Greg Berlanti Talks BLACK LIGHTNING Involvement and The CW’s Four-Show DC Crossover

Greg Berlanti is one of the busiest producers in the television industry right now. He is essentially the godfather of The CW’s “Arrowverse,” consisting of DC shows Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and the animated series Vixen. Berlanti’s Supergirl (set on an alternate Earth) is joining the other shows next season, while another animated show, Freedom Fighters: The Ray, is coming soon.

And that’s not all: It was recently announced that Berlanti is also working on Black Lightning, starring the DC Comics hero of the same name. Berlanti is collaborating with husband-wife duo Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil on this project. But unlike Berlanti’s other DC shows, Black Lightning is on Fox instead of The CW.

In a lengthy interview with IndieWire, Berlanti discusses his involvement with Black Lightning, as well as what to expect from The CW’s shows next season.

Berlanti says that Black Lightning is largely the Akils’ vision, and he is there to help them in their first superhero project. “That was mostly Mara and Salim, who are incredibly talented, and the studio just asked me to godfather them a bit, since this genre is newer for them. But they really have a vision for that show, so I hope I can help them execute it.” He adds that Black Lightning is a “very personal story” for the Akils, and he hopes that audiences will connect with it.

Berlanti goes on to discuss The CW’s highly ambitious four-show crossover event this fall. He reaffirms that, while Supergirl will obviously play a role, the crossover story doesn’t actually kick off until The Flash episode. “We’re telling one cohesive story; Supergirl will participate, but the storyline doesn’t actively begin there. There are some characters who show up in her episode, but the story begins with The Flash episode and goes to Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.” He says that this three-hour crossover arc, which he describes as “almost a miniseries,” will air at the end of November.

Little else is known about the crossover’s plot. It will feature an unnamed single villain, who, according to Marc Guggenheim, will be responsible for Supergirl coming in. Meanwhile, The Flash is expected to wrap up its “Flashpoint” story arc by this event.

Stay tuned for more news as we have it. For IndieWire’s full interview with Berlanti, where he discusses Cat Grant’s role in Supergirl‘s second season and the two-part Flash musical crossover, click HERE.

The Flash returns on Tuesday, October 4th at 8 PM EST. Arrow comes back on Wednesday, October 5th at 8 PM EST. Supergirl flies in on Monday, October 10th at 8 PM EST. And DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will reunite on Thursday, October 13th at 8 PM EST.