A monumental event like Crisis on Infinite Earths is not just world-shattering, but expected to have long-term effects when the dust settles. But with both DC and Marvel properties in different media exploring their vast multiverse, the time is ripe for the original story where “nothing will ever be the same” is fully realized. What could this potentially mean for the future of the DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. animated projects? Read on for the details below.
Where there’s smoke…
The rumor sprung from a tweet by film producer, journalist, industry critic, and Superman fan Matías Léorta. In the tweet, he allegedly has a scoop regarding an upcoming DC animated project. You can find the specific tweet below:
Se viene una TRILOGÍA animada adaptación de CRISIS EN LAS TIERRAS INFINITAS. Se anunciaría el año que viene y saldrían a la venta y plataformas digitales en 2023/24. Se espera que se junten todos los Universos animados de DC. pic.twitter.com/23gHg5ILVm — Matías Lértora (@mlertora) December 1, 2021 The tweet is in Spanish, which translates to: As of this date, Matías Léorta’s alleged scoop has not been officially confirmed nor denied by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Although this does not mean the tweet is false, until the company and studio releases an official statement, take this rumor with a grain of salt.
What could happen?
Crisis on Infinite Earths was an epic 12-issue maxiseries by comic book legends Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. DC Comics published the series from 1985 to 1986, along with tie-in issues across its regular monthly titles. At the time, such a company-wide crossover was unheard of. Nor was the scope of it ever attempted prior in terms of how it would affect the continuity of the comic books under a major publisher. It is considered one of the precursors to the darker and more mature stories in comic books, along with The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. Crisis on Infinite Earths saw long-time and beloved characters and entire universes die, as the main villain, The Anti-Monitor, attempted to gain godhood by restarting creation from the beginning. In real life terms, Crisis on Infinite Earths was an effort to streamline the continuity of the various titles and history of the DC Universe. The series was a major success, helping usher in mainstream popularity of comic books heading into the 1990s. It would be followed up by two direct sequels, Infinite Crisis (2005) and Final Crisis (2008). With the rumored Crisis on Infinite Earths animated trilogy, it is likely attempting to do the same streamlining for the various animated versions from DC Entertainment. This would include the beloved DC Animated Universe (also often called the Timm-verse, in reference to the primary architect, Bruce Timm) which includes shows and movies beginning with Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Superman: The Animated Series (1996), Batman Beyond (1999), Static Shock (2000), The Zeta Project (2001), Justice League (2001), and Justice League Unlimited (2004).
The rest of the DC animated multiverse
But since the DC Animated Universe ended with the finale of Justice League Unlimited in 2005, there has also been other DC animated projects on TV and film, including Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, The Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Beware the Batman, Young Justice, Justice League Action, and nearly 50 feature film length animations from Superman: Doomsday (2007) to Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020). There is also the recent Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Justice Society: World War II, Batman: Sould of the Dragon, Batman Ninja, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Batman: The Long Halloween, and Injustice this 2021, and the already confirmed slate of three upcoming projects Catwoman: Hunted, Green Lantern: Beware My Power, and Battle of the Super Sons. It is very likely that the Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy will pull characters and events from any and all of these previous and soon-to-be-released animated projects. But the question is which ones? It seems a sure bet that the DC Animated Universe will be center-stage in the proceedings, given how influential and popular those versions are. More importantly, if this is mirroring the intention of the comic book Crisis on Infinite Earths, will this mean the future animated efforts from DC Entertainment be following a streamlined continuity, at least for a time? And with Zack Snyder recently teasing the possibility of a Final Crisis project for the Snyderverse, could the animated Crisis on Infinite Earths be providing a bridge to link the animated and live-action franchises? After all, Marvel Studios did the same with the Disney+ series What If…? Catch the DC animated films and television shows available now on the HBO Max streaming service.
