Stargirl Sets Arrowverse Crossover With Jay Garrick's The Flash Appearance
The Arrowverse, or CWverse, is currently in the midst of a transformation after a successful Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event back in 2019. Since then, the interconnected TV franchise went through many changes, from Ruby Rose's departure from Batwoman to the inevitable end of Supergirl and Black Lightning.
Still, the future is bright for the CW and its slate of heroes, especially after renewed interest from fans due to the arrival of Superman & Lois and a brand-new Batwoman in the form of Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder. Meanwhile, another show is set to take center stage in the Arrowverse lineup: DC's Stargirl.
Stargirl follows a young Courtney Whitmore, played by Brec Bassinger, as she tries to revive the Justice Society of America in the modern age. The first season established the character's heroic journey, and she was joined by the next generation of JSA members such as Wildcat and Dr. Mid-Nite.
After an impressive debut season, the DC teen drama was renewed for a second season. Plot details are still unknown for the upcoming run of the show, but it appears that it will heavily tie to another series in the Arrowverse lineup.
STARGIRL'S FIRST ARROWVERSE GUEST STAR REVEALED
Entertainment Weekly shared in a report that The Flash's John Wesley Shipp is set to reprise his role as Jay Garrick in DC's Stargirl. The outlet revealed that Garrick will play a role “in a pivotal flashback episode” from Stargirl that confirms Shipp's version of the speedster is a member of Earth 2's Justice Society of America.
Given that this is the first time that Stargirl will include an Arrowverse character, the CW revealed that this crossover “will officially bring Stargirl [Brec Bassinger] into CW's post-Crisis CWverse alongside The Flash, Superman & Lois, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Supergirl, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.”
JAY GARRICK'S NEW ARROWVERSE HISTORY
John Wesley Shipp's Jay Garrick had a very interesting background in the pre-Crisis timeline of events. For starters, Garrick was originally from Earth 3, but this latest confirmation appears to retcon his history in a big way.
In Stargirl canon, the majority of the members of the JSA were wiped out by the Injustice Society in their final stand, and there was no confirmation that Garrick died during that time. Given that several Injustice Society members are alive and well in the present-day, there's a good chance that Shipp's involvement will be more than just a flashback, and it could even lead to bigger things down the line.
Admittedly, it makes narrative sense for Garrick to be one of the established members of Earth 2's Justice Society of America due to the character's comic book background. By appearing in the show, the character could serve as the bridge between Stargirl and Grant Gustin's The Flash.
However, this presents a complication in the Arrowerse canon. After the events of Crisis, the heroes in Earth-Prime (Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, etc.) are not aware that the multiverse still exists, and they knew that their Earth was the only one that survived the Anti-Monitor's wave of antimatter.
It will be interesting to find out if Garrick's appearance in Stargirl could eventually lead to the Flash uncovering the fact that alternate realities still exist, thus paving the way for the modern-day JSA to become part of future crossover events with the main heroes from Earth-Prime.
Interestingly, Bassinger revealed in a previous interview that there were discussions for Stargirl to appear in an episode of The Flash, but plans were ultimately scrapped due to unknown reasons. That said, it's possible that the inclusion of Jay Garrick could be the first big step to a crossover between the two projects, and this could finally bring the multiverse storyline back into the fold.
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