The CW is reaching far back into the DC Comics TV canon for its latest “Crisis on Infinite Earths” casting. Ashley Scott has joined the ever-expanding crossover event as Helena Scott aka The Huntress.
It’s the same role she played on the short-lived TV version of “Birds of Prey,” which lasted just one season in 2002 on The CW’s predecessor network, The WB. The series ran for 13 episodes before being canceled due to low ratings.
This is not to be confused with the upcoming “Birds of Prey” film, which will see Mary Elizabeth Winstead play the Huntress, alongside Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary and Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn from “Suicide Squad.” Ewan McGregor and Rosie Perez also star in the film.
The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover continues to grow. The five-part event will include three different versions of Superman and two separate Lois Lanes, including “Smallville’s” Tom Welling and Erica Durance. Brandon Routh is also returning as the Man of Steel (he’ll play the “Kingdom Come” version, not the same character he played in the 2006 film “Superman Returns”).
Additionally, Burt Ward will appear in an unknown role — Ward played Robin in the 1960s “Batman” TV show with Adam West — and Kevin Conroy will also make an appearance on the five-hour event as Batman himself: Bruce Wayne. Conroy, who is well-known for providing the voice for the Caped Crusader in “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Batman Beyond,” will appear as an older Bruce Wayne from the future.
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” will also mark the first time “Black Lightning” characters will appear as part The CW’s larger shared universe.
The “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, one of DC Comics most famous storylines, will be The CW’s biggest and span the midseason break. The crossover begins Dec. 8 with “Supergirl.” That will be followed by “Batwoman” and “The Flash” on Dec. 9 and 10, respectively. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” will wrap up on Jan. 14 with “Arrow” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” going back-to-back.
Created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was a best-selling 12-issue series running from 1985 to 1986 that replaced the DC multiverse, which since 1961’s “The Flash of Two Worlds” had explained the company’s varying and contradictory continuities, with a single streamlined universe and a complete reboot of most DC characters. It was a critical hit and a best-seller for DC and is credited with popularizing the idea of large-scale crossovers in comics.
In the series, The Anti-Monitor, the evil counterpart of The Monitor (played by LaMonica Garrett in the “Arrowverse”), attempts to destroy all of the different universes with the goal of becoming the sole ruler of whatever is left. He’s eventually foiled but at a staggering cost: The surviving five universes are merged into one, and a huge number of classic DC characters are killed off, seemingly for good — including both Supergirl and Barry Allen/The Flash.
TV Line was first to report on Scott’s casting.