When it was first disclosed that a new Emerald Archer would be prowling Star City in Arrow season 7, many heads – including my own – understandably turned toward Roy Harper. But after tuning in for this past Monday’s premiere, I’m not so sure anymore.
You see, while the producers are yet to reveal who’s under the hood, we do know the new vigilante in town is crossing names off a list eerily similar to the one Oliver swore by back in season 1. Furthermore, the new flash forwards could have some connection to his true identity.
Of course, it’d be premature to rule out Roy at this point, but I’m really hoping that Green Arrow II (or III, if you count John Diggle) doesn’t end up being, say, William traveling back from the future. Hey, there’s a literal reason why the term “jumping the shark” exists, so don’t think I’ve lost my marbles.
As you can imagine, this guy’s presence has former members of Team Arrow debating his altruism, with Wild Dog already establishing himself as a firm believer, whereas Dinah Drake isn’t so sure. Weighing in on the argument was new showrunner Beth Schwartz, who said the following to Entertainment Weekly, also confirming the unmasking will come at some point this season:
“I can’t really tell you which way the new Green Arrow [lands], but Dinah and Rene will be arguing that point for a little bit. They’ll be on different sides for a little bit. We’ll definitely unveil and explore before the end of the season, for sure.”
Though such a thing would seem like a no-brainer, it’s at this point we’ll remind of how Vigilante was introduced very early on in season 5, yet wasn’t unmasked for about a full year around the same time in season 6. That said, I surmise the unmasking discussed today will come later rather than sooner.
Either way, it’s recommended that you tune in for new episodes of Arrow on Monday nights on The CW. In the meantime, feel free to share your own theories in the comments section below.