When Supergirl was first in development from creators Ali Adler and Greg Berlanti - the latter of which also had a hand in creating The CW's lineup of DC Comics superhero shows - many fans speculated whether the series would crossover with the Arrowverse, which at the time only included Arrow and The Flash. However, when Supergirl landed at CBS, it seemed doubtful Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) would meet Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) or Barry Allen (Grant Gustin). That turned out not to be the case, as season 1 of Supergirl featured a visit from The Flash, establishing the show's world as another universe in a multiverse.
Then, when Supergirl transitioned to The CW for its second season, the network was quick to assure fans the Girl of Steel would participate in their annual mega-crossover. The 'Invasion!' event featured characters from all four CW superhero series, including Supergirl, and made it easier for Kara to travel between universes. That ability will come in handy for the upcoming musical crossover between Supergirl and The Flash, in which the titular heroes will face off against the villainous Music Meister - to be played by fellow Glee alum Darren Criss. Now, we know the titles of original songs Supergirl and The Flash will sing, as well as who penned them for the crossover.
In a statement released to Buzzfeed, the creator of The CW's musical dramedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rachel Bloom, revealed she wrote a song for the musical crossover titled "Superfriends". It will be sung by Kara and Barry during The Flash episode, 'Duet'. Additionally, TVLine is reporting La La Land writing duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul penned an original song as well, titled "Runnin' Home to You" that will be sung by Barry. Read Bloom's full statement below:
“As soon as I heard that they were doing a musical crossover, I e-mailed [CW president] Mark Pedowitz who connected me to Greg [Berlanti] and Andrew [Kreisberg]. I immediately offered them my services. As soon as they picked one of my song ideas, I hopped on the phone with my old Robot Chicken boss Tom Root and we brainstormed and, based on that brainstorm, I wrote up the song ‘Superfriends.’ I am so excited to contribute more to the upward trend that is musicals in television and film. Music can be one of the most amazing and efficient forms of storytelling and character development. Also, it was really fun to write a comedy song for two superheroes.”
As previously reported, the musical crossover will mostly take place on The Flash's 'Duet', with a lead-in featured at the end of the preceding Supergirl episode similar to the show's introduction to the 'Invasion!' storyline. In addition to Gustin, Benoist and Criss, fellow Arrowverse stars Jesse L. Martin (Joe West), Victor Garber (Professor Martin Stein), Carlos Valdes (Cisco Ramon), Jeremy Jordan (Winn Schott), and John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn) will have singing roles. Plus, Supergirl stars David Harewood (J'onn J'onzz aka Martian Manhunter) and Chris Wood (Mon-El) will have non-singing roles.
The song title of "Superfriends" seems to be a reference to the Hanna-Barbera show Super Friends that aired in the '70s and '80s - which was also referenced recently on Legends of Tomorrow. Or the song title could simply be a more on the nose reference to The Flash and Supergirl being literal superpowered allies. Either way, considering the fact that Crazy Ex-Girlfriend often subverts tropes and stereotypes through their songs and musical numbers, "Superfriends" will likely do the same, offering viewers more than a simple tune about a pair of super-friends.
That said, no matter the content of "Superfriends", it's clear the creative team behind Supergirl and The Flash have tapped incredibly talented songwriters for the project. Bloom, Pasek, and Paul are all award-winning creators whose work has received a great amount of critical praise in recent years. So, based on their involvement, as well as the casting of Criss, it seems The CW is stacking The Flash and Supergirl's musical crossover to be one of the network's most memorable superhero events yet.
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Supergirl continues Monday February 6 with ‘The Martian Chronicles’ at 8pm on The CW. The Flash continues with ‘Dead or Alive’ tonight on The CW at 8pm.