'Arrow' "Elseworlds" Crossover Scene Cut for Making Fun of Batman

The Arrowverse's "Elseworlds" crossover is shaping up to be the biggest yet with appearances by many major DC Comics characters as well as the introduction of Batwoman, but according to Arrow star Stephen Amell, it seems like there is at least one scene that fans won't see.

Amell appeared at Heroes and Villains Fan Fest in San Jose on Saturday and told fans that there was a scene cut from "Elseworlds" that poked a little bit of fun at Batman by way of his iconic Bat Signal.

"There was a line that was cut, I think it was because I made fun of the Bat Signal," Amell said. "Grant points to the Bat Signal and he goes, 'Huh?' and I go, 'So what? It's a stupid signal.'"

Fans have already seen a glimpse of the Bat Signal -- and a little bit of teasing about Batman -- in one of the promos for the upcoming crossover event. In one of the promos, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) and Barry (Grant Gustin) -- in Green Arrow gear as part of the crossover will feature Barry and Oliver (Stephen Amell) -- crossing paths with someone who is decidedly not the "urban legend" Batman. Nope. They run into none other than Batwoman (Ruby Rose) herself.

While the heroes don't encounter the Caped Crusader, we do know that Bruce Wayne does exist within the Arrowverse -- Oliver mentioned him on Arrow last season after all - and the reason for his absence is one that will be explained in "Elseworlds".

"It's a dead city," Arrowverse architect Marc Guggenheim explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "The way I sort of described it to Stephen is, it's there but for the grace of God goes Star City. It's the worst case scenario. The reason no one talks about Gotham is the city might as well be dead. It's practically a ghost town."

Caroline Dries — a writer who consulted on the crossover and executive produces the potential Batwoman series for The CW — expanded on the idea of a hero-less Gotham, calling it a "grimy, scary" city.

"Our approach is: What does Gotham look like after the Batman has been gone for three years? So if you have the law and order, protector, and hope gone, what happens as a result?" Dries said. "Some people are thriving in his absence because now they can start to do their own thing without the oversight."

"A lot of other people are suffering and they're losing hope, and the city itself and infrastructure is falling apart. So it's not a happy place. Our guys walk into a grimy, scary Gotham."

Kind of explains why Oliver would see things as just "a stupid signal".

Are you excited for "Elseworlds"? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

"Elseworlds" kicks off on Sunday, December 9th on The Flash, and continues on Arrow December 10th and finishes on Supergirl Tuesday, December 11th.