As if this season of Arrow hasn’t been incredible enough, we can now look forward to the return of a fan-favorite character: Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke.
There are still two weeks left in this Arrow hiatus, but it already feels too long. Few shows this year have been as thoroughly and consistently entertaining as the Oliver’s ongoing battle to save Star City from Prometheus. Plus, Supergirl and The Flash are also on break, and Legends of Tomorrow is done for the season, which leaves a gaping hole in my TV-lover heart that can only be filled by CW superhero series.
Luckily, Stephen Amell understands. The actor broke some news late Monday afternoon that should excite Arrow fans: Manu Bennett is coming back.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Welcome back @manubennett. pic.twitter.com/ITB7a7Tq6h
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) April 10, 2017
Bennett plays Slade Wilson, arguably the show’s best villain in its five-year run so far. He was introduced during the season 1 flashbacks, befriending Oliver while the billionaire was stranded on the island Lian Yu. Season 2 followed his transformation into the serum-enhanced mercenary Deathstroke. Blaming Oliver for Shado’s death, he became consumed by a desire for vengeance, leading an attack on Starling City and murdering Oliver’s mother, Moira, before Team Arrow captured him. Slade is now imprisoned in an A.R.G.U.S. facility on Lian Yu.
His impending return doesn’t come as a shock. Arrow is approaching the end of its original arc, giving showrunners Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle an excuse to indulge in plenty of fan service and nostalgia. Prometheus’s origin ties into events from the first season, bringing the saga full circle. Deathstroke briefly appeared in a fantasy sequence during “Invasion!”, the 100th episode of the series, though he didn’t remove his mask or speak.
It’s anyone’s guess how Slade will figure into this season. Will Oliver recruit his old adversary to help defeat his current one, Prometheus? Amell’s tweet suggests so. However, a cryptic tweet sent by Bennett makes us wonder:
For the record - I'm not going back for Arrow! #assumptionisthemotherofall...
— Manu (@manubennett) April 10, 2017
Guggenheim offered another clue, revealing the title of episode 23:
Guess there's really no point in hiding it anymore... @MericlesHappen @JesseWarn @manubennett pic.twitter.com/69GdO8Ldqd
— Marc Guggenheim (@mguggenheim) April 10, 2017
We know Oliver is heading back to Lian Yu in the flashbacks. But the island must have some greater significance for the writers to use its name for the season finale. Regardless, we can’t wait to see Oliver and Slade reunite.
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Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.