‘Elseworlds’ – New Teaser, New Poster, and Where is Batman?
The CW’s annual DC crossover event is just three weeks away and it seems like every day we’re learning something new about Elseworlds. Over the last few we’ve seen the release a new poster, a third teaser trailer, a glimpse at the Kent Farm, and, finally, word on why Batman isn’t going to appear during the highly anticipated event.
After Flash and Green Arrow received Elseworlds teasers it was almost inevitable that we’d get one for Supergirl. And whilst the Girl of Steel may not be affected by Doctor Deegan’s (Jeremy Davies) rewriting reality, it doesn’t mean her world won’t be turned upside down by it.
So is this Supergirl‘s Alex Danvers, or Earth-1’s Alex Danvers? My first reaction would be that she’s Earth-1 Alex, her hair is longer and she’s imprisoning Kara in Star Labs’ pipeline. But Kara’s dialogue certainly suggests this is her Alex.
If that’s the case, it certainly can’t be good for Kara, who’s already at a crossroads and seeking advice from her cousin when the crossover begins. “Kara is coming out of the midseason finale at a crossroads, and the journey that she’s on is kind of helped by Clark, who is returning from Argo kind of on his own journey,” Supergirl co-showrunner Robert Rovner told Entertainment Weekly.
And where better to reflect than Smallville?
The decision to use the Kent farm from Smallville came from the Supergirl writers. “It kind of seemed like the organic place for them to meet” said Rovner. I have to admit, it’s a fitting nod to The CW’s original superhero series and a nice reminder of how far we’ve come.
“I felt like we should’ve been eating apple pie and waving American flags. It was such Americana, and there were pickup trucks and Lois Lane had a toolbox and was working on a car. That iconic relationship of Lois and Clark, [Tyler and Elizabeth] have just totally embraced it.” Supergirl star Melissa Benoist told EW. “She [Lois] is such a force to be reckoned with, and Elizabeth is perfect for it. The way they’re written her in the world, she’s a firebolt and really sassy and awesome. I think people will really respond to her.”
EW notes that the fact Superman and Lois are appearing at all is significant due to the characters normally being reserved for the silver screen. But when Greg Berlanti gathered the Arrowverse executive producers and writers, along with Geoff Johns and Batwoman’s executive producer Caroline Dries, he had already secured permission for Superman to be part of the crossover.
It was in the writers room that Lois Lane joined the story. “When we were talking about the story we wanted to send Clark on in the crossover, we were talking about different elements and that’s when we started talking about Lois,” Rovner told EW. “We’ve always wanted to bring Lois onto the show. She’s such a great characters and we were just excited to be able to have her and she organically fits into the story we were telling in the crossover.”
Whilst Lois’ presence fit organically into the story, another DC icon drives the story only by his absence. Batman is missing.
“Our approach is: What does Gotham look like after Batman has been gone for three years?” Batwoman executive producer Caroline Dries told EW. “So if you have the law and order, protector, and hope gone, what happens as a result? Some people are thriving in his absence because now they can start to do their own thing without the oversight. A lot of other people are suffering and they’re losing hope, and the city itself and infrastructure is falling apart. So it’s not a happy place. Our guys walk into a grimy, scary Gotham.”
It’s a failed city. Without the Dark Knight crime has flourished. “The way I sort of described it to Stephen is, it’s there but for the grace of God goes Star City,” said Arrow consulting producer Marc Guggenheim. “It’s the worst case scenario. The reason no one talks about Gotham is the city might as well be dead. It’s practically a ghost town.”
Outside of Gotham, Batman is thought to be a myth. “Oliver is like, ‘He’s not real! They’ve made him up! It’s a hoax to scare the citizens.’ Barry is flabbergasted by that and all he wants to do in Gotham is meet Batman.” Flash star Grant Gustin told EW.
“Oliver is not enthused about the idea that there might be some other vigilante out there.” Arrow star Stephen Amell added.
As for Supergirl? She knows there’s a Batman on her world, but in this Gotham? On a world without Superman? That’s probably going to make her sceptical as well.
It certainly sounds like Elseworlds will be creating a unique version of Gotham for the Arrowverse, and setting up some mysteries for Batwoman to explore if the series gets picked up next season.
The three night event also got a new comic book style poster by Amy Reeder. The poster depicts the reality warped Green Arrow and Flash, fighting against Doctor Deegan with the help of Supergirl, Superman, and Batwoman whilst The Monitor watches over them all.
Elseworlds begins December 9th on The CW.
Chris is a lifelong fan of Disney, Star Wars and super heroes who can’t quite believe this golden age of movies and TV we’re living in. Having written blogs dedicated to Disney’s Aladdin musical and Star Wars Celebration, Chris is excited to be part of the MNN team.
