While the last two crossover events in The CW's Arrowverse have been based on global incidents that affected the DC TV multiverse, according to Arrow's Stephen Amell, 2018's crossover will be a much more intimate and character-based affair. Fans will see the cast of the Arrowverse shows assemble as usual later this year - minus the Legends of Tomorrow - and a major part of that will be the introduction of Batwoman and how all the characters react.

The annual crossover event has been a staple of the ongoing Arrowverse shows since Flash vs. Arrow aired in the 2014-2015 season. This was followed by Heroes Join Forces the following year, where the Legends joined in and fought Vandal Savage. Invasion was the next crossover with Supergirl travelling to Earth-1 to help stop the Dominators. And last year's epic event involved everybody combining forces to prevent Nazis from ruling the multiverse in Crisis on Earth-X. The last two crossovers have been spectacularly ambitious in juggling important plot arcs (Barry's wedding) and even the death of major characters (Professor Stein). So fans can always expect something special from the yearly team-ups and repercussions from the various skirmishes.

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This year however, the as-yet-unnamed crossover will be smaller in scale and with no almost-undefeatable interdimensional or extraterrestrial hordes. Speaking to Digital Spy, Amell teased the direction that the story arc will take, although he remained tight-lipped on precise details, saying:

"I can't say sh*t! But I do know that when it got pitched to me, when Greg [Berlanti, executive producer] pitched it to me, I was like, 'Oh man, that's awesome! Really?!'... Because we went so big with the crossover last year, you can't go bigger, so you have to go more about the characters and the story."

Legends of Tomorrow Invasion! Supergirl Flash Arrow Crossover

With the directions that the various Arrowverse shows are taken in their upcoming seasons, it makes sense that the action for the crossover will be slightly more introspective. Arrow has Ollie dealing with incarceration, however long that turns out to be. The Flash has Barry dealing with the unexpected appearance of his future daughter. Supergirl will have Kara dealing with a duplicate and an anti-alien conspiracy. The biggest change will be the arrival of Batwoman of course, with Ruby Rose playing the new superhero. Melissa Benoist previously hinted that the relationship between Batwoman and Supergirl might not be entirely positive, given her past reaction to vigilantes. Even Jimmy Olsen met with Kara's disapproval on becoming Guardian.

Further details are still to be confirmed, and although Gotham City will reportedly feature, it could feasibly be a on a different Earth. But Amell's assertion that the story is focused on characters is encouraging, as is his statement that it's "awesome." As fun as the planetary invasions are in crossovers, the Arrowverse is often at it's best when it takes time for its characters to interact. This is going to be crucial for an introduction of someone as iconic as Batwoman, so it seems the sensible path to take. Although with at least Supergirl having to traverse the Multiverse, you know there's a Big Bad involved somewhere in the plot. We look forward to seeing what the assembled teams of the Arrowverse will bring us this year.

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Source: Digital Spy