5 wishes for a mega CW superhero crossover episode
Holy multiplying superheroes, Green Arrow/Flash/Supergirl/White Canary/Atom/Firestorm/Etc/Etc!
With the news that Supergirl is making the jump from CBS to the already superhero-dominated CW, the network is getting even more super. And when it gave its upfronts presentation this week, president Mark Pedowitz dropped hints that a mega-crossover between the four DC shows (Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow) could happen. And nerd brains all over the world exploded.
But while we love crossovers, some are better than others. From everything we've learned from the episodes of the shows we've already gotten, here is our wish-list for the potential mega-episode.
1. Keep it light
The Flash/Supergirl crossover this year made a lot of sense, because both of those shows are grounded in a certain sense of lightness and fun. Both of those titular heroes see their super-antics as something they enjoy, not something they are burdened with. Even Legends of Tomorrow has a sense of humor that verges on the campy at times. The outlier is Arrow, which takes a lot from the Christopher Nolan Batman films and is by far the darkest of the DC TV shows. But we know Olly can have a sense of humor. Bringing in the Green Arrow shouldn't bring everyone down.
2. Don't bring everyone
How many actual heroes are we at on this network? Besides the titular characters, Legends is about a team, Arrow has become a team and both Supergirl and The Flash have introduced side-heroes. We're upwards of a dozen at this point. And that's not mentioning the non-heroic characters that fill out each show. The super crossover in December on Arrow and Flash that spun-off Legends already felt claustrophobic. So why not let the mega-crossover breathe a bit? Stick to the main guys and bring in the pinch hitters only if they're truly relevant to the story and character arcs. Because nothing is worse than having Captain Cold with nothing to do.
3. Don't have them fight each other
Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman are over. Done. It's time to move on. Oliver and Barry already fought in their very first crossover special in the first season of The Flash. There are plenty of stories to tell with multiple heroes, so no need to re-tread old ground. Plus we all know Supergirl would just win.
4. Stick with (mostly) villains we know
Another great aspect of the Supergirl/Flash crossover was the fact that the episode featured two villains, one of which we knew from a previous episode, the other a supporting character who went bad. It both required Kara to call on Barry for help and we didn't waste too much time on the villains when all the fun was to be had with Barry and Kara eating ice cream together. With so many characters to keep track of, introducing a new villain of the week might be too much work. Unless that villain happens to be the Music Meister. Speaking of...
5. Involve singing in some way, shape or form
OK CW. Here it is. this is what we really want. We wanted this on the Supergirl/Flash crossover, and we didn't get it. Why do we want a musical so badly? Well just take a look at the talent you have on these shows. Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist (aka The Flash and Supergirl) both are former Glee cast members. Jesse L. Martin (Joe on The Flash) was a member of the original Broadway cast of Rent, for crying out loud. Here's a video of Martin along with two of his Flash cast mates singing the theme song to Firefly. IN THREE-PART HARMONY.
And just in case you think it would be too ridiculous to make superhero shows a musical, we point you to the aforementioned Music Meister villain, who was on an episode of Batman: The Animated Series (voiced by Mr. Neil Patrick Harris himself), and tried to take over the world through song. Sounds like a threat that requires four shows worth of superheroes!