The Blu-ray edition of Arrow season 8 will have one unexpected treat for fans: all five episodes of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Season 8 was the last one for The CW juggernaut series that kicked off the popular Arrowverse. Debuting in 2012, Arrow followed Oliver Queen, the lone survivor of a shipwreck who eventually went on to become the Green Arrow. Throughout the series, Oliver resisted his urge to work alone and instead accept help from his friends. This culminated in the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, where heroes of the Arrowverse teamed up to save the multiverse.
Oliver and his team were successful. However, as many expected, the Green Arrow sacrificed himself to save billions. This resulted in the creation of Earth-Prime, where all of the Arrowverse heroes now live, including Supergirl. Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Arrow aired two more episodes, one of which served as a backdoor pilot for the proposed Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff series. If picked up, that show will follow Oliver and Felicity's daughter, Mia, as she takes up the Green Arrow mantle. Arrow's series finale aired just last week and provided closure for nearly all of its characters, even showing Oliver and Felicity together again.
Warner Bros. revealed today that the Blu-ray edition of Arrow season 8 will also include a special bonus disc with all five episodes of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Because the Arrowverse crossovers are technically made up of episodes of several different shows, they aren't usually including in DVD and Blu-ray releases in their entirety. However, in Arrow's case, fans will get that, as well as six bonus features related to the crossover. Additionally, both the DVD and Blue-ray editions of season 8 will have footage of the DC shows at San Diego Comic-Con, deleted scenes, and the Arrow: Hitting the Bullseye retrospective that aired just before the finale. Both editions of Arrow season 8 will be available April 28, as will a complete series set. Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim also shared the news on Twitter, including a photo of the Arrow season 8 Blu-ray cover:
Despite Arrow coming to an end, there are still plenty of exciting things ahead for fans of the Arrowverse. In addition to the possible Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff, there's also a chance another Arrow character could pop up outside of The CW. In the final moments of the series finale, Arrow original John Diggle encountered a box full of green light, paying off on the longtime fan theory that he might one day become Green Lantern. Though far from confirmation, adding to the speculation is a Green Lantern series currently in the works at HBO Max. It will feature two Green Lanterns and comes from Arrowverse creative Greg Berlanti.
The addition of the Crisis on Infinite Earths disc to the Arrow season 8 Blu-ray makes sense for a few reasons. One, it gives fans an added incentive to purchase it. And two, it makes sense from a story perspective. Fans have complained in the past about having to switch between shows on Netflix or changing out DVDs in order to get the full story of the crossover. Considering what a big effect Crisis on Infinite Earths had on Arrow and Oliver Queen, it's only logical to include all five episodes.
Source: Warner Bros., Marc Guggenheim