Photo Credit: J. Oslin

This weekend I had the privilege of attending Paleyfest 2015, which gave me the opportunity to interview the stars and creators of the CW’s super-hero smash hits, ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash.’ Below are the best of the interview questions and answers.

Photo Credit: J. Oslin

First up, while talking with John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn), after asking about whether or not he will be a regular next season, (which I did not receive a full answer about), Barrowman told us that earlier the producers had pulled him aside and stated they “needed to talk,” leading him to believe something big will be happening with Merlyn in the near future, which he was excited about. When I probed him about the backstory of Merlyn (in his eyes), he spoke of how fascinated he was with the character, and that he and his sister were trying to get a spin-off novel or comic off the ground that would delve into the backstory of Merlyn from ‘Arrow.’ He went on to inform me about how Merlyn was once the right-hand man of Ras Al Ghul, and that the motive for his turn from away the League and returning to Starling City has yet to be revealed, though he did let us know that end of Season 3 would contain flashbacks to more of Merlyn’s backstory, where we MIGHT see the answers to some of the questions I had been asking. Finally, when asked about the motives of Merlyn in the present, John proclaimed that he did not believe Malcolm to be entirely selfish, but rather sees the world different than most. He truly does love Thea, but has always tried to keep himself out of the direct line of the action, so that when he does step in, the enemy will not be expecting it. Of course, that could just be Barrowman pontificating (frankly, the man likes to talk).

Photo Credit: J. Oslin

Next we spoke to Andrew Kreisberg (one of the Executive Producers of both ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash), the first topic being a potential multi-verse due to the new spin-off starring the currently dead Sara Lance (well, Caity Lotz, Kreisberg would not confirm she was still Sara Lance/ Black Canary on the new show), as well as the time-travel aspects of ‘The Flash.’ He (clearly) could not confirm or completely deny anything, but it seems the idea of a multiverse is something he and the writers have thought of before. I next asked whether or not the ATOM was going to get his characteristic size manipulation powers anytime soon, to which he reminded me that the suit does run on the dwarf star matter, which allows his shrinking abilities in the comics. When I asked whether the ability to shrink was something Palmer (in the ‘Arrow’ universe) built into the suit on purpose, Kreisberg would not comment, but said a lot of these questions should be answered soon on the show. Kreisberg also spoke briefly on the question of why characters from ‘Arrow’ never call to ask for help from characters on ‘The Flash,’ (and vice-versa), especially in light of their proximity and friendships. Kreisberg said it was a point they were going to address soon, giving a real reason why they don’t call for help outside of cross-overs. My last question to Kreisberg was about CBS’ ‘Supergirl,’ show, asking whether or not it was going to exist in the same continuity as ‘The Flash’ and ‘Arrow.’ He replied that it will take place in the same universe, but how closely it will be tied to the other shows has not been decided, as right now they are just trying to produce the best pilot possible.

We spoke briefly to Paul Blackthorne (Detective Lance), asking questions about Lance’s reaction to Sara’s death and dealing with characters that lied to him about her, including Team Arrow. Blackthorne stated that the Arrow and Lance were going to have a talk very soon about the issue, and that his burgeoning friendship and views toward the vigilante would most likely change as the season approaches it’s end.

Lots of new information, which of course got me excited for the return of ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ after their month long hiatus. It seems change is nigh for both heroes, and the beginning of the end starts this week when ‘The Flash’ returns on Tuesday, and Wednesday when the ‘Arrow’ returns with a new episode.

Check out the rest of our photos from the event below: