With SDCC rapidly approaching, news about the various CW/DC shows has been trickling out. Regarding the show that kicked this shared universe off, ‘Arrow’, we know that star Stephen Amell with be getting a rematch with his WWE opponent Stardust a.k.a. Cody Rhodes, who recently announced his departure from pro wrestling. Rhodes will play an unspecified (though probably villainous) role in Season 5. Another recurring character will be the DC vigilante Wild Dog, played by Rick Gonzales. Madison McLaughlin will return as Evelyn Sharp and will be donning the identity of Artemis. And in a non-super role, Carly Pope has signed on to appear as Susan Williams (the wife of the brother of Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the comics).
We also know that the first episode will be very violent, as Amell reported:
“If [the premiere] is any indication, Arrow is going to be f–king mean this year, and that’s really exciting.”
But more than anything, it sounds like ‘Arrow’– after a shaky fourth season– will be making a conscious effort to go back to basics.
“When we started Arrow, we were the superpower-less superhero show. Because of our success and because of opportunities that The CW has had, we’ve had to break away from that original modus operandi a little bit, because we were introducing Barry Allen, and in subsequent seasons, we’ve shepherded some of the ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ onto their own show.
“Even though ‘Supergirl’ is joining the ranks, there’s no new person or new show to introduce this year, and I think as a result of that, we need to get back to focusing more on some of the core elements that used to define ‘Arrow’. To me, that’s hand-to-hand combat, no superpowers, and dealing with the job of cleaning up Star City.”
In case you needed proof, Amell posted this image on Twitter:
Here’s your S5 poster.
pic.twitter.com/uFlGzx7IwI— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) July 12, 2016
Well… Amell has never looked hotter. Figuratively or literally. But he also looks beat to hell. What could this scene be about?
It’s no secret that fans were less than thrilled with the mystical finale of ‘Arrow’ Season 4 (not to mention the on-again-off-again Olicity train). Sure it’s neat that all the DC shows inhabit a shared universe, but in the process, many felt that ‘Arrow’ lost its identity. It sounds like the producers are looking to get back on track.
What do you think? Would you like a return to basics for this show?
Source: Collider
