It doesn’t sound likely that CW’s upcoming DC Comics adaptation “The Flash” will follow Marvel’s example by crossing over with the company’s movie adaptations.
Marvel has linked its TV and film storylines with plotlines that run through ABC’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and the films about the many “Avengers.” But DC Entertainment chief creative officer Geoff Johns said at a Television Critics Association panel Friday that DC wants to keep TV and film separate.
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“At DC, we really see film and TV as separate worlds,” Johns said.
That split in the universe may send fanboys running for their parents’ basements in anguish. But they can take heart.
Though the heroes of CW’s “Flash” and “Arrow” may never meet Superman or Batman, they will encounter other DC characters. “Flash” executive producer Greg Berlanti announced Friday that “Prison Break” star Wentworth Miller will play longtime Flash nemesis Captain Cold.
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Berlanti, who also produces “Arrow,” said he’s thrilled to bring the archer and speedster to the CW.
“We don’t really see a difference between film and TV. We see storytelling and characters and the opportunity,” Berlanti said. “We’ll have, between the two shows [“Arrow” and “The Flash”] this year, I think we’ll have half the Justice League on our shows.
“It’s not a second prize. It is the prize, for us, to have an opportunity to tell these stories for these characters.”
The CW’s president Mark Pedowitz also talked about potential crossover during his executive panel Friday, saying that whether to share between TV and the movies is up to Warner Bros.
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“At the moment in time we’ve had no further discussions of whether Arrow or The Flash will appear in any of these movies; that’s up to the studio,” Pedowitz said.
Also during the panel, one reporter asked whether “The Flash” would be able to maintain its expensive-looking production values throughout the season.
“We’re thinking about starting a Kickstarter,” executive producer Andrew Kreisberg joked. “The pilot was a steep learning curve … we’re hoping we’re going to be able to retain the same level of action and adventure and excitement. And, so far, with what we’ve been doing, we feel we can.”