The Arrowverse faces destruction in 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' trailer

The Arrowverse began marching toward “Crisis on Infinite Earths” almost a year ago when “Elseworlds” ended. It’s been a long journey, but the finish line is less than a week away. With the destination in sight, The CW has unveiled the official full-length trailer for the highly-anticipated and ambitious five-hour crossover event, which begins with Supergirl next Sunday.

Unfolding across Supergirl, Batwoman, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Arrow‘s final season, this year’s crossover pits the Arrowverse’s avengers against the Anti-Monitor (LaMonica Garrett), who is trying to destroy the multiverse with a giant anti-matter wave. As Lyla/Harbinger (Audrey Marie Anderson) reveals in the trailer, their war begins on Earth-38.

“One thing is certain: Everything we know, everything there is, and everything there ever was is doomed,” declares Pariah (Tom Cavanagh) as a computer graphic depicts Earth-38 being wiped out by the anti-matter wave in the trailer.

But there is hope! In the promo, Mar-Novu, the Anti-Monitor’s slightly more benevolent counterpart also played by Garrett, states that “throughout space and time, exist seven heroes who can save the multiverse.” That pronouncement cues up some shots of Tom Welling’s return as Smallville‘s Clark Kent, Batman: The Animated Series star Kevin Conroy as an exoskeleton-wearing Bruce Wayne from the future, and Black Lightning (Cress Williams). But that’s just a taste of the familiar faces from DC movies and TV who will appear in the crossover.

“One of the things that we said very, very early on in the pitches to the studio and the network is that this can’t be ‘Crisis on CW Earths,’” crossover executive producer Marc Guggenheim recently told EW about the crossover’s many guest-stars. “This has to be ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths,’ and we have to touch as many strands of the DC tapestry as possible.”

The story is an adaptation of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s landmark crossover comic of the same name, which remade the entire DC Universe when it was released in 1985 and 1986 In success, The CW’s take on the material will have a similar effect on the Arrowverse.

“My main goal has always been, ‘How do we honor the original Crisis on Infinite Earths?’ I think we’ve crafted something really, really special,” Guggenheim said.

Watch the trailer above.

“Crisis on Infinite Earths” kicks off with Supergirl on Sunday, Dec. 8, followed by Batwoman on Monday, Dec. 9, and The Flash on Tuesday, Dec. 10. After the winter hiatus, the crossover will resume Tuesday, Jan. 14, with Arrow at 8 p.m., and conclude with Legends of Tomorrow at 9 p.m.

For expert analysis, interviews, and scene breakdowns, watch EW’s official “Crisis” after-show, Crisis: Aftermath, hosted by Kevin Smith and airing 9 p.m., immediately after Supergirl (Dec. 8) and The Flash (Dec. 10) on The CW.

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• From Arrow to ‘Crisis’: Inside the evolution of the Arrowverse and its crossovers
• Black Lightning star teases his ‘surprising’ ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ entrance
• Kevin Conroy explores Bruce Wayne’s ‘dark corners’ in ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’