Update, 10/16/18:

For those of you who have longed to see Stephen Amell in a Flash costume and Grant Gustin in the green leather Arrow suit, your day is here. The upcoming Arrowverse crossover (kicking off on December 9) is subtitled Elseworlds after the DC Comics label used for comics set outside of the usual timeline. Stephen Amell shared this first look poster on Tuesday, and if it’s just a taste of things to come, I’m curious about who else will swap roles. Will Felicity be in Central City now? What role will Batwoman play? I hope they lean into the wackiness and have fun with it.

Original post:

We have known for awhile that this year’s CW/DC crossover event would involve Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash, and not only introduce us to Batwoman, but also to the Arrowverse version of Lois Lane. Now, we have our first hint at to what this crossover’s story might entail, as the event now has a name: Elseworlds. It’s also being reported by Deadline that the character of the Monitor, who oversees the multiverse in the pages of DC Comics, has been added to the cast. LaMonica Garrett has won the role, and the Monitor’s addition is another hint at what we might have in store.

#Elseworlds. Chaos is coming. pic.twitter.com/kjAI9Pw85h

— The Flash (@CW_TheFlash) September 26, 2018

Of course, the name Elseworlds has great meaning for many fans of DC Comics. For many years, starting in the late ’80s and going well into the 21st century, the label was used for special one shot comics or graphic novels that took place outside of DC’s regular continuity. The first official use of that label was 1989’s Gotham By Gaslight, which presented Batman facing Jack the Ripper. Since then, there have been many beloved Elseworlds titles, such as Superman: Red Son, which featured a Soviet Man of Steel, Justice League: The Nail, which told the story of what happens to the JLA when a Superman doesn’t exist, and Wonder Woman: Amazonia, which featured a Victorian-era Diana Prince.

So what could Elseworlds mean for this crossover? Well, it could just mean it will be taking place across multiple Earths, as Supergirl and Superman live on one Earth in the Multiverse, while Flash and Arrow live on another. But the name Elseworlds suggests we’ll see alternate takes on the central heroes instead, something we haven’t really seen for most of these characters, at least not too much. Is there a cowboy Flash somewhere? Is there a version of Green Arrow that is fighting alongside Robin Hood? Will we ever see the alternate Earth version of Supergirl, a.k.a. Power Girl, ever in the Arrowverse? And will the Monitor unite them all to fight together, like the classic Crisis on Infinite Earths?

The whole point of Elseworlds was to show that the possibilities are endless with these characters, so here’s hoping we see some of those possibilities play out. I’d hate for last year’s Earth-X Nazi versions to be the only alternate versions of the CW heroes we ever see. The three-night crossover event will see the days and time slots of the CW Arrowverse shows switched around, with the whole thing starting off with The Flash on at 8 PM Sunday, December 9, followed by Arrow on at 8 PM December 10 and capping off with Supergirl on December 11.

Are you as excited as we are for this year’s crossover? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.

Images: CW / DC Comics