Arrow‘s second season came to a close last night with an explosive finale that tied up enough loose ends for a satisfying conclusion, but left the characters in interesting places for season 3. It may be a while before we know any concrete details about what the showrunners have planned for the emerald archer next season, but a few pieces of information have come trickling in today.
The first piece of info comes from the Arrow himself, actor Stephen Amell. He took to Twitter to announce that John Barrowman, who plays Malcom Merlyn, has been bumped up as a series regular for the upcoming season.
#Arrow has a new series regular. @Team_Barrowman —
What could go wrong?!?! pic.twitter.com/VgFQdQhKNq
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) May 15, 2014
Fans should definitely be pleased to hear this, as Barrowman was one of the best parts of the first season. His presence was surely missed this year, so seeing him back in action for a majority of the upcoming episodes is incredibly exciting.
In addition to Amell’s Tweet, we also got the first official synopsis for season 3, which, as expected, is frustratingly vague. Check it out below:
After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. He returned home to Starling City, bent on righting the wrongs of his family and fighting injustice. To do this, he creates the persona of the Arrow and allies himself with former military man John Diggle (David Ramsey), computer-science expert Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), street brawler Roy Harper (Colton Haynes) and international assassin Sara Lance (Caity Lotz), while keeping his secret from those closest to him including his sister Thea (Willa Holland), who has allied herself with his most deadly enemy. Rivalries and allegiances will shift as Oliver faces his most difficult challenge yet. Based on characters appearing in comic books and graphic novels published by DC Entertainment, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Green Lantern,” “Brothers & Sisters”), Marc Guggenheim (“Eli Stone,” “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters”), Andrew Kreisberg (“Warehouse 13,” “The Vampire Diaries”) and Sarah Schechter.
So, what big challenge do you think Oliver will face next season? It will be hard for the show to come up with a villain as great as Deathstroke, and while Merlyn is a formidable ally, him taking center stage would make season 3 feel a lot like season 1, don’t you think?