According to its producers, Black Lightning was a late addition to Crisis on Infinite Earths, but plays a significant role in the Arrowverse crossover. Since its debut in January 2018, Black Lightning has been the odd man out among The CW’s DC superhero TV series. The well-received show is currently on its third season, but has remained separate from the Arrowverse (officially, that is) up until this point. By comparison, four of the other five Arrowverse series started off as part of the franchise, and Supergirl was brought into the fold after its first season aired on CBS.
That’s finally changing with Crisis on Infinite Earths, a crossover event (based on the comic book story) that brings the entire Arrow/Flash multiverse together to battle the destructive Anti-Monitor and prevent them from wiping out life as they know it. Black Lightning star Cress Williams confirmed his own superhero character, aka. Jefferson Pierce, would be appearing in Crisis back in August, much to the delight of many Arrowverse fans. However, as it turns out, that wasn’t always the plan.
During an interview with EW, Arrowverse executive producer Marc Guggenheim admitted Black Lightning was added to Crisis on Infinite Earths “very late in the game”. The reasoning, as it were, was as much logistical as anything else. Whereas Black Lightning is filmed in Georgia, the rest of the Arrowverse series are produced in Vancouver (which is nearly 3,000 miles away). The shows’ producers made it happen all the same, though, bringing Wiliams up to Canada to work with the crossover’s other actors (especially The Flash’s Grant Gustin, who shares the most scenes with Williams during the event).
Guggenheim went on to assure Black Lightning plays an important role in Crisis on Infinite Earths, saying the Arrowverse producers’ attitude was “if we’re going to bring Black Lightning into the crossover, it can’t just be for a cameo. It has to be in a way that feels significant while still of course dealing with our time and space limitations”. This has already been reflected in the crossover’s marketing, with Black Lightning featured front and center on the Crisis on Infinite Earths poster, alongside Supergirl, Batwoman, Arrow, and more. It’s also been confirmed the character shows up in both The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow episodes of the crossover, which suggest Jefferson will get more to do than banter with Mick Rory for a bit (though there’s that, too), then go home.
For fans, it’s no doubt encouraging to hear Black Lightning makes more than a glorified cameo in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The character may exist in a whole other corner of the multiverse than his peers, but he’s a compelling individual in his own right, and should bring something interesting to the table during his interactions with the rest of the Arrowverse’s superheroes. Not to mention, if his appearance goes over well, it will give the Arrowverse’s producers all the more reason to bring him back into the fold again, down the line. Whatever the future holds for him, it’s just good to know Black Lightning will be a key part of the biggest DC TV event yet.
Crisis on Infinite Earths begins Sunday evening, December 8.
Source: EW
