A lot happened in the penultimate episode of The Flash, including a trip a quarter-century into the show’s future. However, a few throwaway moments of exposition are a subtle message to fans that after The Flash series finale, the heroes of the Arrowverse will continue to have fantastic adventures. The Barry Allen of 2049 is not in “Changes” because he’s on “the Watchtower,” which DC fans know is the space headquarters of the Justice League.
The Justice League’s satellite headquarters debuted in the comics in 1970. It got the Watchtower name because the members of the League took shifts up there watching the planet and the cosmos for threats. Presumably, Barry is on duty up there, and it’s orbiting the Moon and not Earth. This raises the question of how Barry will summon the League if he spies an alien invasion, but it’s possible XS just doesn’t have the Watchtower’s direct line. Either way, it suggests that the heroes of the Arrowverse formed the Justice League that was teased at the end of the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover series. This suggests that even though viewers’ window on Earth-Prime shuts when The Flash signs off for the last time, the characters in that world go on to do everything fans hoped they would.
The Flash and the Arrowverse Were Built on Easter Eggs Like This
After Eobard Thawne died (the first time), as Harrison Wells he willed S.T.A.R. Labs and all its holdings to Barry. Conceivably, he’s massively wealthy, because in Season 3, it’s revealed he owns a giant hangar. This building looks like the classic Hall of Justice from comics and animation, but by the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths, all it housed was a memorial to Oliver Queen, a table and a set of monogrammed chairs. This moment was meant to signify the big future of the Arrowverse, still expanding with Superman & Lois on the way and an Arrow sequel series in the pilot stage. Alas, the pandemic and the end of The CW as fans know it changed all that.
Still, the Crisis event began as an Easter egg in the end-of-episode tag for The Flash pilot. The series would routinely name-drop classic DC characters or locations in the hopes that fan excitement would force Warner Bros. to allow it to use them. Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman, for example, was not allowed in the first season of Supergirl. Still, the producers made so many oblique references to him that he showed up in the Season 2 premiere. The Flash also keeps the Arrowverse party going when it can. The first five episodes of Season 8 were called “Armageddon,” and included several returning characters. Season 9 brought back Javicia Leslie’s Batwoman in the Red Death storyline.
There’s an Earth in the multiverse where the DC shows on The CW eventually did more massive crossovers and a proper introduction of the TV Justice League. While it may not happen now, the casual mention of the Watchtower satellite gives fans just enough to spark their imaginations about all the epic adventures that could’ve been. And in a world where Tobey Maguire was Spider-Man again, and Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine, fans can never say “never.”
The Flash Series Finale Ends the Arrowverse For Now, Not Forever
Despite the unceremonious way that the DC TV era on The CW ended, it’s still one of the most impressive accomplishments in TV history. What Marvel Studios did on the big screen, the folks at Berlanti Productions pulled off on a fraction of the budget. While the movie side of the Warner Bros. house struggled to find a cohesive tone and vision for their universe, The Flash introduced the shared universe concept to TV audiences. These characters have already gone to other media like animation and, of course, comic books. The Earth-Prime comic series served as a palliative to the lack of crossovers due to the pandemic. Characters like Lena Luthor, Batwoman, Kid Flash and others teamed up to fight Magog, a villain with a big DC history.
With all due respect to James Gunn and “Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters,” the Arrowverse has outlived more than one 10-year plan for DC at the movies. Whether it comes in comic books or animation, the Arrowverse characters will almost certainly return in some form. Once the entire universe is united on streaming, either on Max or licensed out to another service, it may become financially attractive to do some kind of reunion special. Animation makes the most sense, but one can never rule out live-action appearances in whatever Crisis on Infinite Earths adaptation is up Gunn’s sleeves.
Still, even if Warner Bros. Discovery foolishly never revisits these characters, there are over 700 hours of story focused on them. Mentioning the Watchtower on The Flash is a way that the storytellers permit the fans to keep the characters alive and thriving for years to come. Whether in their imaginations or fan fiction, the Arrowverse Justice League is thriving. It’s just that viewers don’t get to see it just yet.
The series finale of The Flash debuts on The CW, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 8 PM EST.
