The upcoming Arrowverse crossover will feature Tom Welling as Superman, and some artists have already thought about what he may look like during Crisis on Infinite Earths. The highly anticipated event will kick off in December of this year before concluding in January 2020. It will air across five shows, including Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and flagship series Arrow. The crossover will also feature Black Lightning for the first time ever, though that series won't get its own hour. Star Cress Williams has said that he isn't shocked about his character's inclusion, even though Black Lightning isn't technically a part of the Arrowverse.
Many casting announcements for Crisis on Infinite Earths have come out in the last couple of months. John Wesley Shipp, who's played various characters on The Flash, including Barry's dad, will have a role of some kind. Jon Cryer, who guest-starred as Lex Luthor on Supergirl last season, will also pop up in some capacity. Kevin Conroy will appear "as Bruce Wayne from the future," one of the few casting announcements to specify a version of the character. Additionally, the crossover will boast not one but two Lois Lanes, as both Supergirl's Elizabeth Tulloch and Smallville's Erica Durance will play the part. Ironically, Durance has also guested on Supergirl in the past as Kara's mother, Alura Zor-El.
In Superman's case, Welling, Tyler Hoechlin, and Brandon Routh will all take on the part for Crisis on Infinite Earths. All three have played the role before: Welling in Smallville, Routh on the big screen in Superman Returns, and Hoechlin in the Arrowverse. At San Diego Comic-Con this year, Routh revealed he'll play Kingdom Come Superman. Welling's Superman will most likely pair up with Durance's Lois Lane in a reunion for the two actors. Some, including digital artists ApexForm and BossLogic, have shared what the three Supermen may look like together, with Welling featured prominently. Check out the images below:
Welling began playing Superman when Smallville premiered in 2001. It went on for an impressive 10 seasons, half of which aired on The WB. In addition to Durance and Welling, the series starred Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang and Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor. Rosenbaum revealed yesterday that he won't be appearing in Crisis on Infinite Earths, though he was offered a part. On Twitter, he explained that he wasn't given a script, shooting date, or sufficient salary to justify joining the event, going on to say, "My simple answer was 'Pass.' I think you can understand why."
Though it's not yet known if duplicate versions of characters like Lois Lane and Superman will appear on screen together, these images should get fans excited about the idea if it does happen. It seems like it would be a missed opportunity to have all three versions of Superman in particular appear in separate scenes. Even just one shot of Welling, Routh, and Hoechlin together would be unlike anything seen before in the Arrowverse. Either way, though, fans have a lot to look forward to in Crisis on Infinite Earths.