The return of fall TV means the return of the Arrowverse. The CW just dropped the first real details about the annual blockbuster four-series crossover, and one of the biggest revelations is that the crossover, titled “Crisis on Earth-X” that will feature the live-action debut of the DC superhero, The Ray.
What Happened:
On Friday, DC and The CW dropped a bombshell announcement via a poster drawn by legendary comics artist Phil Jimenez. The somewhat retro art showcases “Crisis on Earth-X,” which will feature characters from Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
The poster is jam-packed with new information about “Crisis on Earth-X.” The Flash’s Barry and Iris will finally get hitched during the crossover, and Zari (formerly named Isis), is also confirmed for the crossover, though news of her arrival came during San Diego Comic-Con this past July. Oh, and it looks like the Arrowverse heroes are going to be fighting evil versions of themselves from a universe where the Nazis won World War II.
But, amidst all that, perhaps the most unexpected revelation was the introduction of The Ray.
What It Means:
The Ray, a young, openly gay superhero who can manipulate light and energy, was technically already part of the Arrowverse. He’s set to star in his own animated series Freedom Fighters: The Ray for the CW’s streaming platform, CW Seed (its premiere date is still TBD). The show is canon with the Arrowverse, but given that it’s animated and on a different channel, it was unclear exactly how much interaction the Ray would have with the main, live-action shows.
The poster, though, confirms it. The Ray will be played by Russel Tovey (Quantico) in the crossover, and Tovey will also voice the character in the animated Ray series, per TVLine.
The Ray is now the third of DC’s animated characters to show up in live-action. The heroes of Vixen and the soon-to-be-released Constantine sequel have all showed up in the live-action Arrowverse at some point, and now it appears that The Ray will be no different.
What’s Next:
More details about “Crisis on Earth-X” will inevitably come to light before it premieres later this year, but it’ll be taking place on November 27 and 28.
The Arrowverse returns, beginning with Supergirl on October 9 at 8 p.m. ET on the CW.
