With Arrow‘s eighth and final season rapidly approaching, it’s safe to say we’ll be reunited with a fair amount of familiar faces from the past before the show ultimately wraps. Already, we’ve received confirmation on Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn), Josh Segarra (Adrian Chase) and Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen) returning, though there’ll obviously be a few more along the way.
If I had to fire off a couple more names that are no doubt topping wishlists, John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn), Willa Holland (Thea Queen) and Manu Bennett (Slade Wilson/Deathstroke) should all be mentioned. Actually, it’s Bennett we’re here to specifically discuss today, so let’s let off some steam.
Having defined Deathstroke in live action in Arrow‘s earliest of seasons, it’s understandable that viewers have a profound attachment to Bennett. But according to a recent Instagram post of his addressing the possibility of him reprising the Slade role, we shouldn’t hold our breath, as he said the following:
“Lots of actors in my position are waiting in line, high rolling for the big bucks but I’m going to place a small bet on my next role. People keep asking if I’m coming back on Arrow & there’s been no invitation & another guy has the mask in Teen Titans so instead of holding my breath, I’m accepting another crossover on CW, to an underdog series called Pandora.”
To be honest, I’d wondered if Esai Morales portraying Deathstroke over on DC Universe’s Titans series would prevent Bennett from doing so, and it looks like my suspicions have been proven correct. Still, only a fraction of Arrow season 8 has been filmed, so let’s not abandon all hope just yet.
If it doesn’t work out, then we must at least congratulate Manu for landing on his feet with the recently launched Pandora show. For those unfamiliar, it’s a science fiction series currently airing on Tuesdays as part of The CW’s summer programming lineup. Although I’ve yet to check it out for myself, it does look quite intriguing.
Arrow, however, returns with new episodes on Tuesday, October 15th on The CW.