Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One Teases Epic Multiverse Saga in First Look

With the movie's release date seemingly set for January, the cover art for DC's Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth – Part One movie reveals some of the characters to expect in the animated adaption of the multiverse story. Warner Bros. Discovery and DC first announced it would adapt the Criss on Infinite Earths at the San Diego Comic-Con panel during the panel for the R-rated Justice League: Warworld movie (it also announced an R-rated, animated Watchmen movie). Cover art that has appeared online shows a cast of characters from across the DC multiverse, including heroes like Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, and Green Lantern. There are also Crime Syndicate characters like Ultraman and Superwoman. Vixen's inclusion is of interest as it may be the same version of the character from her animated movie, tied to the Arrowverse. DC's Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths' voice remains to be announced.

James Gunn, co-head of DC Studios, has hinted at more interconnectivity between DC's live-action and animated projects in the future. That has some fans wondering if Crisis on Infinite Earths and Watchmen will mark the end of DC's long-running line of animated movies. 

What is Crisis on Infinite Earths?

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in 1985. It is considered by many to be the template for all such major crossover events to follow. Marv Wolfman wrote the 12-part series with the late, great George Pérez providing the artwork.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was timed to coincide with the celebration of DC's 50th anniversary and simultaneously streamline the convoluted continuity the company had created over those five decades. Wolfman hoped to do away with DC's multiverse and replace it with a single timeline friendlier to new readers. 

Crisis on Infinite Earth's story revolves around the threat of the Anti-Monitor, a villain from the anti-matter universe existing opposite the DC universe. The Anti-Monitor wanted to destroy all realities in DC's multiverse. The Monitor –  whom Wolfman and Pérez introduced in their run on New Teen Titans -- is revealed to be the Anti-Monitor's positive-matter universe counterpart. He gathers heroes and villains from all realities to stand against the Anti-Monitor. Several DC heroes die, including The Flash (Barry Allen) and Supergirl, while others vanish as if they never existed. The Anti-Monitor is partially successful, destroying the multiverse, but a new universe replaces those lost, integrating some refugee characters from those perished timelines.

DC has published various sequels to Crisis on Infinite Earths in the years since the original, to the point that DC Universe characters now refer to them in-universe as "Crisis Events." Those stories include 2005's Infinite Crisis, 2008's Final Crisis, and 2022's Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. DC's Arrowverse shows created their version of Crisis on Infinite Earths with the multi-episode, multi-show "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event in 2019 spanning Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Batwoman episodes.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths releases in 2024. DC's newest animated movie, Justice League: Warworld, premiered at Comic-Con and is available now on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, and Blu-ray.