The Flash's boss has revealed that Stephen Amell has pitched an idea for his comeback as Oliver Queen in the final season of the show.
It was announced last month that the actor would be reprising his role as Green Arrow for the ninth season of the CW series, and showrunner Eric Wallace has explained the process of the surprise return.
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“It’s a two-pronged answer,” he told TVLine. “I called up [Arrowverse chief] Greg [Berlanti] and said: ‘I have a crazy idea. What if Oliver Queen came back?’. I pitched the story. He was like: ‘I love it, let me call Stephen.’ So he called Stephen, then called me back: ‘Stephen loves it! Talk to him, pitch him the idea.’
“I got on the phone with Stephen – and this is all happening within a span of 18 hours, mind you – and I walked him through it. He said: ‘I love it. But can we do this extra thing?’” revealed Wallace, who said Amell’s idea was “fantastic.”
Oliver met a tragic fate in the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ crossover event, so it is currently unknown what role he will play in his return, but Wallace added the developments wouldn’t be retconned: "We don’t change what has happened in the eight seasons of Arrow [...] we honour all of that,” he revealed.
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Upon the announcement of Amell’s return, Wallace said: “We absolutely cannot wait for everyone to see Grant and Stephen saving the world together again. And yes, there will be thrills, chills and tears.”
Amell isn’t the only cast member to reprise their role, with Keiynan Lonsdale (Wally West/Kid Flash), Sendhil Ramamurthy (Bloodwork) and David Ramsey (John Diggle) all confirmed to be making an appearance in the upcoming episodes.
The final season, which consists of 13 episodes, will premiere on February 8.