Stephen Amell recently shared the first behind-the-scenes photo of his return as Oliver Queen/Green Arrow in The Flash's upcoming ninth and final season.
Amell posted the photo on Instagram. It shows him and Barry Allen/The Flash actor Grant Gustin on the Vancouver-based production's set, neither of them clad in their respective characters' crimefighting costumes. Amell included a caption with the photo that reads: "When Barry calls…Oliver answers…". The Flash Season 9 will mark the first time Amell has suited up as Green Arrow since the Arrow series finale, "Fadeout," aired back in 2020. In that episode, Oliver Queen dies for the second and seemingly final time, although the Emerald Archer has since appeared alive and well in 2022 tie-in comic Earth-Prime #6.
It's currently unclear if Oliver's apparent resurrection in Earth-Prime will carry over into The Flash Season 9, or if the superhero will return via other means, instead. What is clear, however, is how long the show's creative team has been planning on reintroducing the fan-favorite character to the Arrowverse. "As soon as our final season was announced, we knew we wanted Stephen to come back and reprise his iconic role as Oliver Queen," The Flash executive producer Eric Wallace said in a press statement. "After all, it was Oliver who originally launched Barry Allen on his heroic path."
Stephen Amell's Arrowverse Comeback
Fans' response to Oliver's Arrowverse comeback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it seems that Amell shares their excitement. The Canadian actor tweeted a GIF of Oliver and Barry hugging soon after the news of his return broke, along with a brief caption making it clear that his return was never in doubt. "Of course I'm coming back," Amell wrote. Amell previously hinted he was eager to appear in The Flash Season 9, however, he remained coy about his involvement until it was officially confirmed by The CW.
More recently, Amell also spoke candidly about the factors that would need to align for him to consider picking up Oliver Queen's bow again. "Oh, it would all depend," he said. "The storyline. The money. Less so the money. This is a one-off, right? You're going back for an episode or two episodes. You're not going back to recreate the show. So you know the money everyone is going to haggle, but you're not gonna get an extra $4 million out of them."
The Flash Season 9 premieres on The CW on Feb. 8.
Source: Instagram