The annual DCTV crossover may be met with mixed reactions in fandom, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking about ones I would love to see. Some crossovers I would particularly love to see will never happen due to differing networks, show runners, and intellectual properties, but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming.
Here are a few of my favorites.
The Flash and Lucifer
Of all the impossible crossovers, this is the one I would love to see the most. It is also the only one that would ever have even a remote chance of becoming possible, since Lucifer is a DC property. However, with the show airing on different networks with different show runners, I’m not holding my breath.
But imagine what fun it would be for these shows to cross over. Imagine Joe and Barry having to put up with Lucifer’s particular brand of “assistance” at a crime scene. The banter between Lucifer and Barry would be hilarious and alone would be well worth seeing. Meanwhile, Joe and Amenadiel would have plenty of opportunity to commiserate together. “You think it’s hard to deal with Lucifer? You’ve known him for twenty minutes. Let me tell you about the last three eons…”
Ralph and Dan have both compromised their professional integrity in the past. This connection between the two of them could lead to the conversations about the nature of heroism that The Flash so loves to utilize. Similarly, Chloe and Caitlin often the long-suffering adults, trying to keep everyone around them in line. I could imagine them deciding to check out of this mess and grabbing a drink together while the others sort themselves out.
I can’t help but imagine Cisco and Ella working together. They both have such good hearts and provide a sense of sweetness and humor for their respective series that I cannot imagine sitting through a scene of the two together without wanting to give them a huge hug. And do I even need to mention how much I’d pay for Maze and Iris to interact? Both are strong, badass women who are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Maze would undoubtedly snark at Iris’s goodness, but Iris can hold her own. It would be worth the price of admission just to see them fight side by side, fearlessly facing off against the villain of the week together. (And, let’s be honest, Maze would probably hit on Iris a bit.)
After playing therapist to the Devil himself, talking the entire team through their problems would be a comparative cakewalk for Linda. Besides the potential hilarity of those conversations, I would love to see Linda talk about the insanity her life has become with someone like Iris, who is removed from the situation and yet still uniquely able to understand.
Though their situations are obviously different, both Charlotte and Caitlin know what it’s like to have someone else take control of your body, someone who does terrible things you don’t remember doing. Such a scene might even give some much-needed answers as to why the Killer Frost/Caitlin dynamic is so different from any other metahuman on the show.
While there are other crossovers I would love to see, I would pay some very good money to see this one. It is with regret that I remind myself that it will never happen.
Legends of Tomorrow and Doctor Who
Doctor Who approaches time as a wibbly wobbly timey wimey…thing. Legends of Tomorrow approaches time as a thing that should be broken repeatedly, often, and with wild abandon. But, let’s be honest. Both series are supposed to focus on preserving time and tend to break it more often than not.
But imagine a crossover with the Doctor and the crew of the Waverider. The Doctor and Sara coming up with a plan together…that the team somehow manages to immediately whiff so it’s just improvisation from then on. Things getting back on track before the Doctor decides to just gleefully abandon Plan B with little more than a smile. Sara trying hard not to kill the lot of them.
Imagine the interplay between the characters. Ray would geek out in rambling conversations with the Doctor about the potential in dwarf star alloys. (Imagine his reaction to the Doctor telling him about alloys he’s never even heard of before!) The Doctor would of course take absolutely none of Mick’s nonsense, but she’d probably enjoy getting a rise out of him. Until the end of the crossover, when the Doctor would have to chase after the TARDIS after some Legends decide to take it for a joyride.
Because let’s be honest. If there ever were a crossover between Legends and Doctor Who and someone didn’t try to take the TARDIS for a joyride? I’d call shenanigans!
Arrow and The Good Place
What do you do with a show like Arrow? A crossover with something like Gotham seems the obvious choice. But that’s almost too obvious. Do you choose another serious show, recognizing that Arrow is quite serious on its own? Or do you go for a comedy – something that would play up to the comedic talents that can sometimes be underutilized on the show but could also be a jarring disparity against the show’s natural somberness?
Then I remembered how many people have died on the show – only to come back to life. It occurred to me that a crossover with The Good Place could be fun. One wouldn’t even need to struggle to figure out how a cast of living characters could interact with a cast of dead ones. After all, again, if they haven’t all died at some point or other, they’ve at least come close.
The Good Place is a comedy, but it does embrace deeper issues – albeit in a lighthearted way. A crossover between these shows would allow Arrow to play up some of its potential for humor without compromising the overall seriousness of the show.
Also, I would love to see a crossover just for the opening scene. The cast of Arrow all seem to die only to wake up to Michael standing in front of them, his hands on his hips, with an exasperated, “Again?”
Supergirl and Stargate
Like with Arrow, I debated which crossover would be the most fun for Supergirl. It is certainly an earnest show, one that touches on issues of politics and equality. A crossover with something like The X-Files, Parks and Recreation, or even The West Wing could be fun.
In the end, a crossover with a show like Stargate seemed like it would not only integrate the best into Supergirl’s series but would also be the most fun. Admittedly, this is less for the character interactions than the backdrop Stargate would provide. As an alien from another world herself, it would be interesting to see how Supergirl would adjust (and help her friends adjust) to trips to other planets.
Plus, the other planets could have interesting effects on Supergirl‘s human and superhuman characters. Much like the wildly unpredictable effects Red K used to have on Kryptonians in the comics, each would world leave open the opportunity to push the envelope. Could there be a world where Supergirl is split into her human and superhuman personas, and the two have to figure out how to work together? Or a world where she and Martian Manhunter somehow trade powers and have to sort them out?
How about a world where Kara doesn’t have powers but the human characters do? Of course, it would be fun to see each woman take a walk in the other’s shoes for a while. I would love to see Kara in the role of mentor that she should have had. Her trying to explain how to master her powers without being able to demonstrate would only add a layer of hilarity and frustration.
Supergirl, on the ground, gesturing wildly as Alex careens into yet another billboard. (Learning to fly isn’t as easy as it looks.) “Now bank left! Left! Your other left, Alex! Oh my god!”
Black Lightning and Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Black Lightning is a different kind of superhero show, and it would require a crossover with a show that would pay respect to its importance. Perhaps the best show to do just that would be Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
It’s true that the latter is much more of a comedy than the former. However, the thing that makes both so unique in their genres is their unflinching look at deeper societal issues. Both tackle racism, police profiling, and LGBTQ+ issues.
A crossover between these two shows would add something to both without detracting from either. Certainly, Jefferson has had to deal with enough children over his career to not be put off by Jake’s immaturity.
Can I admit that a big part of my desire for this crossover has to do with the actors themselves? I would love to see Cress Williams and Andre Braugher on screen together. Since seeing him on Homicide: Life on the Streets, Braugher has been one of my favorite actors. I haven’t seen much of Cress Williams’s other work, I’m afraid. However, his work on Black Lightning has impressed me week after week.
Both shows take their genres to a totally different level. Seeing these two actors play off each other with a mixture of gravity and humor? I’m not sure television could handle that much Awesome on screen at one time.
Agree? Disagree? Have any other crossovers you’d like to see? Share with us in the comments below!
