Crisis on Infinite Earths was a monumental achievement, and a lot of fun, but it would've
been even better if a couple more DC characters had showed up to play.
In the end, we plain missed these folks, and if you're a DC super-fan, you probably did
too.
Felicity Smoak wasn't supposed to be a major player in the Arrowverse.
Emily Bett Rickards' character was originally conceived as a one-off guest appearance, designed
to pop up in a single episode and nothing more.
"Look, I don't wanna get in the middle of some Shakespearean family drama thing."
"What?"
History had other plans.
Rickards' winning performance, as well as her undeniable chemistry with Arrow star Stephen
Amell, quickly convinced Arrow's producers to bring Felicity back for more.
It took less than a season for Felicity to become part of Arrow's regular cast.
By season two, she was Arrow's heart and soul, and ultimately ended up as both Oliver Queen's
wife and the mother of his children.
That's why it's so weird that Felicity sat out Crisis entirely.
Sure, Rickards left Arrow after season seven, but she's returning for the series finale.
She couldn't pop by for a quick cameo in the big crossover event, too?
The Crisis wasn't just the biggest threat the Arrowverse has ever faced, it was also
an epic sendoff for Oliver Queen.
As such, it just felt strange that Felicity wasn't there to say goodbye.
In the comics, Crisis on Infinite Earths was Wally West's time to shine.
In Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, Barry Allen, Wally's mentor, sacrificed himself to destroy
the Anti-Monitor's powerful antimatter gun, saving the remaining universes from destruction.
Once the Anti-Monitor's plans are foiled, Wally West sheds the name Kid Flash and takes
over for Barry.
Wally was more than a sidekick.
He was the DC Universe's main Flash for almost 25 years.
Of course, on television, neither Barry nor Flash star Grant Gustin are going anywhere.
In the speedster ranks, Kid Flash still plays second fiddle.
Even so, it would've been nice to see Kid Flash make an appearance in the CW's big crossover.
Wally has been a regular fixture in the Arrowverse since 2015, when actor Keiynan Lonsdale stepped
into the role, and while we haven't seen much of Kid Flash since Legends of Tomorrow's season
three finale, Kid Flash is already scheduled to return to The Flash after Crisis.
Given everything that went down during the event, Barry really could've used his help
here, too.
Of course, if you really want to see what Wally and Felicity were up to during Crisis
on Infinite Earths, you can always check out DC's spinoff comic, which was co-written by
Crisis creator Marv Wolfman.
That's not the same as seeing the characters on screen, though.
Their absence stood out like a sore thumb.
Crisis on Infinite Earths had a Batman.
It had three different Supermen.
Where the heck was Wonder Woman?
The third and final member of DC's trinity isn't just one of the best-known superheroes
on the planet.
The Amazonian warrior was the star of her very own television show, which debuted in
1975 and starred actress and singer Lynda Carter.
In fact, Carter already has a role in the Arrowverse.
In Supergirl, she plays Olivia Marsdin, a shape-shifting alien who, at one point, was
also the president of the United States.
"Remind the world that there is still goodness here.
Be that beacon of hope that we still need."
Carter appeared in five episodes of Supergirl, and we're going to assume that executive producer
Greg Berlanti and the rest of the Crisis team still have her phone number.
Maybe Warner Bros. didn't want Crisis on Infinite Earths to steal any thunder from Wonder Woman
1984.
Still, a cameo wouldn't have meant that Carter needed to suit up.
An older, retired Diana Prince would've fit in well with Kevin Conroy's grizzled, jaded
Bruce Wayne and Brandon Routh's greying Man of Steel.
What a missed opportunity.
The CW's mega-crossover featured characters from almost every major television show based
on a DC comic.
Birds of Prey?
Batman '66?
The '90s version of The Flash?
They're all there.
Heck, even Lucifer, which is only tangentially related to the DC Universe, got a brief but
memorable nod.
But the key word there is "almost."
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, the hit '90s show that re-imagined the relationship
between Lois Lane and Superman as a Moonlighting-style romantic comedy, didn't get a single nod.
No cameo.
No offhand mention or super-obscure Easter egg.
Heck, even Super Friends got a nod in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but Lois and Clark, a
legitimate ratings hit?
Nothin'.
Even stranger, both Lois and Clark's stars have established relationships with the Arrowverse.
Dean Cain, who played Superman on Lois and Clark, has a recurring role on Supergirl as
Kara Danvers' adopted father.
Teri Hatcher played the Daxamite queen Rhea, Supergirl's second season big bad.
Both actors are clearly open to appearing on the CW.
They've done it before.
Just, oddly, not this time.
The Joker plays a minor role in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but you'd be forgiven for
not noticing.
He doesn't appear on screen.
Nobody ever says his name.
Still, he's there.
When our heroes visit Earth-96 to recruit Brandon Routh's Man of Tomorrow, the alternate-universe
Superman mentions that a "reject from Gotham" gassed the Daily Planet, killing 48 people.
That's a direct reference to Mark Waid and Alex Ross' graphic novel Kingdom Come, on
which Superman-96 is based.
In that story, the Joker attacks the Daily Planet and murders Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen,
and a bunch of Superman's other friends.
That begins a chain of events that concludes with Superman hanging up his cape and retiring,
leaving the fate of the world in the hands of a new generation of heroes.
Routh's Superman has the same tragic backstory, he even sports the black-and-red insignia
that the Kingdom Come Superman wears when he comes out of hiding, but it would've been
even more powerful if Crisis had been able to actually show the Clown Prince of Crime.
"You wanna know why I use a knife?
Guns are too quick.
You can't savor all the little emotions."
Maybe Warner Bros. didn't want to distract from Joaquin Phoenix's award-winning turn
as the character.
Maybe the Arrowverse has plans for Joker down the line.
Who knows?
Still, something, even if it was just Batman: The Animated Series actor Mark Hamill performing
the Joker's signature laugh offscreen, would've gone a long way.
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