It’s fair to say we’re excited for this winter’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” from the ongoing casting news to the glimpses we’ve had so far of various characters together, as well as new costumes. We’re now hearing from Heroic Hollywood though that Arrow star Stephen Amell will be taking on the mantle of the Spectre during “Crisis.” This role will be in addition to playing Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow, as well as potentially taking on different versions of the character from across the DC Multiverse.
The story was apparently teased by Amell himself, as part of a Tweet referencing the character where he said:
“Trying to relax after an amazing weekend. The spectre of the crossover still looms large.”
It’s as yet unconfirmed whether Amell’s Spectre will be one of the Oliver Queens set up for the crossover event, or if the actor will be pulling double duty as Jim Corrigan, the traditional Spectre in the DC comics.
For those not in the know, the Spectre is one of DC’s oldest characters and is typically represented by Corrigan as a murdered detective who bonds with a powerful cosmic entity to fight crime. The Spectre’s power levels have varied considerably across DC history, from being a more straightforward crimefighter to a near-omnipotent being.
In terms of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the Spectre had a key role in the original comic book series, being the only hero powerful enough to match chief villain the Anti-Monitor. Given the importance of Amell to the Arrowverse, we think it’d only be fitting that he should be the face of this critical hero within the epic storyline. Of course, the extent to which the Spectre will factor into the final season of Arrow and Amell’s future involvement in the Arrowverse hasn’t yet been revealed, but we’re certainly excited to find out.
“Crisis on Infinite Earths” kicks off on December 8th and concludes on January 14th. In the meantime, Arrow season 8 arrives on October 15th on The CW.