction of Argo City. The second, which would have closed out Episode 3, showed Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) being transformed into The Spectre.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was first teased in The Flash Season 1, Episode 1 in 2014, five whole years before the crossover event was officially announced. A loose adaptation of writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez’s acclaimed 12-issue limited series, Crisis on Infinite Earths aired on The CW from December 2019 to January 2020 as a five-episode crossover event. The crossover, which ended with all of The CW’s DC series merged into one universe, Earth 1, was praised by both critics and fans.

The Tomorrowverse adapting Crisis on Infinite Earths as an animated trilogy

While Crisis on Infinite Earths was the first adaptation of the acclaimed comic book storyline, it won’t be the last. Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios are already over halfway through releasing their own adaptation, which is part of the Tomorrowverse series of animated films.

Similar to the Arrowverse adaptation, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths has brought back past animated versions of DC heroes, beginning with the DC Animated Universe’s Terry McGinnis/Batman Beyond in Part Two. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are set to appear as DCAU’s Batman and Joker, respectively, in Part Three, which will be released on digital platforms on July 16, followed by a physical release a week later.