Earlier this week, The CW re-aired the “Elseworlds” crossover, so I considered it my duty to rewatch the epic in its entirety. After all, not only did I find it to be the best Arrowverse event to date, but it’ll serve as required viewing heading into “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”
Much like the comic book storyline on which the upcoming prime time extravaganza will be based, it’s expected that worlds will live and worlds will die. In other words, this’ll probably provide the opportunity for the producers to streamline the multiverse into one cohesive universe so that Supergirl can occupy the same Earth as Flash, Green Arrow, the Legends and various others.
But while I was taking in the third part yet again, Oliver Queen’s clandestine deal with the Monitor really hit me like a ton of bricks this time around. Yes, the possibility of the Emerald Archer meeting his end has been a topic for discussion lately, but it may require more examination.
Those of you who’ve read Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s masterwork no doubt remember how it killed off both Barry Allen and Kara Zor-El. But seeing as how the former is currently The CW’s top draw and the latter is still a relatively fresh commodity, I’d say they both have some shelf life left.
Ollie, meanwhile, is the O.G. hero of the Arrowverse, and his own show will be in the midst of its eighth season once the next big crossover airs. At some point, Arrow will have to take its final bow, not to mention the physical demands already weighing on actor Stephen Amell. The guy remains dedicated and quite fit, sure, but he did say he can only do this for so long at a panel conducted at Motor City Comic Con last spring.
Taking all that into account, allowing this adaptation to put a twist on the material by killing off a heavyweight like Oliver may be what ends up happening. Hey, trading his life so that others may go on wouldn’t necessarily be the first major decision he made behind Felicity’s back, now would it?
If so, then perhaps Arrow will wrap up things shortly thereafter, or maybe continue on with a new headliner like, say, the latest archer in town whom we assume to be Emiko Queen. But if she doesn’t stick around or prove popular with the fanbase, I guess showrunner Beth Schwartz could see if Roy Harper looks good in green.
Suffice it to say, all eyes will be affixed to “Crisis on Infinite Earths” once it airs this fall.