The CW’s latest superhero show Black Lightning is coming in 2018. But fans hoping to see the DC Comics-based series crossover with the network’s existing Arrowverse lineup should lower their expectations — for now.
The CW confirmed today that Black Lightning won’t crossover with the world of Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow.
While the Black Lightning series comes from the same producer, Greg Berlanti, and has the same DC Comics roots, it sounds like it didn’t make sense for the shows to coexist. The CW’s president Mark Pedowitz told reporters today:
“We do not aim to do a five-way crossover,” Pedowitz said. “Black Lightning, at this time, is not part of the Arrowverse. It is a separate situation. But there will be a big fourth quarter crossover with all four of the shows that are on in the fall.”
So, there’s no five-way crossover with Black Lightning, but another four-way crossover is confirmed.
Berlanti had previously stated that Black Lightning wouldn’t be in the Arrowverse, but some had been holding out hope for the character to show up in The CW’s annual superhero crossover event.
On a logistical level, the decision to keep Black Lightning out of the Arrowverse makes sense. The crossover, which invaded all four series last fall, is a huge commitment for the series’ production crews. And with Black Lightning filming in Atlanta on an entirely different production schedule than the Vancouver-based Arrowverse shows, it probably seemed like a nightmare.
There’s still hope for Black Lightning to join the Arrowverse.
But the confirmation is sure to leave some fans feeling disappointed. Jefferson Pierce could’ve been a great addition to the Arrowverse.
Of course, things could evolve down the road. If Black Lightning is a big hit, producers could easily bring the character into the Arrowverse mix just like they did for Supergirl when that show moved over from CBS. This is comic book TV and anything can happen.
