Black Lightning is soon set to join the other members of the Arrowverse, as shown off in a new Crisis on Infinite Earths set video. This visually confirms prior reports that Black Lightning will in fact make an appearance in the highly anticipated crossover special.
Black Lightning premiered in January 2018 as a new addition to The CW’s line-up of superhero shows, but it wasn’t inherently clear whether the show was connected to the rest of the Arrowverse. In fact, executive producer Salim Akil previously claimed that Black Lightning wasn’t a part of the Arrowverse at all, despite small easter eggs and references to other DC characters popping up in the show.
Cress Williams, who plays lead hero Jefferson Davis/Black Lightning, posted a video on Instagram of his character on the Legends of Tomorrow ship, surrounded by actors from other Arrowverse TV shows. The video featuring Black Lightning piloting the Waverider can be seen here.
The Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover is set to include characters from all CW superhero shows, including the new Batwoman series that premiered last week. The crossover also looks to connect storylines from several Arrowverse shows, including plot points from last year's Elseworlds crossover. Crisis on Infinite Earths also sees the return of other actors and characters from past DC properties, including Tom Welling as Clark Kent/Superman from the TV show Smallville. Welling is known for playing Superman the longest of any actor, with many fans considering his portrayal the definitive live-action Superman. Another fan-favorite to join the superhero crossover is Kevin Conroy, famous for voicing Batman/Bruce Wayne in various media since 1992. This is the first time Conroy plays a version of the The Dark Knight in live-action, as he'll be portraying an older Bruce Wayne.
Williams’ short Instagram video actually poses several questions about the involvement of Black Lightning in the Arrowverse. For starters, is Black Lightning actually a part of the Arrowverse, or not? Because of the inclusion of characters from other DC properties, it's still possible for Black Lightning to be in its own universe, outside of this crossover. Fans on Williams’ post are also asking if Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain as Thunder and Lightning will make an appearance during Crisis on Infinite Earths, as they aren't seen in the video. It also seems like Black Lightning might have a limited role in the crossover event. Williams only used hashtags for The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, even though Supergirl, Batwoman and Arrow have their own episodes during Crisis on Infinite Earths. This suggests that Black Lightning might only appear in two of the five crossover episodes. For now, fans can only wait and wonder.
Crisis on Infinite Earths begins with Supergirl, December 8 on The CW. Season 3 of Black Lightning airs Mondays at 9pm ET on The CW.
Source: Cress Williams/Instagram