Note: This article contains major spoilers for the finale of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
After pulling off a five-part crossover event and a surprise, satisfying connection to the wider Worlds of DC, the Arrowverse pretty much nailed it with Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The final two episodes of The CW's epic crossover event featured some of the most exciting DC cameos yet, including the actual Ezra Miller and the sort-of Ryan Reynolds, but there was one popular character missing from the conclusion.
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Although Crisis brought back Smallville's Tom Welling and Erica Durance as Clark Kent and Lois Lane (who were almost wiped out of existence entirely by the Anti-Monitor), the crossover was unable to bring back fan-favourite Michael Rosenbaum's Lex Luthor.
Related: Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths boss explains how Worlds of DC cameo happened
Explaining the villain's absence, Arrowverse boss Marc Guggenheim told TVLine that "the clock ran out" on Tom Welling's availability, meaning their plans for a Clark and Lex reunion never quite made it.
"We had a version where he would have been in the scene [on the Kent farm] with Tom, and then the clock ran out on that.
"I then had the idea of having [Michael] and [Supergirl's] Jon Cryer having a scene together, which would have been really, really cool," he added, calling the near-miss "a bummer".
"Michael is definitely the one that got away."
One version of Lex did of course appear in the Crisis event, with actor Cryer calling *that* Luthor twist "perfect": "It's exactly how he's an asshole."
Arrow season 8 airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW in the US. In the UK, it airs on Sky One and NOW TV.
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