Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who episode "Rogue." Watch the episode with a Disney+ subscription and read at your own risk!

It's been a long wait for Doctor Who fans, but finally, Jonathan Groff appeared as his character in full Bridgerton garb in the episode that just aired on the 2024 TV schedule. While I'd imagine few doubted his performance would be a dud, I'm not sure anyone saw this episode coming or expected how it would set up the actor to be a larger part of the story going forward. "Rogue" was awesome, but did anyone else feel heavy vibes that allude to the idea that the Broadway vet was playing a familiar character? 

As viewers continue to count the coincidences stacking up in this season, Doctor Who introduced someone who could be a major recurring character. So, what's up with The Doctor and that big kiss with Rogue, and does anyone else feel Captain Jack Harkness vibes coming from him? 

Jonathan Groff Crushed It As "Rogue", But Did Anyone Else Feel Like He's Captain Jack Harkness? 

Even before the passionate kiss shared between "Rogue" and The Doctor, I was already getting heavy Captain Jack Harkness vibes from the bounty hunter. Hell, some fans had suspected that before the episode even aired, and when Russell T. Davies didn't squash the speculation, we have to wonder. 

We never did learn the real name of "Rogue" before he sacrificed himself to an unknown fate to spare Ruby Sunday. Plus, with the time travel of it all, this could've been the first time The Doctor met Jack Harkness. 

Whatever the case may be, Jonathan Groff crushed it. To come into this series, share a passionate kiss with The Doctor, and then save the day is a boss move, and I think he's being set up to be the next River Song-like character in the best way. The question is: When we'll see him again, not if? 

Would Doctor Who Recast John Barrowman's Captain Jack?

Doctor Who viewers will likely be concerned with whether or not Russell T. Davies just recast the role of Captain Jack Harkness, and I'm not sure which side of the speculation I'm on. Original Jack actor John Barrowman was a huge part of Davies' run, and to cut him out of the character's story would feel pretty disrespectful.

At the same time, we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room that Doctor Who essentially cut ties with Barrowman after resurfaced interviews talked about his flashing scandal in the early days of the show. While the series never officially parted ways with Barrowman, connections to the character were removed from Jodie Whittaker's run after his brief cameo appeared to tease new things for the character.

Barrowman publicly apologized for the scandal years prior to it resurfacing, though it hasn't seemed to sway Doctor Who into resuming its relationship with him. 

It's plausible that Jonathan Groff is playing Captain Jack Harkness, though I could also see a scenario in which "Rogue" is a spiritual successor to the character. What I mean by that is he's basically Captain Jack in terms of personality, but a new character without ties to Torchwood or other parts newcomers would have to learn about to understand the character. 

This season, so far, feels very much about showcasing new things for a potential new audience, which ultimately leads me to believe "Rogue" is not Captain Jack Harkness. I think he was intentionally written to evoke the same feelings, and I wouldn't be surprised if The Doctor makes a note of that. Ultimately, though, do you cast Jonathan Groff as a potential recurring star to play an already existing character? I don't think so, but we'll find out in time what his deal is.  

Doctor Who is still rolling along on Disney+, with new episodes arriving on Fridays at 7:00 p.m. ET. Next week's episode feels like one fans won't want to miss, so be sure to clear your schedule as we head into the final stories of the season. 

Back in 2017, actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey of making sexual advances toward him when he was 14-years-old. Spacey’s response at the time was to claim that he had no recollection of the encounter, but he still apologized for anything he might have done in what he said would have been “inappropriate drunken behavior.” Testifying in court, however, where he is being sued by Rapp, Spacey is now apologizing for issuing the statement, calling it a regret and saying he was pushed to publish it by others.

Anthony Rapp is suing Kevin Spacey for sexual misconduct for an interaction that allegedly took place when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. Rapp claims that after a party at Spacey’s apartment the American Beauty actor pushed him onto the bed before getting on top of him. Following testimony from Rapp, it was Spacey's turn to take the stand. He said (via Variety) he now regrets issuing an apology, as he claims he did nothing wrong and was pushed to apologize by his publicist. Spacey claimed… 

The Usual Suspects Oscar winner says that at the time of Rapp’s published account he was told that if he pushed back he would be seen as blaming the victim, and that he wanted to try and prevent the “crisis” from getting worse. This led Spacey to apologize for the incident despite claiming it never happened. 

Spacey admits to knowing Anthony Rapp and spending time with the teen during the time that Rapp claims the misconduct took place, but denies any wrongdoing. Instead, another actor, John Barrowman, came up during testimony. Spacey apparently met Barrowman at a club he was at with Rapp, and the L.A. Confidential actor stated he was far more interested in the future Doctor Who star, saying…

Kevin Spacey’s career has been at a standstill since the allegations from Rapp were made. He was removed from a Ridley Scott movie he had already made and replaced with Christopher Plummer. He was also fired from the Netflix show House of Cards, which completed one more season without him. Spacey has attempted a career comeback in recent months despite dealing with the lawsuit from Rapp as well as several allegations of sexual assault in the U.K.  

Allegations of indecent exposure by John Barrowman during his time on the Doctor Who set resurfaced back in May, and ever since, the actor has lost job after job as a result. Barrowman recently lost yet another television gig, and one has to wonder what this means for his future with the BBC’s beloved franchise. 

The ITV program Dancing On Ice featured John Barrowman as a judge for the past two years, but The Sun UK confirmed that’s no longer the case. ITV didn’t explicitly tie Barrowman’s past indecent exposure incidents to the dismissal, however, and did indicate the network intends to work with him in the future in a statement issued by a spokesperson.

John Barrowman continues to lose projects, but it’s yet to be confirmed by The BBC one way or another if he’ll ever be welcome back to Doctor Who. Barrowman returned to the franchise after a long absence and last appeared in 2021’s “Revolution of the Daleks” special, and there were clues via a leaked book tie-in that he could also be involved in Season 13. Torchwood’s fifteenth anniversary is in 2021, so fans speculated Barrowman’s possible return could affect that. 

Titan Comics cancelled that story, and a couple of other Doctor Who-related projects have dropped stories or altered content that featured Captain Jack. One would think those things indicate John Barrowman is out of the series, but the BBC program hasn’t officially disavowed him. Barrowman publicly apologized for his indecent exposure back in 2008, which occurred on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood. Those who recounted the events said the flashings were not perceived as sexual but seen as an unfunny and uncomfortable joke. 

John Barrowman’s hypothetical return in Season 13 and beyond may be of extra interest to fans, given the return of Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. Davies, who was showrunner through a bulk of Barrowman’s run, will be around for the 60th anniversary of the BBC series. The 50th anniversary served as a way to reunite many of the show’s past cast, which may happen again for the 60th. However, we still don’t know if Barrowman will receive an invitation or if he’ll be invited back to Doctor Who ever again. 

Doctor Who can press onward without Captain Jack Harkness, and his last appearance didn’t necessarily make a return necessary to the story. Like River Song, though, Captain Jack was a fan-favorite character of the franchise and a recurring character with a long history with The Doctor. The issue is complicated, and one I can’t imagine the Doctor Who fandom will universally approve of regardless of what decision the show makes on Barrowman’s future with the show. 

Doctor Who Season 13 will premiere on BBC America in 2021. Elsewhere, former franchise stars like Matt Smith are making news, as he’s one of the stars of HBO’s upcoming House of the Dragon spinoff. Check out the latest trailer for that series right here. 

It's been a rough month or so for actor John Barrowman, as the Doctor Who franchise seemingly continues to distance itself from the actor. The BBC series has dropped Barrowman and his character Captain Jack Harkness from a handful of projects since the resurfaced reports of past flashing allegations during his early tenure on the show, and the bleeding on that front hasn't stopped yet. Captain Jack was removed from yet another Who-related work, and this one feels a bit more substantial than the past few.

Captain Jack Harkness was originally slated to appear in a graphic novel made by Titan Comics and published by Penguin Random House. Radio Times has since learned that plans for that series have been shelved and that there are no plans to publish the series at this time. The series was supposed to transport Jack to 19th century Cardiff and involved him taking on the Victorian-era Torchwood institute.

What's most substantial about the news, however, is that the graphic novel was advertised to be a tie-in novel to the second episode of Doctor Who Season 13. When we first reported on the leaked synopsis for the story, it seemed like a major clue that John Barrowman's character, who had only returned in recent years after nearly a decade away from the franchise, would possibly return for Season 13.

Prior to now, John Barrowman had only been removed from projects tangentially connected to the Doctor Who television series. With this latest project being something that's a direct tie-in, it certainly feels as though the writing may be on the wall that The BBC could potentially rework storylines and other previous plans to ensure Captain Jack Harkness isn't involved in Season 13. Of course, this is only speculation but, as Barrowman is continually scratched from any new projects planned for Doctor Who, things seem to be getting clearer.

As mentioned, Doctor Who distancing itself from Jack Harkness is tied to resurfaced claims that John Barrowman frequently exposed his genitals on the set of the show during its early years. Those interviewed about the matter have stressed that the exposures were never explicitly sexual in nature but a joke in poor taste. At that time during the series' run, higher-ups with Torchwood directly confronted Barrowman about the issue, and it was confirmed that his behavior stopped shortly after.

John Barrowman apologized to fans when the news first went public in 2008 and has issued another apology in light of the resurfaced allegations. Barrowman's public reckoning came alongside a series of allegations about another past Doctor Who actor, Noel Clarke, which has called into question the level of discipline and professionalism the show's set had in its earlier seasons since the reboot. The BBC could respond by severing future ties with Barrowman, meaning his Captain Jack would disappear from future Doctor Who episodes for good.

Until The BBC makes an official statement on the matter, we can only wait and see what John Barrowman's future is with the franchise. Doctor Who Season 13 is still in the process of filming, so it could still be a while before American audiences see it on BBC America. For more on the series in the meantime, be sure to read up on former Doctor Peter Capaldi's upcoming appearance in The Suicide Squad and why fans will be excited about it.

As Doctor Who continues work on Season 13, actor John Barrowman has faced a reckoning as allegations of past flashing incidents on set have dominated the headlines. On the heels of a Jack Harkness audio drama being shelved, the actor has reached out directly to fans who've stood by him during this time.

While John Barrowman has released statements on the flashing controversy, this is the first time he publicly spoke to fans since the controversy began. Barrowman posted a message on his Instagram page, and though the allegations were not explicitly mentioned, they're certainly alluded to in his short message.

John Barrowman has faced a lot of controversy lately, as multiple sources alleged the actor had a habit of flashing his genitals on the set of Doctor Who in the series' earlier seasons. These reports aren't entirely new, as Barrowman publicly apologized in 2008 for incidents, and executive producers claimed his inappropriate behavior stopped after being confronted about it. Many who spoke on the past incidents also stressed that the flashing incidents were never sexual in nature but just meant as a joke that ended up falling flat with many.

With that said, Barrowman's past misdeeds were dragged back into the spotlight after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced regarding another past Doctor Who actor, Noel Clarke. Clarke and Barrowman's behavior called into question the level of professionalism on the set in Doctor Who's early reboot seasons.

As mentioned, John Barrowman has lost jobs related to Doctor Who in recent weeks, but nothing has been announced regarding his future with the series. The character returned to the franchise in Season 12 following a long absence, and due to a leaked book tie-in, it was believed the character could have a role in Season 13. For now, fans can only wait and see Barrowman's future with the franchise and whether the loss of smaller gigs is an indication they've severed ties.

Doctor Who has been on the air a long time, and as some would guess, this is not the first time in the series that it has faced controversy. Those looking to read more on that should certainly check out our list of the series' most controversial episodes and why some of them rubbed fans the wrong way.

It's been a week since Doctor Who vet John Barrowman's flashing allegations resurfaced thanks to a viral video that became relevant again following the host of allegations against fellow franchise actor Noel Clarke. Despite Barrowman's apologies both past and present, the renewed attention is taking its toll on Barrowman's future regarding Doctor Who projects, among other industry gigs. Just days after it was first announced that Barrowman was removed from the immersive Who experience dubbed Time Fracture, the UK studio Big Finish has cancelled the upcoming audio series Torchwood: Absent Friends with David Tennant.

The Torchwood audio drama was heavily hyped as being the highly anticipated reunion between David Tennant's iteration of The Doctor and John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness, but was shelved by Big Finish for at least the foreseeable future. The official statement from the company (via io9) was brief but made it clear what the plans are with the project going forward

The statement is obviously a major bummer for fans, but it's worth noting that Big Finish did not rule out the possibility of Torchwood: Absent Friends being released at a later date. It's presumed that the entire project's production was complete, considering it was set to release this month, so it's almost likely that it will see the light of day at some point in the future.

That outlook is a bit more optimistic than what happened with Time Fracture, the immersive experience that completely removed a video of Barrowman attached to the project. That event is still scheduled to proceed as planned, sans Captain Jack, and at this point, one would assume the creative team will close out the experience's run without re-adding Barrowman's footage to it, since it appears it won't be necessary for the experience to make sense.

The canceled audio drama may not even be the latest project to drop John Barrowman following the viral spread of the resurfaced video in which Noel Clarke talked about Barrowman routinely exposing his genitals to others on set as a prank. Clarke's claims were confirmed by multiple people associated with Doctor Who, though it was stressed by many that his actions weren't perceived in ways one would consider sexual in nature.

John Barrowman's loss of two Doctor Who-related jobs may cause some concern with fans. After all, the actor had only just returned to the franchise for these key appearances as Captain Jack after years of being away. With Barrowman's recent setbacks, one has to wonder if the controversy could impact whether or not Captain Jack will appear in Season 13 or any later seasons. There has been no explicit confirmation that Jack was set to appear in Season 13, though a leaked tie-in novel featuring the character was teased for Episode 3, so there were expectations.

Doctor Who Season 13 is still in the works, so it's difficult to speculate too much on who will or won't be involved in the season. We still don't even know for sure how much longer current Doctor Jodie Whittaker will be with the series. For more on that, be sure to read up on some of the chatter about who could be the one to replace her if she does leave after Season 13.

John Barrowman’s time as Captain John Harkness in the Doctor Who universe (or multiple universes?) mostly took place over 10 years ago but, recently, his time on the set has been a major topic of discussion. The popularity of his character in the main Doctor Who series sparked his own spin-off, Torchwood, though a number of stories have since surfaced that have accused Barrowman of exposing himself on both sets in the name of comedy. A few alums from both shows have spoken out about the rumors in the past but, now that they've resurfaced, a fellow Torchwood star has chimed in, speaking in defense of Barrowman.

John Barrowman’s Torchwood co-star, Gareth David-Lloyd, was the one to defend him in the midst of the reignited allegations. In an interview with Metro, David-Lloyd explained that he fully understands in hindsight that Barrowman's on-set actions were inappropriate. However, based on his comments, David-Lloyd doesn't believe his co-star meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable but only sought to "entertain" the cast and crew of Torchwood. Here it is in his own words:

Gareth David-Lloyd seems to partially attribute John Barrowman's actions to the fact that the cast and crew of Torchwood were so close. He adds that because he was a less experienced actor at the time, he was somewhat unaware of how his co-star's actions would make others feel. In the same interview, David-Lloyd went on to double down on his belief that Barrowman meant no harm with his antics on set:

John Barrowman initially apologized for his behavior back in 2008, saying he never meant to affect anyone negatively and that he would be more diligent through his actions moving forward. He has also apologized again recently since the rumors have resurfaced. In this most recent statement, Barrowman said that he understands the effects of his "exuberant behaviour" and that he has changed his behavior and understanding since the initial allegations.

The renewed interest in these reported incidents involving John Barrowman comes on the heels of another situation involving Doctor Who star, Noel Clarke. The actor, who played Mickey back in the beginning of the 2005 revival and was recently rumored to return, has been accused of sexual assault and harassment by over 20 women. In a recently resurfaced 2014 video recorded at a convention, Clarke actually recalled an incident related to Barrowman’s on-set conduct, and said clip has sparked new interest in the years-old allegations.

As of right now, it doesn't appear that there have been any recent instances in which John Barrowman has exposed himself on the set of a production. Still, the BBC appears to be heavily investigating any claims of misconduct and is reportedly taking those claims very seriously. Now that Barrowman has the support of Gareth David-Lloyd, it remains to be seen whether any of his other Doctor Who or Torchwood co-stars will also speak in defense of him.

Doctor Who's Noel Clarke has been under fire in recent weeks following claims of sexual harassment and misconduct on the sets of his shows. Now, past known allegations are also rising against another prominent actor within the franchise. John Barrowman has apologized again to the fandom after past accusations of flashing on the show's set have resurfaced.

Public interest in the claims of John Barrowman exposing his genitals on the sets of Doctor Who and Torchwood was reignited by the recent allegations of misconduct against actor Noel Clarke, who was also on the series around the same time. Allegations made years prior by various cast members (including Clarke) claimed that Barrowman would randomly expose himself on set and even hit cast members with his penis at random.

The Guardian then spoke to several sources who then confirmed John Barrowman repeatedly exposed himself on set, though not in a manner that one would perceive as sexual. One woman, who had her name changed for the article, stated that while Barrowman exposing himself to her and others on set made her uncomfortable, there was never a time in which it happened that she felt unsafe. While Barrowman's lawyers said he "could not recall" specific instances mentioned in the article, the actor did give a statement apologizing for any resurfaced claims and new ones from his early years on the show:

As the quote above mentioned John Barrowman had to answer for the flashing allegations over a decade prior. Executive producer Julie Gardner confirmed she confronted the actor in 2008 about allegations on the set of Torchwood and that to her knowledge, the activity halted soon after. Barrowman apologized later that year in a BBC Radio 1 interview saying that his behavior went too far.

The past claims about John Barrowman and any new ones sprang up after a viral video surfaced in which Noel Clarke spoke of the actor's flashing habit to convention-goers at a Chicago TARDIS convention in 2014:

Not long after telling that story, Noel Clarke asked Doctor Who co-star Camille Coduri, who played Rose Tyler's mother Jackie, if she remembered the time John Barrowman "put it on her shoulder in the makeup room." Coduri confirmed that she did but didn't want to bring it up. Clarke then followed up with a warning to men at the panel not to try it, or they'd get fired and go to jail.

Barrowman recently returned to the Doctor Who franchise, years removed from the allegations and apology that he gave for past actions. It's been rumored the actor will return to the series in Season 13, though there are no guarantees given how tight-lipped the franchise is during production.

Season 13 of Doctor Who is on the way, but fans can binge prior seasons of the series over on HBO Max. For more on the franchise, check out Matt Smith's recent talk about the series and the reason actors who play The Doctor likely don't stick around too long.

Doctor Who Season 13 is in development, and fans have been doing their best to try and dig up any details about the season ahead of its release. The results have been hit or miss so far, though the latest information dug up may have just confirmed that John Barrowman's Jack Harkness will yet again reunite with The Doctor and friends for another adventure.

The news came from a description of an upcoming Doctor Who novel that was up on the Penguin Random House website, but it was removed once word traveled around. Luckily, this wasn't before the synopsis was pulled from the site (via Radio Times), which explain how Jack may re-enter the story in Season 13. Read the synopsis below, which was said to be a tie-in adventure to Season 13, Episode 2.

It looks like Jack is on another collision course with the Torchwood Institute, which is interesting given the events of the latest special, "Revolution of the Daleks." When the Doctor Who character bid farewell to the 13th Doctor, he announced he was off to see Gwen Cooper, who was featured alongside Harkness in the Torchwood spinoff. Given that this tie-in adventure is set to an episode so early in the season, could this mean Season 13 will feature a mini-Torchwood reunion of sorts?

If so, it wouldn't be all that surprising. After a long time away from the franchise, John Barrowman appeared as Captain Jack in in Season 12 and the latest special. It would not be at all surprising to learn that showrunner Chris Chibnall got him on board for another appearance. As for the official word so far, BBC declined to comment on any speculation.

While The BBC is often unwilling to comment on these matters, it does need to be said that the fact Captain Jack is appearing in a tie-in Doctor Who novel does not necessarily guarantee his involvement in the episode it's referencing. Or, Jack could only play a small part in the actual adventure, which would justify fans buying a tie-in novel to see the full scope of what he got into. As a big fan of John Barrowman and Captain Jack, I'm choosing to remain optimistic and that he'll not only be featured but that this could be some backdoor pilot for a Torchwood revival!

Ok, maybe that's a bit too optimistic, but with Doctor Who Season 13 still in production, who's to say what is and isn't possible at the moment? All we can do is speculate, continue to scour the web for answers on upcoming episodes and continue to guess who could take Jodie Whittaker's place if this is indeed her final season.

Doctor Who fans have been clamoring for John Barrowman's Torchwood to return ever since the spinoff series last aired in 2011. Those calls for a revival have sprung up again, and this time, there's a valid reason to justify the calls and even believe there's a chance it could happen.

The latest on the revival front is that the BBC is bringing back its channel BBC Three, the first network home of Torchwood during its four-season run. BBC Three is set to return in 2022, and beyond the fact that audiences are all about television revivals these days, Torchwood celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. If ever there was a time to announce Torchwood will return for Season 5, one would think that time is coming up.

If you're someone who believes there's no such thing as coincidences, you may even suspect there are some talks for a Torchwood revival already happening. Is it a happy coincidence that John Barrowman marked his triumphant return to Doctor Who in Season 12 and the New Year's special when he'd been away from the franchise almost as long as since Torchwood has aired a new episode? I'm not saying the return means anything, but the timing is arguably suspicious, to say the least.

Especially when you think back to "Revolution of the Daleks," in which John Barrowman's Jack directly referenced his intention to reconnect with a Torchwood co-star. Jack bid farewell to The Doctor over the phone and made a point to mention Gwen Cooper sent her love. Jack also mentioned he'd be spending some time with Gwen, which could very well be a subtle nod tease that something is in the works.

So, while it may seem like Torchwood fans are up in arms and generating hype for a revival literally all the time, there is reason to be excited for the moment. The odds look the best they have in a decade that John Barrowman will return, though it's worth noting nothing is guaranteed.

This is especially true in regards to the revival happening on BBC Three, which, as mentioned previously, was only one of the networks to air Torchwood. The series made the jump from BBC Two in Season 2, BBC One in Season 3, then finally there was a co-production between BBC One and Starz for Season 4, which was re-titled Torchwood: Miracle Day. Should the series return, I'm sure there would be many options for a network to take it. BBC Three is an option for the return, but certainly not the only one.

Torchwood is a unique cases, mainly because it was technically never canceled. Showrunner Russell T. Davies put the series on hold after his husband's diagnosis with brain cancer, and the series has been in a strange limbo ever since. The only real successful effort at a revival happened in 2017 in the form of an audio drama, but Gwen actress Eve Myles wasn't quite as involved in the series as Barrowman.

Both Myles and Barrowman have stayed fairly busy since the show's hiatus, so getting them together for a full season could be quite a challenge. It gets doubly hard when adding Russell T. Davies to the equation, who is back in the spotlight thanks to his television series It's A Sin. It wouldn't be hard to believe more projects are heading his way soon, assuming Season 5 of Torchwood isn't already being inked out to conflict with that.

The odds seem better now than in previous years that Torchwood may one day return to television, but fans will have to wait and see if it happens for sure. American audiences can binge the Doctor Who spinoff on HBO Max in the meantime and read about the surprising pick John Barrowman had for the next Doctor right here.

While Doctor Who toils away on Season 13, speculation has run rampant on whether Jodie Whittaker will leave the role following the upcoming season and who might replace her. John Barrowman recently threw out an interesting suggestion in It's A Sin star Olly Alexander and, following the series' American debut on HBO Max, more audiences are warming up to the idea.

Alexander recently interviewed on the UK radio program Capital Breakfast With Roman Kemp (via DailyMail) and was asked if he had been formally approached by Doctor Who about joining the show. Olly Alexander answered and shared his overall interest in taking the show's role as the 14th Doctor if that was on the table:

It's no surprise Olly Alexander would be interested in the role of The Doctor, considering it's one of the most high-profile roles a European television actor can nab. Interestingly, Alexander wouldn't publicly comment as to whether or not he's spoken to anyone at Doctor Who because if the answer was no, he could say so. If the answer is yes, then he obviously wouldn't be at liberty to discuss any details or really mention it, given the show's penchant for secrecy.

Of course, Olly Alexander could've just been teasing or trying to rally up interest amongst Doctor Who fans, perhaps in an effort to make a discussion happen. As previously mentioned, the actor wasn't even really in conversation to take the alleged role until he was hyped by John Barrowman, who has popped in and out of the series as Captain Jack Harkness. Could Barrowman have put The BBC on the trail of the actor, or was his decision influenced by chatter he heard when filming the most recent special?

It's also worth noting that the series Olly Alexander is a part of, It's A Sin, is a project from a notable face from Doctor Who -- Russell T. Davies. Davies was the program's showrunner from the start of the reboot up until the end of Season 4. Davies worked alongside current Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall during that time, so there is a way in which Alexander could've been in contact with a key decision maker for the next Doctor if it was something he was interested in.

As previously stated though, the news that Jodie Whittaker will leave Doctor Who is still a rumor. With that said, no modern Doctor has remained on the show much longer than three full seasons, with David Tennant having a couple of standalone specials between the Doctor's transition to actor Matt Smith. Three seasons max seems to be the precedent but not a hard and fast rule the show must obey. In either case, it's still just a rumor for now, with The BBC refusing to comment on what Whittaker's future with the series will be beyond Season 13.

Doctor Who is working on Season 13, but fans can binge past episodes right now on HBO Max. Continue to stay with CinemaBlend for the latest speculation regarding the next Doctor, such as why one betting favorite may not be as obvious a choice for the Doctor as some are thinking.

The future face of Doctor Who has been the subject of rampant speculation ahead of Season 13, as fans around the world wonder if it will be the final season for the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. This type of speculation always leads to the question of who will be next, and it turns out series vet John Barrowman has a choice lined up if the BBC series is in the market.

Barrowman recently spoke to Express, and revealed that he's been watching a series with some Doctor Who ties, It's A Sin. In his praise of the show, Barrowman threw in a suggestion that lead actor Olly Alexander is phenomenal in the series, and he'd make a great Doctor. Here's how Barrowman put it:

30-year-old Olly Alexander has been working steadily in film and television since 2008, so he's not exactly a new face to acting. His credentials also fall in line with the type of actor modern Doctor Who pursues for the role, which is to say he's a European actor without a ton of mainstream exposure to an American audience. I have to say John Barrowman may be onto something here, especially if the show is tasked with finding a buzz-worthy actor in the near future to replace Jodie Whittaker.

One would imagine it wouldn't be hard for Chris Chibnall to get an audience with Olly Alexander, given It's A Sin's ties to former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. Davies is the showrunner of the new series set to premiere in the United States on HBO Max beginning February 18.

While I'm open to the idea of Olly Alexander playing The Doctor, I can't help but consider the can of worms Doctor Who might open by immediately returning to a male Doctor after having its first female. There will almost certainly be some that would rather the series continue its trend of female Doctors and others who believe the return to male Doctors is an admission the first female Doctor was a mistake. I'm not sure if Chris Chibnall or Doctor Who's deciders really care about fan opinions for that decision, but the next casting of The Doctor stands a good chance of either unifying or further dividing the fandom since Chibnall's start on the show.

Olly Alexander is a perfect choice in the eyes of John Barrowman, but I am curious as to what other Doctor Who fans think. Share all thoughts in the comments below, and for more on the series, read up on some of the controversies the franchise has had in the past here.

For nearly 60 years (including some extended breaks), the BBC science-fiction spectacle Doctor Who has provided some of the most highly regarded and well-versed actors to ever grace television sets around the world. People like Matt Smith, David Tennant and Karen Gillan all became international superstars after they appeared on the global phenomenon. But what are they up to now?

Actually, you could ask that question for any number of the former Doctor Who cast members, whether they played one of the Doctors or their trusty companions. And while it would be ideal to catch up with all of the previous Doctors (the ones who are still alive, that is) and the rest of the cast, there simply isn't enough time in the world or a TARDIS large enough to handle the dozens upon dozens of actors who have taken part in Doctor Who over the years. But that doesn't mean we can't highlight some of the most notable figures from the sci-fi/fantasy show. So without wasting any more time, let's get started, shall we?

Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor)

Perhaps one of the most popular actors to take on the role of The Doctor since the 2005 Doctor Who revival, Matt Smith played the titular from 2010 and 2014 before handing things off to his successor. Since leaving the BBC series, Smith has gone on to have a successful career on television with his turn as Prince Philip on Netflix's The Crown, as well as on stage with Lungs. The English actor has two major film projects set to hit theaters in 2021: the Marvel movie Morbius and Edgar Wright's next feature Last Night In Soho, both of which had their releases delayed in the last several months.

David Tennant (Tenth Doctor)

Despite handing of the role of The Doctor to Matt Smith in 2010, David Tennant has remained attached to the franchise in a number of ways since then. He appeared in the 2013 special The Day of the Doctor alongside several other incarnations of the iconic character, as well as in several Doctor Who radio dramas over the years, with the most recent coming out in 2019. In the years following his departure from the series, Tennant has made a name for himself with his depictions of more villainous roles, like Kilgrave in Jessica Jones and the upcoming Dennis Nilsen biographical miniseries Des, which will follow the Scottish serial killer's reign of terror. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention his time as Scrooge McDuck on the new DuckTales.

Peter Capaldi (Twelfth Doctor)

Peter Capaldi found himself in the unenviable position of replacing Matt Smith as The Doctor in 2013, a role he would fill until 2017, when he his successor and current Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, joined Doctor Who. A veteran actor of theatre, television and film, Capaldi has continued providing engaging and powerful performances since leaving the BBC series. With appearances in films ranging from the Paddington franchise to The Personal History of David Copperfield, Capaldi has done a little bit of everything. The Scottish actor will next appear in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, but the identity of Capaldi's character has yet to be revealed.

Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor)

Rounding out this first secton section of this list is Christopher Eccleston, who had the distinction of being the first Doctor when the series was brought back to television in 2005. Even though he only served as the Time Lord for 13 episodes before David Tennant stepped in, Eccleston is still fondly remembered for the charm and wit he brought to the role. We still don't know when or if Eccleston will ever return to Doctor Who for a one-off appearance, but the actor who brought the Ninth Doctor to life has remained quite busy in the decade and a half since leaving the series. With appearances on The Leftovers, Thor: The Dark World, and most recently in 2019: A Year in the Life of a Year, Eccleston is busy to say the very least.

Karen Gillan (Amy Pond)

In terms of recent companions, there is arguably none more well-regarded and popular as Karen Gillan's Amy Pond. Since leaving the show in 2012, Gillan has gone on to have one of the most successful careers out of anyone tied to the Doctor Who franchise since its return in 2005. Starting with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, Gillan has portrayed Thanos' cybernetic daughter Nebula in multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. With momentum from her successful MCU run, the Scottish actress has gone on to headline the rebooted Jumanji franchise and will next appear in the female-led assassin film Gunpowder Milkshake, where she will star alongside Lena Headey and Angela Bassett.

Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)

From 2012 to 2015, and briefly popping up again two years later, Jenna Coleman played the Doctor's companion, Clara Oswald, making her the longest-serving character and actor to accompany the time-traveling alien since the show's 2005 revival. Since leaving the BBC program, Coleman has gone on to appear in a number of television series (most notably leading Victoria), stage productions, films and even video games. Coleman's next confirmed project is the upcoming Netflix serial killer drama The Serpent, where she will play Marie-Andrée Leclerc, a known accomplice of the French serial killer Charles Sobhraj.

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)

Billie Piper primarily appeared on Doctor Who in the first two seasons of the show's 2005 revival, where she played the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler. Piper would go on to portray the character in a number of specials all the way to 2013, but she has since moved on to shows like Penny Dreadful and Collateral, as well as films like Eternal Beauty and Rare Beasts. In addition to keeping busy with her various acting roles, Piper is politically vocal in her native England, especially when it comes to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)

Although he has only appeared on a total of 12 episodes of Doctor Who over the years, John Barrowman's portrayal of Captain Jack Harkness remains one of the most popular performances on the long-running series. Captain Jack is so popular in fact that he got his own spinoff series, Torchwood, one year after the character appeared on the 2005 Doctor Who revival. Fans of the series were delighted to see Captain Jack return for "Fugitive of the Judoon" in early 2020, but who knows if Barrowman is back for good. And in addition to his acting (which includes his stint as Malcolm Merlyn on Arrow), Barrowman has quite a successful music career, with his latest album A Fabulous Christmas being released in 2019.

Alex Kingston (River Song)

Alex Kingston has gone on the record stating that she still can't watch the final episode featuring her character River Song, but she isn't against the idea of returning to Doctor Who as the Time Lord's wife one of these days. Since leaving the BBC series, Kingston has remained busy with a number of different projects including Arrow, The Widow and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The actress is currently on the television series A Discovery of Witches, where she portrays Sarah Bishop, the aunt of the show's main character, Diana Bishop.

Matt Lucas (Nardole)

Matt Lucas came into fame with appearances on shows like Little Britain and Rock Profile, but portraying Nardole on Doctor Who didn't hurt at all. An alien from the far future with some pretty impressive cybernetic implants, Nardole is one the Twelfth Doctor's companions. Since leaving the show in 2017, Lucas has gone on to further his career with notable performances in the 2019 production of Les Misérables, where he portrayed Thénardier. In 2020, the English actor, comedian, and writer was named co-host of The Great British Bake Off.

Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts)

Pearl Mackie's portrayal of Bill Potts, one of the Twelfth Doctor's companions on Doctor Who, is one of the most memorable in recent memory. With an offbeat energy not seen by many of The Doctor's previous companions, Potts was a breath of fresh air. Since leaving the show in 2017, Mackie, who is a singer, actor, and dancer by trade, has continued to have small roles in a number of projects, including the Urban Myths episode about Donald Trump meeting Andy Warhol, as well as the upcoming film Horizon Line, which is currently in production.

Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams)

Arthur Darvill may be known as Rory Williams from his time as the Eleventh Doctor's companion on Doctor Who, but the actor/musician has done much more than that. Darvill appeared on the show from 2010 to 2012, but has since gone on to portray Paul Coates in Broadchurch, Rip Hunter in Legends of Tomorrow, Guy in the 2013 stage production of Once and a number of other roles. In addition to acting, Darvill is also an accomplished musician and was part of the #zoologicalsociety album that was released in early 2020.

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)

Freema Agyeman first appeared as Torchwood One tech Adeola Oshodi in the 2006 episode "Army of Ghosts," but would go on to play the character's cousin and the Doctor's companion Martha Jones after Adeola's death. Agyeman would remain on the show through 2010, during which time she also appeared in three episodes of the Torchwood spinoff series. The English actress then focussed her time on Law and Order: UK, The Carried Diaries, and Sense8 over the following decade. She is currently on the main cast of the medical drama New Amsterdam, where she portrays Dr. Helen Sharpe. And no one ever truly leaves Doctor Who as Agyeman recently appeared in the Torchwood: Dissected audio drama.

Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)

English actress, comedian, and writer Catherine Tate appeared on Doctor Who from 2006 to 2010 during which time she portrayed Donna Noble, one of the many companions of the Tenth Doctor. Initially terrified by the time-traveling Doctor, Donna quickly became one of the Time Lord's most trusted companions. After leaving Doctor Who in 2010, Tate jumped over to The Office where she became one of the show's stars until its 2013 finale. In addition to that, Tate has produced her own stage show, The Catherine Tate Show: Live! as well as voicing Magica De Spell in the 2017 DuckTales reboot.

Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith)

And then there is Noel Clarke, who portrayed Mickey Smith on Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010. Introduced as Rose Tyler's (Billie Piper) boyfriend, Mickey later became a companion of the Ninth and Tenth Doctors before Clarke left the franchise. Since then, Clarke has gone on to take on a number of roles in television and film, including Parenthood, an ongoing project in which the actor also serves as writer and director, and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Those are just a few of the former Doctor Who cast members. Like I said at the beginning, this list could have been much longer and included literally dozens upon dozens of actors, but maybe there'll be time for that in the future.

Though Oliver Queen might not be around anymore to witness its ongoing legacy, Arrow is easily one of the most important superhero projects to ever hit the small screen. The action-packed drama birthed an entire costumed industry on The CW, where indirect spinoffs like Batwoman are keeping the cycle going into the future. From its pilot through Season 8's conclusion, the show built a fandom that will continue to provide Arrow's cast with an endless supply of adoration and questions about their experiences.

One of those questions the Arrow cast probably gets a lot is "What are you doing next?" That's precisely the inquiry that this story is here to answer, so join us in looking forward and learning what all of the main Arrow cast members through the years will be doing in the foreseeable future.

Stephen Amell (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow)

Having had his share of portraying the playboy-turned-vigilante Oliver Queen, Stephen Amell chose to follow Arrow up with a starring role on the upcoming Starz drama Heels. With a focus on the world of independent pro wrestling, Heels will pair Amell up with Vikings' Alexander Ludwig as two head-butting brothers fighting over their late father's wrestling promotion as it grows in popularity. Amell has years of experience with pro wrestling, going back to his faux rivalry with then-WWE superstar Cody Rhodes. Amell will also be seen opposite Criminal Minds' Aisha Tyler in the short film Speech & Debate, and fans can often find him giving extended Q&A sessions on Instagram and Facebook.

Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance/Black Canary/Black Siren)

Like only a few other Arrowverse stars, Katie Cassidy got to play two different versions of Laurel Lance, with two different vigilante personas under her belt. Considering both characters were fan-favorites throughout the course of the drama's eight seasons (even when she wasn't even around), it perhaps makes all the sense in the Earth-1 that Cassidy's next big project in the works is the in-development Arrow spinoff that will be devoted to the Canaries. Cassidy made her directorial debut directing the third episode of Arrow's final season, so fans might soon get to see from of her work behind the camera.

Emily Bett Rickards (Felicity Smoak/Overwatch)

Though Emily Bett Rickards exited Arrow before its final season, her years of emotional performances as the nick-of-time tech whiz Felicity made her feel ever-present anyway. (It helped when she came back for the series finale.) Fans would no doubt love to see Felicity appear again in the Arrowverse, but for the near-future, fans will hopefully soon watch her in the indie dramedy We Need to Talk, from writer/director Todd Wolfe, which is about a self-absorbed celebrity gamer struggling to interact with people in the real world as easily as he does online. As of a year ago, in 2019, Rickards was also signed on to produce and star in Miles Forster's horror RAGs, centered on a movie serial killer who defends a group of teenagers from another dangerous killer.

David Ramsey (John Diggle/Spartan)

The kind of sidekick/bodyguard that every good vigilante deserves, David Ramsey's John Diggle was an integral part of what made Arrow's core squad so watchable. The show's fans have been craving for Ramsey to get a shot at playing the Green Lantern on the small screen, but there's nothing concrete in the cards just yet. That said, the actor did appear on The Flash after Arrow's end, so he might just stick around The CW from time to time. While he doesn't have any bigger projects publicly known to be in the works, Ramsey is currently recording Cameo videos for fans where part of the proceeds go to the Red Cross. Maybe we'll see Ramsey returning to CBS' Blue Bloods for another attempt at mayor-dom.

Willa Holland (Thea Queen/Speedy)

For six seasons and then some, Willa Holland served as Oliver's badass younger sister Thea Queen, who eventually became (and then retired and became again) the vigilante Speedy. The actress and character returned for Season 8 in a recurring capacity, but probably won't show up in the Arrowverse again. Which is a shame, since Willa Holland doesn't have anything big on the radar as far as TV or movie roles. She reprised her role as Aqua in Kingdom Hearts III in 2019, so maybe it's time to start any arguments that Kingdom Hearts should get a Disney+ TV show soon.

Paul Blackthorne (Quentin Lance)

A solid part of Arrow through its sixth season, and then again in Season 8, Paul Blackthorne was as dependable a performer as always when portraying the occasional alcoholic Quentin Lance, father to Sara and Laurel. With Quentin in his rear-view, Blackthorne will co-star with Gotham vet Morena Baccarin and Legends of Tomorrow vet John Noble in the extraterrestrial-hinged crime drama TV series Home Invasion. Blackthorne is also part of the star-studded voice cast for the upcoming animated feature Pierre the Pigeon Hawk, which also has Kenan Thompson, Howie Mandel, Nick Cannon, Whoopi Goldberg and more involved. Though it's not an on-screen role, Blackthorne serves as a producer on the upcoming females-in-football documentary Victorious.

Rick Gonzalez (Rene Ramirez/Wild Dog)

Before joining Arrow to play the anger-laden Rene Ramirez, a.k.a. Wild Dog, actor Rick Gonzalez was probably best known for his hilariously subdued reactions in the cancelled-too-soon supernatural comedy Reaper. While it's possible Wild Dog could appear in the Arrow spinoff, considering what we know of the universe's future, Rick Gonzalez is already set to show up on TV rather frequently again in the near future. Gonzalez landed a role in Langdon, which is NBC's upcoming episodic take on Dan Brown's puzzle-cracking historian Robert Langdon, of DaVinci Code fame. (Don't forget about that Calvin Klein ad he was in, either.)

Juliana Harkavy (Dinah Drake/Black Canary)

When she joined Arrow in Season 5, Juliana Harkavy was something of a controversial addition, since she was effectively (at the time) taking the Black Canary helm from Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance. Thankfully, Cassidy returned as Black Siren and gave Harkavy a chance to develop the classic comic character Dinah Drake. Thankfully, the character survived through the events at the end of Arrow's final season, and Dinah is one of the various characters at the heart of the potential Canaries-based spinoff. There's a decent enough chance we'll see her again in Legends or The Flash, but it can't be known for sure just yet. Elsewhere, Harkavy was set to star in a '70s-set thriller titled The Lighthouse, but it's unclear if that project is still in development.

Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn)

Unlike everyone else on this list, Colin Donnell only starred in one season of Arrow, which was its debut year. However, the actor and character struck a major chord with fans (as well as the cast and crew), so Tommy Merlyn got to return to the show on occasion to cause confusion and mourning. (His final episode was the Season 8 premiere.) Donnell's biggest non Arrowverse role came with the NBC drama Chicago Med, though he left the drama in Season 5. He took part in a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie back in January 2020, and has appeared on the recent web talk show Stars in the House, but doesn't have anything upcoming that has been publicly announced. But, in connection with his Med history, Donnell is selling clothing and medical masks to support medical equipment suppliers.

Manu Bennett (Slade Wilson/Deathstroke)

One of the more beloved recurring Arrow characters across its eight-year run, Manu Bennett's deadly assassin Slade Wilson was in beast mode every time he was on the screen, and his take on Deathstroke will likely be the definitive live-action take for a long time. (Sorry, Joe Manganiello and Esai Morales.) Deathstroke returned in Arrow's final season for a last hurrah, but it wasn't Bennett under the mask, and it's unclear where we'll see the actor again in the near future. He showed up in a 2019 episode of The CW's Pandora, which is set to return this year for Season 2. The actor did reunite with his former Shannara Chronicles co-stars for an online reunion in April 2020, and is currently keeping busy sending messages to fans through Cameo.

Katherine McNamara (Mia Smoak/Blackstar/Green Arrow)

One of Arrow's later-stage stars, the former Shadowhunters and Maze Runner franchise star Katherine McNamara joined the CW drama in Season 7 as the future timeline's Mia Smoak, the daughter of Oliver and Felicity whose life was changed by the Crisis on Infinite Earths. She inevitably takes over the Green Arrow mantle, which went into setting up the potential Green Arrow and Canaries spinoff. Beyond that CW project, McNamara will be making waves on another big TV show, CBS All Access' take on Stephen King's The Stand. On the film side, she'll be seen in the romantic drama Finding You, as well as It's Always Sunny vet Charlie Day's comedy feature El Tonto.

Colton Haynes (Roy Harper/Arsenal)

Having gained his brooding drama cred on The Gates and Teen Wolf, Colton Haynes was a big part of Arrow's second and third seasons as the powered-up Roy Harper, who eventually adopted the vigilante persona Arsenal. After faking his death and fleeing Star City, Roy returned to Arrow several times over the remaining seasons, and appeared in three different episodes in Season 8, including the series finale. Haynes' future TV slate appears clear, but as a former star of both American Horror Story: Cult and Scream, he'll hopefully reconnect with Ryan Murphy in the future. Beyond trying to get his YouTube video-creation mojo going, Haynes may soon be seen in Brett Leonard's feature drama Triumph opposite Breaking Bad's R.J. Mitte and Empire's Terrence Howard.

John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer)

John Barrowman has in arguably been one of the most enjoyable elements of the Arrowverse almost since the beginning as Arrow's Malcolm Merlyn, leader of the League of Assassins. Save for Season 6, the charismatic Barrowman appeared in varying capacities across each of Arrow's seasons, and was also a temporary regular on Legends of Tomorrow. The multi-hyphenate entertainer is also beloved for his work in Torchwood and Doctor Who as Captain Jack Harkness. Barrowman's return for Jodie Whittaker's latest season was the only publicly known on-screen role he currently has for 2020. However, the theatre veteran is set to star in the upcoming UK production of Snow White as the Wicked Queen herself. The Hollow Earth YA fantasy novel series that he writes with his sister Carole was optioned several years ago, with X-Men: First Class screenwriter tapped to pen it, but all has been quiet on that front.

Arrow's TV legacy will be felt for many more years to come, especially since nearly the entire cast has wholly embraced the fandom through conventions and social media. (And because the Arrowverse can't stop, won't stop getting new spinoffs.) We'll likely see some of these former stars reprising their heroic and villainous roles in the future in one capacity or another, even though Stephen Amell will likely never play Green Arrow again.

For anyone who wants to relive the plethora of adventures that Oliver & Co. went on – no, not the animated dog movie – you can find all eight seasons streaming right now on Netflix.

This article contains spoilers from the final season of Arrow.

Arrow took its final bow in January, culminating its eight-season run with a series finale that honored Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen and the Green Arrow’s legacy as Star City’s hero. While Oliver died saving the multiverse and fighting the Anti-Monitor in the Arrow-verse crossover, “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” the other characters were left behind to pick up the pieces and move on following the series finale.

Arrow’s series finale saw the return of several familiar faces, some of whom had previously been dead. With the multiverse rebooted and all of Arrow-verse’s superheroes calling Earth Prime home, Arrow resurrected everyone from Moira Queen to Tommy Merlyn. Felicity Smoak, who was absent from Season 8 after Emily Bett Rickards’ departure in Season 7, returned to Star City and came face-to-face with her adult daughter Mia. Meanwhile, Thea Queen and Roy Harper got engaged and Dinah Drake quit being captain of the police department.

However, now that all the superheroes exist on one earth and Star City is seemingly crime-free, Arrow's characters might find themselves called upon to help out elsewhere. There is even still a chance Laurel, Mia, and Dinah get to kick some ass in the future in the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff, though the show has not yet been picked up by The CW. With certain character’s futures up in the air, here are six Arrow characters who can still appear in the Arrow-verse after the series finale.

John Diggle

David Ramsey’s John Diggle is an obvious choice for a multitude of reasons. First introduced in Arrow’s pilot episode, Diggle was initially hired to be Oliver’s bodyguard following an attempt on his life and subsequent kidnapping. Oliver tries to evade Diggle, but the man is ex-military and manages to keep up with the Green Arrow. It isn’t long before the two become friends and working partners.

Following Oliver’s funeral, Diggle packs up his family and decides to move to Metropolis for a new start. On the way, a mysterious crash leads him to open a glowing green box, teasing that he might become the Green Lantern. Now, Diggle could very well continue on to Metropolis and appear in episodes of Superman & Lois, the Arrow-verse’s latest spinoff ordered to series by The CW.

While he’s primarily appeared in episodes of The Flash, potentially becoming Green Lantern means that he could visit all of the Arrow-verse shows to help out as a superpowered being. I could specifically see him showing up on Supergirl, especially since J’onn J'onzz, Kara Danvers, and Brainy could help him grow accustomed to the Lantern’s alien ring.

Quentin Lance

Portrayed with vibrant conviction by Paul Blackthorne, Quentin Lance was introduced as a detective with the then-Starling City police department in Season 1. The father of Laurel and Sara Lance, Quentin was quite angry with Oliver for a long time, blaming him for the death of Sara (though she was later revealed to be alive). After a while, Quentin and Oliver came to respect each other, but he died after taking a bullet to save Earth-2’s Laurel Lance.

Arrow’s series finale revealed that Quentin Lance was alive and well in the newly minted Earth Prime. While the character has only ever crossed over to The Flash before, Quentin could find himself back at Central City’s police department, working alongside Captain Joe West. Now that crime in Star City is practically nonexistent, the former detective could assist in bringing down the crime rate for Batwoman’s Gotham City, since it’s clear the Crows aren’t doing that great a job. Naturally, the best option would be for him to show up on Legends of Tomorrow to pay Sara a visit and maybe even get in on the time travel shenanigans.

Malcolm Merlyn

John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn was equal parts snark and villainy. Arrow’s Season 1 proved him a conniving antagonist who sought the destruction of the Glades. As the Dark Archer, he served as a scenery-chewing villain who went head-to-head with Oliver Queen. Seasons after revealing that he, not Robert Queen, was Thea’s biological father, Malcolm presumably died on the island of Lian Yu after stepping on a landmine in the Season 5 finale.

While Arrow’s series finale brought most everyone back from the dead, Merlyn was not confirmed to be among them. What’s more, no one actually saw him die onscreen, so the villain could return to wreak more havoc in the Arrow-verse. (No body, no death, that’s the fiction rule.) Merlyn was one of four villains, known collectively as the Legion of Doom, in Season 2 of Legends of Tomorrow. There’s a chance he could return to the time-traveling show with a nefarious plan or even show up on Batwoman. I think he’d fit right in with the corrupt in Gotham City and he always did know where to find those Lazarus Pits.

Nyssa Al Ghul

Nyssa Al Ghul was first introduced way back in Season 2 of Arrow. As a member of the League of Assassins and Ra’s Al Ghul daughter, Nyssa is an exceptional fighter, and a reluctant ally of Green Arrow. Nyssa is the ex-lover of Sara, but after seemingly dying for a second time, she mentored and trained Laurel before she eventually became Black Canary. The last we saw of Nyssa, she was joining Thea and Roy Harper on their mission to destroy the Lazarus Pits.

Not much seems to have changed with Nyssa in Earth Prime. However, considering that she and her sister, Talia, are Ra’s Al Ghul’s daughters, they would be right at home in Gotham City. Nyssa probably won’t show up as a villain on Batwoman, but she’s actively and successfully trained several Arrow characters, so she might be able to teach Kate Kane a thing or two. Now that Hawaii Five-0 has officially been cancelled, Katrina Law’s schedule might free her up to reprise her role.

Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific

Curtis Holt first joined Team Arrow in Season 4 after discovering the Green Arrow’s bunker. As a former employee of Palmer Technologies, Curtis was already familiar with Felicity and the two became friends, later coming up with an idea to start their own company. While he ultimately became Mr. Terrific in Season 6, Curtis (Echo Kellum) left Team Arrow for a new job in Washington, D.C., occasionally returning to Star City to help his former teammates when necessary.

Curtis is the most logical choice to appear throughout all of the Arrow-verse shows. From Supergirl to The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow to Batwoman, Curtis’ tech and coding expertise makes him an additional asset to any of the superheroes and their respective teams. While he’s currently retired from being a superhero, I could see Curtis spicing up the Batcave with Luke, hanging out with Cisco over on The Flash and even figuring out a way to get digital information in and out of Black Lightning’s occupied city of Freeland.

Lyla Michaels

Audrey Marie Anderson’s Lyla Michaels was a staple of Arrow since Season 1, appearing in a handful of episodes every season. Her work with A.R.G.U.S. has often put her at odds with husband Diggle, but it was in Season 8, when Lyla became Harbinger and began working with The Monitor, that her storyline really flourished. At the tail end of Arrow's series finale, Lyla and her family were moving to Metropolis.

However, a recent episode of The Flash confirmed that Lyla was still working with A.R.G.U.S., making her the next best candidate to venture to the other shows in the Arrow-verse. Like Diggle, Lyla has primarily crossed over to The Flash. However, given her secret government agency status and the rebooted universe, Lyla could logically offer assistance to the DEO on Supergirl and even appear to help take down the ASA on Black Lightning next season. The most obvious appearance, however, might be on Superman & Lois, where she could team-up with Lois Lane should the intrepid reporter need information only Lyla has.

The possibilities are endless and the list of Arrow characters who could appear throughout the Arrow-verse are not limited to those mentioned here. While Arrow is officially over, there are still plenty of superhero shows to watch on The CW. The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow air Tuesday nights, with Supergirl and Batwoman teaming up on Sunday nights, and Black Lightning going it alone on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. For more, be sure to check out our midseason schedule.

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who’s Season 12, Episode 5, “Fugitive of the Judoon.”

It’s been a long time since John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness has appeared in a Doctor Who episode official, but that changed in Season 12’s “Fugitive of the Judoon.” In a surprise and shocking twist, the charismatic fan-favorite character popped in for a memorable appearance that fans won't soon forget.

John Barrowman was also thrilled by this turn of events, agreeing with Whovians everywhere that “it’s about time” Captain Jack made a comeback, both to the franchise and to the flagship series itself. Here’s what the actor had to say about his long-overdue return to Doctor Who:

In “Fugitive of the Judoon,” Captain Jack’s appearance is quick, but he’s insistent on finding the Doctor. Instead, though, he happens upon the Doctor’s companions and warns them of what’s to come: “Beware a lone Cyberman.”

The message is ominous and mysterious, but John Barrowman’s amazing return was so distracting that I haven’t fully thought about what it might mean just yet. At least, beyond the obvious.

John Barrowman, who’s always been down to return to Doctor Who since his years leading the spinoff Torchwood, predicted that the Internet would go wild following his surprise appearance. Suffice it to say that the Doctor Who actor is just as happy to be back as Captain Jack as the fans are to see him. But was this just a one-off appearance (unlikely) or can audiences hope for Chris Chibnall to have wooed Captain Jack back for multiple episodes?

In an interview with RadioTimes, John Barrowman is being cryptic about what his return means for the long run, but it all seemed to work out in everyone’s favor. In his words:

I’m hoping that John Barrowman’s return wasn’t simply a one-off appearance. He was a sight for sore eyes! So it’s still unclear whether or not Captain Jack will be back again after issuing his warning, and it’s hard to tell if he’ll ever get to interact with Jodie Whittaker’s version of the Doctor. But he has to, right?

As exciting as it was to see John Barrowman on the show again, his appearance brings with it a lot of questions. Will Captain Jack offer more information about this mysterious lone Cyberman and help the Doctor decipher what it all means? It’s always a possibility on Doctor Who (which was recently referenced in Netflix’s Dracula, created by former showrunner Steven Moffat), but nothing is confirmed yet. Whatever the case, Doctor Who has ventured into new territory and Captain Jack’s appearance seems to be a game-changer in Season 12.

Doctor Who Season 12 is back with new episodes every Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on BBC America. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.

A television and pop culture fixture since its debut in 1963, Doctor Who has seen a lot of cast departures in its long and involved history. It’s natural, with Companions and Doctors all having various reasons for deciding to step out of the TARDIS and into the history books. With a huge span between 1989 and 2005 during which the show wasn’t running (save for a TV movie in 1996), there’s a lot of history to cover if you’re a fan of the series that helped make David Tennant and Matt Smith both household names.

For the sake of time, brevity, and the fact that the modern age is what the focus is mostly on with the Doctor Who franchise these days, we’ll be looking at those various departures as they took place throughout the run of Doctor Who that started with 2005’s revival. We’ll going through the different major characters that came and went, their vital characteristics, and ultimately why they left and how they were written off.

All of time and space are waiting, and the starting point in this journey is pretty obvious, as a rather big departure at the end of Season 1 marked the first big shift in Doctor Who history.

Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor)

Seasons Active: Season 1

The first of the modern Doctor Who Doctors, Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor was a man haunted by his past. The last survivor of the Time War between the Time Lords and the Dalek race, this Doctor did the unthinkable in order to end this horrid conflict. Dour and remorseful, he had a lot to learn about forgiveness and lightening up, but before he departed, he eventually did.

Why The Actor Left: In the early days of Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston was the man who would come to represent the show’s new face for a modern age. Yet, backstage politics weighed him down, and soured his impression of the experience of making the show. Eccleston decided to leave before Season 1 even aired and The BBC, in apparent breach of contract, announced as the show was just starting to air that they had cast David Tennant as the next Doctor.

How The Character Was Written Off: After kissing Rose Tyler to drain a lethal dose of TARDIS radiation from her body, The Ninth Doctor restored the energy to the heart of the TARDIS. Of course, this came at a price, as the Time Lord would have to regenerate for the first time in modern series history. Using his special way of cheating death, The Doctor exploded in cosmic energy, and eventually turned into The Tenth Doctor, ready to take that trip to Barcelona he promised dear Rose.

Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)

Seasons Active: Seasons 1 & 2

A young woman in search of adventure, Rose Tyler met The Doctor by chance. After being saved from the Auton invasion, and being left unemployed in the process, Rose eventually became the companion to The Doctor. Growing from a naïve citizen of Earth to a take-charge sidekick who could hold her own, Rose finally made an impression on The Doctor and they became inseparable. Until, one day, fate tore them apart.

Why The Actor Left: Being one of the stars on a show like Doctor Who is pretty exhausting, particularly given everyone is prone to speculating about what’s going to happen next. As such, Billie Piper found herself overwhelmed by how much the series had taken priority in her life. So by time Season 2 came around, Piper decided to leave the show; just one season in with the new Doctor she’d forever be associated with, David Tennant. Though eventually, Billie Piper did return for a guest spot in Season 4, completing her story in the television series for good.

How The Character Was Written Off: During the Battle of Canary Wharf, where The Daleks and The Cybermen waged all-out war for control of the Earth, The Doctor and Rose closed the dimensional rift that allowed both warring races to cross over into our realm in the first place. Rose was almost sucked into the dimensional void that both aliens were being sent back to, but thanks to an alternate reality version of her father, Pete, Rose was whisked away to a parallel reality that she and The Doctor had visited earlier. Sealed off from our world for good, she was never to see The Doctor again. But a huge event let her return to our world, and when she went back to her home in the alternate universe, she was sent back with a humanoid clone of The Tenth Doctor, who she could live happily ever after with. Though Rose would finally appear as a vision to The War Doctor, in an effort to dissuade him from destroying the Time Lords and the Daleks in "The Day of The Doctor."

Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones)

Seasons Active: Season 3

Before she met The Doctor, Martha Jones was a medical student who had her future mapped out, complete with her loving fiancé and eccentric family. Those are the sorts of things that get thrown out the window when The Doctor came to call, and becoming his companion did take her away from everyone she knew and loved. Though she didn’t mind, as she had a huge crush on The Doctor throughout their time together as Time Lord and Companion.

Why The Actor Left: With The Tenth Doctor and Rose still enduring as one of the most iconic pairs in Doctor Who history, fan reaction wasn’t as abundant when it came to Martha’s turn to shine. Therefore, she was written off after the end of Season 3, with Martha reappearing a couple times toward the end of David Tennant’s run, as well as becoming a character in the second season of the spin-off series Torchwood.

How The Character Was Written Off: After living through an alternate year of human history as a revolutionary fighting The Master, Martha Jones was done traveling through time and space. Accepting The Doctor’s rejection of her romantic advances,and finding herself more confident than ever, she left the TARDIS and struck it out on her own. Martha would later work for Torchwood along with Captain Jack Harkness, and would eventually marry Mickey Smith, Rose Tyler’s ex-boyfriend.

Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)

Seasons Active: Season 4

Before Martha Jones had come into his life, The Tenth Doctor palled around with someone he’d soon meet again in the wake of Martha’s departure. Donna Noble, the “runaway bride," was accidentally intercepted by the TARDIS shortly after The Doctor said goodbye to Rose Tyler for the (supposedly) final time. After fighting the Racnoss Empress on what was supposed to be her wedding day, Donna would develop a nose for unusual goings on,in hopes that she’d meet up with her friend The Doctor yet again.

Why The Actor Left: Donna Noble was always intended to be a one-season companion, per the plans made by then show-unner Russell T. Davies. This moment was shocking, but as most big fissures in Doctor Who history tend to be, it was also planned for.

How The Character Was Written Off: One of the MOST important rules as a Companion is and always will be: Don’t touch anything that contains powers beyond human comprehension;,unless you have permission. Donna Noble, for one brief moment in time, was a human/Time Lord metacrisis, a human being with the powers of perception of a Time Lord. That sort of thing fries a human brain out really quickly, and unfortunately The Doctor had to do something he never wished he’d had to do, which was to wipe Donna’s memories of traveling with him, in order to save her mind. She reappeared briefly in David Tennant’s two-part finale, “The End of Time," but that was the end of Donna’s story, as she married and lived happily ever after, with a fortune won by The Doctor.

John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness)

Seasons Active: Season 1 & Season 3

Dashing, debonair, and willing to bunk down with anyone with a postcode, Captain Jack Harkness was one of Doctor Who’s most iconic recurring characters. Always willing to flirt with Doctor and Companion alike, Jack traveled through time via a time vortex manipulator, and was made pretty much immortal due to Rose Tyler resurrecting him with the power of the TARDIS. This, by some with shaky marriages and/or evil designs against the Earth, was considered a very bad idea.

Why The Actor Left: With Captain Jack Harkness taking a major role in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood, John Barrowman was able to cross over into Doctor Who a couple of times, but was never a terribly huge fixture on the show. When Russell T. Davies left his duties as showrunner, Captain Harkness just wasn’t brought back into the Doctor Who fold. That didn’t stop him from building a fanbase though, and eventually, it came time for Captain Jack to run off into Torchwood history, with that series eventually ending in its televised form in 2011.

How The Character Was Written Off: Much like Martha Jones, Captain Jack Harkness left after he, Martha, and The Doctor unwound a whole year of the planet being under the control of The Master. Doing his usual duties as an agent of time protection and seduction, he went off on more Torchwood adventures, and eventually became The Face of Boe – a mysterious head in a gigantic jar, who had previously assisted The Doctor in his Ninth incarnation, as well as earlier in Season 3.

David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor)

Seasons Active: Seasons 2 – 4

Quite possibly the most popular Doctor of the modern era of Doctor Who, The Tenth Doctor was a burst of energy that lead to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor, but also carried over some of the dour energy that Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor exhibited. At some points carefree, and at others remorseful, this Doctor was shattered when Rose Tyler left, and took quite a bit of time getting over her departure.

Why The Actor Left: Another party who decided to leave before outstaying their welcome, David Tennant announced his departure from Doctor Who during, out of all places, an awards acceptance speech. After a set of specials rounding out his tenure, Tennant yielded to Matt Smith, and then-showrunner Russell T. Davies ceded his position to writer Steven Moffat.

How The Character Was Written Off: After defeating The Master yet again, The Doctor had to save temporary Companion/grandfather of Donna Noble, Wilfred Mott, by sacrificing a Regeneration. Absorbing a fatal dose of radiation, and freeing Wilf from a glass booth he was trapped in, The Tenth Doctor withheld his Regeneration just long enough to take a farewell tour to see his past companions and other friends. With the final line, “I don’t want to go," Ten exploded into his metamorphosis, wrecking his TARDIS and causing a crash landing.

Karen Gillan (Amy Pond)

Seasons Active: Seasons 5 – 7.1

When The Eleventh Doctor crash-landed onto Earth, Amy Pond was but a young girl. By the time The Doctor returned to check up on her, she was a young woman who had been treated as if she were crazy, talking about a raggedy man with a big blue box. Soon, she learned she wasn’t losing her mind, and would become one of the most iconic companions ever, alongside her eventual husband Rory, and her daughter, Professor River Song.

Why The Actor Left: In choosing what she felt was best for her character, Karen Gillan decided that it was time to leave Amy Pond behind. So in the first half of Season 7, both Amy and her husband Rory were written off. While Gillan would go on to direct her own films, as well as becoming an important part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she did make one final appearance post-write off, to say goodbye to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.

How The Character Was Written Off: After Rory was taken by a Weeping Angel, and sent back into the past at the end of The Angels Take Manhattan, Amy decided to be taken by the same Angel in order to be with Rory. With a tearful goodbye to The Doctor and River Song, Amy was whisked away. She later appeared as a hallucination to The Eleventh Doctor as he regenerated, though she died at the age of 87 after going to live with Rory in the past.

Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams)

Seasons Active: Seasons 5 – 7.1

Rory Williams was, and always had been, in love with Amy Pond. His love for her was stronger than any other romantic pairing outside of The Doctor and his beloved wife, River, and it showed in many forms of heroism that Rory would exhibit over his time as a Companion. If there was one phrase that summed up Rory’s devotion to Amy, it was probably this: “Together, or not at all.”

Why The Actor Left: Amy and Rory were a package deal. Once Karen Gillan decided to leave the show, it was pretty much a given that Arthur Darvill would be written out alongside her. Though Darvill would later meet up with another former Doctor, as he would become a star in future showrunner Chris Chibnall’s popular drama Broadchurch, which just happened to star one David Tennant.

How The Character Was Written Off: After one final adventure into 1930’s New York, alongside The Doctor and his daughter, River Song, Rory was taken by surprise by a Weeping Angel. Sent back into time, Rory lived out his days alongside Amy, and passed at the age of 82.

Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor)

Seasons Active: Seasons 5 – 7

After regenerating due to the events of “The End of Time," The Eleventh Doctor made a fresh start in the Doctor Who canon. Matt Smith’s interpretation of the legendary Time Lord was a big ball of fun, with some relatively sad moments sprinkled in here and there. For the most part, Eleven was ready to run into battle when he had to, and he’d usually do so smiling and with perfect hair.

Why The Actor Left: Considering The Doctor was originally intended to be written as an older incarnation when then-showrunner Steven Moffat took over, Matt Smith’s casting was a bit of a surprise for some. But it was a welcome one, as he eventually racked up three seasons of merriment, after which he decided it was time to hang up his bow tie. Moffat originally was going to depart alongside Smith, which may have played a part in the actor’s decision, but ultimately Matt Smith felt his time had come.

How The Character Was Written Off: After aging into an old Time Lord on his supposedly final bow, with a Dalek armada facing him down on Trenzalore, it looked like The Doctor was finished. Thanks to Clara earning him a new regeneration cycle, The Eleventh Doctor used huge bursts of his newfound energy to take out his enemies in spectacular fashion. This gambit came with a cost: Eleven had to regenerate, turning him into The Twelfth Doctor, and scaring the living hell out of Clara, his current companion. Though he would eventually appear one last time, calling Clara from the past to explain how he'd shifted into his latest form, in the Season 8 premiere "Deep Breath."

Alex Kingston (Professor River Song)

Seasons Active: Seasons 4 – 7, Season 9

Starting as an enigmatic love interest, Professor River Song died the first time she met The Doctor. As any time traveler will tell you though, that doesn’t mean you have to stop dating. As their romance would progress through time, their personal timelines never matched up. This was a fact that allowed twists such as Companion Amy Pond being River’s mother to be deployed so skillfully. Bold, smart, and daring, she went from the woman who would kill The Doctor to the person who was his greatest love.

Why The Actor Left: Alex Kingston’s Professor River Song was always written with a limited lifespan on Doctor Who. Eventually, with her appearance in “The Many Husbands of River Song," her arc was fulfilled and her loop was closed. However, knowing the nature of the show, Kingston has stated that if there was an opportunity, she’d love to come back and have some fun with Jodie Whitaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.

How The Character Was Written Off: The first time The Doctor ever laid eyes on her, in his younger David Tennant form, was on River’s last day of life. It was written that the last time River would ever see the Doctor was when she sacrificed herself to save the patrons trapped in the cloud of The Library. But the last time we see her on the series is right before that event, when the Twelfth Doctor takes her on their fateful date at the Singing Towers of Darillium, just before she travels back in time to meet her husband for the first-last time.

Jenna Coleman (Clara Oswald)

Seasons Active: Season 7 – 9

Born to save The Doctor, Clara Oswald made her first contact with the iconic Gallifreyan in “Asylum Of The Daleks”, as she was trapped inside of a Dalek consciousness. As it turned out, Clara would enter the timestream of The Doctor’s lifetime to save him at crucial points of each of his incarnation’s lives. She not only traveled with The Eleventh Doctor, but she also ran with his Twelfth iteration as well, serving as the longest-running Companion in the modern era.

Why The Actor Left: Jenna Coleman’s departure from the Doctor Who cast came down to a simple fact: Her contract ran up, and it was mutually decided that she would move on to other things. With an extra year built in for Coleman to wrap the story of Clara properly, the future star of the hit period drama Victoria brought Ms. Oswald’s story to a prompt close.

How The Character Was Written Off: Clara was supposed to die after taking on a death sentence in the episode “Fear The Raven," but thanks to The Twelfth Doctor attempting to cheat her death, she was removed from that moment in time and thus lived against the flow of time. Eventually, things had to be set right, and Clara was sort of reassigned as a Companion to Maisie Williams’ rogue Time Lord, Ashildr. With his memory wiped of Clara, The Doctor went on with his adventures, while Clara travelled the universe with Ashildr. Her last episode was "Twice Upon A Time."

Pearl Mackie (Bill Potts)

Seasons Active: Season 10

A university student who came across The Twelfth Doctor during his time as a professor on Earth, Bill Potts soon learned of the universe’s much weirder and adventurous side as his eventual companion. Serving alongside Nardole, Twelve’s other companion during his final season, Bill would challenge The Doctor in ways others would not dare. She would also suffer one of the worst twists of fate to befall any Companion in the modern era.

Why The Actor Left: As Steven Moffat was leaving as showrunner, there was a change to come in the world of Doctor Who. With his replacement, current showrunner Chris Chibnall, looking to shake things up with the series, he not only hired Jodie Whitaker as the new Doctor, but he also wiped the slate clean in terms of Companions. So alas, Pearl Mackie was a companion no more.

How The Character Was Written Off: Temporarily turned into a Cyberman, Bill Potts rejected the typical programming of one of the most classic adversaries in the Doctor Who canon. She helped The Doctor defeat the cadre of Cybermen in the episode “The Doctor Falls," and ultimately found herself given a choice: to be restored as a Human, or to be transformed into a being who could travel the universe, much like her girlfriend Heather. Choosing the latter, Bill left The Doctor, and began her grand adventure with a reappearance in “Twice Upon A Time” serving as her last Doctor Who appearance.

Matt Lucas (Nardole)

Seasons Active: Seasons 9 & 10

Originally a one-off associate to Professor River Song in “The Husbands of River Song” Christmas special, Matt Lucas’ Nardole eventually became friends with The Twelfth Doctor, and tagged along for the entirety of Season 10, as well as its preceding Christmas Special “The Return of Doctor Mysterio." Tasked with looking after The Doctor after River’s death, Nardole served as a grounding presence with a comedic wit, who would eventually serve along with his co-Companion, Bill Potts.

Why The Actor Left: Much like Amy and Rory, Nardole and Bill were kind of a package deal when it came to their fate in the Doctor Who cast. Since Bill Potts was being scrapped in favor of the new Companion Fam that Thirteen is swanning about with, Matt Lucas was also sent off at the same time Pearl Mackie was written out of the show.

How The Character Was Written Off: As The Doctor prepared to destroy the Cybermen in an attempt to save a ton of humans from being converted, he ordered Nardole to evacuate everyone that he could in the process. Eventually, on another level of the space station base where the Cybermen planned and converted their army, the faithful companion awaited the potential invasion in order to finish the conversion, ready for battle. Thankfully, this was never to be, and Nardole’s memory appeared alongside Clara and Bill’s in “Twice Upon A Time," in order to send The Doctor off in sentimental fashion.

Peter Capaldi (The Twelfth Doctor)

Seasons Active: Seasons 8 – 10

It was predicted The Doctor would eventually become an older man again, and sure enough Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor brought to life a man that Steven Moffat had previously described before he took on the reins as Doctor Who's showrunner. While The Doctor was now a more aged and seasoned version of himself, he wasn’t any less eccentric or battle ready, as Capaldi’s tenure would have some fun flourishes, such as The Doctor’s ability to play the electric guitar.

Why The Actor Left: Between representing the brand of Doctor Who, and his own feelings about not wanting to overstay his welcome, Peter Capaldi left the role of the Twelfth Doctor at the end of Season 10. With his departure, showrunner Steven Moffat also decided it was time to hang it up, and the pair ushered out an era of Doctor Who history that finally built a bridge between the classic era and the modern age of this legendary canon.

How The Character Was Written Off: Defying his Regeneration yet again, The Twelfth Doctor refused to change into his next form. But an adventure with a similiarly defiant First Doctor, and the Christmas Armistice of 1914, changed The Doctor’s mind and allowed him to change into his latest form: the female Thirteenth Doctor.

Throughout the history of Doctor Who, change has always been the constant. Who knows what departures we'll see next, in this newly revitalized era of Jodie Whitaker's Thirteenth Doctor and the many Companions she has banded together in her journeys across time and space. At the very least, we won't know until Doctor Who returns at some point in 2020, with the streaming rights to Seasons 1 - 11 going to HBO Max earlier in that same year.

In what may be the most action-packed year in the Arrow-verse yet, it's only fitting that Arrow enters its final season. The CW's flagship superhero series isn't going gently into the good night either, as Season 8 is jam-packed with returning stars who had left the series.

There's a staggering amount of names coming back for Arrow Season 8. Enough, at least, that it makes the sting of those who probably won't be returning hurt just a little less. So, who all is set to return? Let's take a look!

Willa Holland (Thea Queen)

Willa Holland's exit in the midst of Season 6 was a surprise to many, though her role had already been reduced from what it was early on. Holland had returned for the show's 150th episode, but her appearance in Season 8 was by no means a sure thing.

Things worked out, however, and Thea Queen will be a recurring character throughout Season 8 of Arrow. Expect to see Speedy return in Episode 3, titled "Leap of Faith," and then to potentially pop in episodes a couple more times from there on out.

Colton Haynes (Roy Harper)

Colton Haynes' Roy Harper was back in action during Arrow Season 7, and was even brought back as a series regular. When news surfaced that he lost his series regular status fans got up in arms, fearing this was another situation similar to what happened with Emily Bett Rickards and Haynes was dropping the show to pursue other things.

Luckily, that wasn't the case and it has recently been confirmed Haynes will have a recurring role in Season 8. There are no details on what Arrow has in store for him, though we're hoping for some reconciling with Thea.

Colin Donnell (Tommy Merlyn)

While Colin Donnell's return to Arrow felt like a dream scenario that would never happen in the superhero show's early years, these days it's more or less old hat. That's not to say his last few appearances on the show haven't been entertaining, but at this point it would've been weird if the show couldn't have brought in Oliver's dead best friend for one last hurrah!

It seems like Arrow could be saving Colin Donnell's best appearance for last as he and Stephen Amell have teased fans are going to enjoy his Season 8 role. All we know so far is that Donnell will once again be entering as someone other than the Tommy fans first fell in love with. If it's as good as his last couple appearances, fans should be very excited.

Josh Segarra (Adrian Chase)

As great as all these Arrow character returns are, even the diehard fans have to be a little nervous about Josh Segarra coming back. Adrian Chase, or Prometheus, is arguably the biggest bad of the series, and even in death he really rocked the Green Arrow's world.

If there is some good news in this return, it's that Adrian Chase will come back in a different way than fans expect in Season 8. We don't know what to expect, though I would love to see some form of redemptive character just for the sake of contrast.

John Barrowman (Malcolm Merlyn)

The last time John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn was seen in the Arrow-verse was in the "Elseworlds" crossover as a hallucination. Before that, he had sacrificed himself for Thea by taking her place on a landmine on Lian Yu, and it looked like that was that for the meddlesome rival archer of Oliver Queen.

Right now we have no idea what to expect, though it wouldn't be all that surprising to learn that Merlyn survived that landmine he stepped on. He's gotten out of crazier situations in the past, though we'd have to wonder where he's been since then and why he hasn't resurfaced. Maybe he'll be part of some weirdness that happens through Oliver's working with The Monitor?

Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen)

Arrow has featured a lot of deaths over the years, but few were quite as shocking as the execution of Oliver's mother Moira Queen. Susanna Thompson's character has surfaced a few more times since she was killed off, though she's showed up far less than other characters that were once as prevalent as she.

No word yet on how exactly Susanna Thompson will be used in Arrow Season 8, but whatever will happen will probably be depressing. Moira's death was just so brutal it's almost hard to remember she wasn't that great of a person to Oliver before her death, so hopefully her arrival will be in a way that doesn't totally bum us out.

Rila Fukushima (Tatsu Yamashiro)

Tatsu -- or Katana, if you prefer -- is back for Season 8! She and Oliver had their issues but eventually wound up on good terms. This mission with The Monitor is going to presumably put Oliver through hell, so it would be great if Katana were able to help out her old friend with those awesome blade skills.

Rila Fukushima's character is believed to be returning in the Season 8 episode "Welcome To Hong Kong." This makes sense, as Oliver crossed paths with Tatsu when he was working for A.R.G.U.S. in Hong Kong a while back. Let's hope for the best!

Byron Mann (Yao Fei Gulong)

In perhaps the deepest cut of Season 8, Byron Mann is coming back to come Yao Fei Gulong, the man who trained Oliver on Lian Yu. Mann had a big role in the flashbacks in Season 1 of Arrow, and hasn't appeared since outside of one Season 5 episode.

Now it's not like this is the first time we've listed the return of a character that should be dead, but Yao Fei's return is pretty interesting. It definitely feels like Season 8 is making a point to resurrect long-dead characters, and that they will play a role in Oliver's final arc.

Lexa Doig (Talia al Ghul)

Talia al Ghul was initially believed to be one of the dead after Lian Yu, but she ended up resurfacing in "The Demon." Oliver ended up helping her escape prison, and while he could've escaped as well, he opted instead to have her deliver a flash drive to Felicity and the gang to help bring some dicey experiments at his prison to an end.

Talia can be a trouble-maker, though with how well she worked with Oliver in Season 7 it would be nice to see these two teaming up again. Together they could take on just about anything, except maybe The Monitor and Oliver's unavoidable fate that's coming down the stretch.

Why Stephen Amell's Oliver Won't Be Miserable In Arrow Season 8, Despite Losing Family

Arrow is back on The CW for its final season on Tuesday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Stick with CinemaBlend for more Arrow-verse updates as they come, and for all that's happening in the world of television and movies.

Arrow may only have ten episodes in its eighth and final season to close its stories as well as tackle "Crisis on Infinite Earths," but the original Arrow-verse series is packing some familiar faces into its farewell season on The CW. While Emily Bett Rickards hasn't been confirmed one way or the other, an actor who played a character that many fans loved to hate is on his way back: John Barrowman. Is he the "gracious" guest star?

Stephen Amell dropped the exciting news about John Barrowman's return at Fan Expo Boston 2019 (via Fandom Spotlite), and it wasn't in response to a fan even asking for Arrow spoilers. Instead, somebody asked if Amell would be celebrating Barrowman's 60th birthday with a cake and skimpy suit, as he had for Barrowman's 50th. Here was Amell's surprisingly spoiler-ific response:

Somehow I don't see Oliver Queen showing up scantily clad with a cake for Malcolm Merlyn, not least because Stephen Amell already stated that Oliver won't be miserable in Season 8. Although that certainly be one explanation for why Oliver won't be wearing his wedding ring right off the bat in the new season!

In all seriousness, John Barrowman's return comes after a return to the Arrow-verse in 2018 for a brief appearance in the "Elseworlds" crossover. Previously a regular across all the shows in the Arrow-verse after he branched his villainy beyond just Arrow, Malcolm was killed off (although off-screen) in the Season 5 finale. This time, the death seemed to stick.

So, is Malcolm Merlyn the latest super dead character to somehow return for Season 8? Tommy and Prometheus are both coming back as well, and they're definitely dead. Could Malcolm have somehow survived? Honestly, nothing would surprise me after he somehow survived the end of Season 1. Maybe he is still alive!

Or maybe Malcolm will be resurrected. The return of Roy in Season 7 brought Lazarus Pits back into play, although Roy himself won't be back as a regular in Season 8. The resurrection of Sara well after she died was proof that, in the Arrow-verse, months of decomposition don't mean that a person can be up and ready for action after a dip in the Lazarus Pit! That said, this is Arrow we're talking about.

Dead characters have been brought back via parallel worlds, flashbacks, visions, drug-induced hallucinations, and head trauma-induced hallucinations, so Arrow could easily bring back John Barrowman without resurrecting Malcolm or revealing that Malcom has been alive all along.

After Stephen Amell dropped the news of John Barrowman's return, Barrowman himself took to social media to confirm and cryptically tease what's in store:

Personally, I was ready to say goodbye to Malcolm Merlyn by the time he was finally killed off in Arrow Season 5, but John Barrowman is always a joy, so I'm looking forward to seeing what Arrow has in store for him in the final season.

It's entirely possible that John Barrowman is joining the ranks of Kevin Conroy and Burt Ward (not to mention Brandon Routh as Superman) as bonkers additions to "Crisis on Infinite Earths," but the phrasing by Stephen Amell and John Barrowman makes me think that Malcolm will be back for an episode of Arrow that's just Arrow rather than part of a five-show crossover.

We'll have to wait and see. Arrow returns with most of the rest of the Arrow-verse (with the exception of Legends of Tomorrow) in the fall, along with plenty of other viewing options.

John Barrowman himself will reprise this iconic role in the not-too-distant future; Barrowman fans can only cross their fingers that his pitch for a return to Captain Jack Harkness results in a new Doctor Who project as well. At least we can always count on Malcolm to come back!

Arrow Season 7 has featured some big returns in surprising ways, and it looks like one former star just spilled the beans on another. John Barrowman -- who has played the recurring thorn in the side of Team Arrow, Malcolm Merlyn -- has now confirmed his character will make a return at some point in upcoming episodes. The news, while exciting for Arrow-verse fans, may have others wondering exactly how the superhero series will pull this one off.

John Barrowman apparently didn't have the details, as SpoilerTV reported he dropped the big Arrow news in the midst of a Torchwood panel at the Supanova convention in Brisbane, Australia. The announcement, while exciting, surely has some fans confused -- as Malcolm Merlyn is currently believed to be dead following Season 5's Lian Yu incident. Merlyn allegedly laid down his life to save his daughter Thea Queen, and others, by detonating a landmine under his foot to cause a diversion.

Of course, there's been a lot of speculation about whether or not John Barrowman's character is truly dead -- as the event was shown off-screen -- but his death has been assumed up to this point. Arrow has killed Malcolm Merlyn before, only to bring him back via other means, which makes it plausible he might have escaped death to fight another day. As mentioned, Barrowman didn't spill any secrets, but did tease a future announcement possibly happening on his Instagram.

If Malcolm Merlyn survived Lian Yu, that's a bit of a game-changer for Season 7 of Arrow. It opens up the possibility Merlyn could be subbing-in as the mystery Green Arrow, or kicking around somewhere in the future with adult William and older Roy. Fans shouldn't get too wild with speculation like that just yet, however, as Barrowman seemed pretty adamant his character went off to greener pastures following his death episode.

John Barrowman's return to Arrow isn't entirely contingent on Malcolm Merlyn's survival in the present day. The character could pop up during a flashback, or even appear as another hero or character in the Arrow episode of the "Elseworlds" crossover. Perhaps there's an alternate Earth in which Merlyn is the Green Arrow?

What reason would there be to use Malcolm Merlyn in Arrow Season 7? The character's link to Thea would've been the strongest way to justify Merlyn's return, but she's long gone. The two have had their fair share of storylines together, with the first being Merlyn revealing Thea was his lovechild with Oliver's mother Moira Queen. With presumably no Thea return, it'll be interesting to see how Merlyn plays into the events of Season 7.

Arrow airs on The CW Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. For a look at what else is coming to television before the end of 2018, be sure to visit our fall premiere guide.

DC Comics' upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service is on the way to deliver a whole lot in the way of DC TV, comics, and movies to fans who just can't get enough of the superheroes and villains of the DC world. The service has been in the works for a while, and we've known a fair amount about some of the original series that will be featured, but there was some key info missing. In fact, we only just learned when DC Universe will launch! Now, DC has revealed a whole lot of exciting details about what's to come, and we've picked some of the most exciting. Let's start with some brand new images of Titans:

Robin

The Titan that has gotten the most exposure so far has been none other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. the first Robin. Dick is the guy who got to drop the big F-bomb in the first Titans trailer, and we already know that he'll be the leader of the new group. This new image gives a reasonably brightly-lit look that shows off what he'll look like in action, and the bad guys on the floor behind him obviously didn't fare well against him in action.

Starfire

Not a whole lot about Starfire had been released prior to this image hitting the web, and the trailer featured more of Robin and Raven than either of the other main Titans. The Titans Starfire will clearly look quite different from her comics counterpart, but the incredible hair and powers evidently will at least be quite similar. Raise your hand if you're now way more excited about Starfire!

Raven

Now, raise your hand if you're totally freaked out by this image of Raven! Her eyes and setting in what appears to be a derelict room filled with crucifixes add enough of an eerie level. Somehow, the fact that the young girl is clutching a doll makes the entire tableau all the more unsettling.

Beast Boy

The Titans version of Beast Boy more or less looks like he could have bounded off the pages of comic books! Obviously this still image doesn't give away how he'll look in action and using his powers. Nevertheless, there are definitely reasons to be optimistic about what he'll bring to the team, and we can bet that they'll need all the unique abilities they can get. It's not like they'll probably be calling on Batman for his connections very often!

For more information about Titans and other projects coming to DC Universe, head on over to the next page!

When Titans Will Premiere

Unfortunately, Titans will not be available right when DC Universe goes live on September 15. The first episode will hit the web on Friday, October 12. Unlike how Netflix releases its superhero series, DC Universe will not release full seasons at once. New episodes of Titans will be available on a weekly basis, premiering each Friday after the October 12 premiere. Season 1 will be comprised of 12 episodes.

John Barrowman Is Back With DC

John Barrowman was part of The CW's Arrow-verse from the very first season of Arrow in 2012, and many fans were devastated when his character seemingly died a definitive death in Arrow's Season 5 finale. Well, Malcolm Merlyn may be gone from the Arrow-verse, but Barrowman is coming back to DC as a co-host of DC Universe's new daily show, called DC Daily. Barrowman -- who was rocking a new silver fox look in the DC Universe Live Stream -- will be joined by Samm Levine, Kevin Smith's daughter Harley Quinn Smith, Harley Quinn author Sam Humphries, and more. Tiffany Smith will be the DC Daily news anchor.

Now, how about some Young Justice and more?

Oracle Is On Young Justice: Outsiders

The return of Young Justice with a long-awaited third season is one of the elements that has many fans the most excited about DC Universe, and the first trailer revealed that there's a lot to look forward to and things won't be exactly as they were when Season 2 ended. One conspicuously absent character was Batgirl, who was poised to potentially take a leadership role at the end of Season 2. A new clip of Young Justice: Outsiders revealed why Barbara Gordon wasn't around as Batgirl: she's on board as Oracle and was chatting with Nightwing.

Young Justice Launch Details

Unfortunately for any who have been waiting with bated breath for new episodes of Young Justice, the show is officially slated for release in 2019. The good news is that the first two seasons of Young Justice will be available on DC Universe's launch day, so you can rewatch Young Justice to your heart's delight or perhaps discover what all the rage is about with a first watch of Young Justice Seasons 1 and 2.

Stargirl Has A Logo

One of the original series currently most shrouded in mystery is Stargirl. The leading lady won't be the same one who played Stargirl on Legends of Tomorrow, and her project will be written and executive produced by former DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns himself. While what we know so far about Stargirl is limited at this point, the logo promises that development is ongoing.

Batman And Wonder Woman As You've Never Seen Them

Well, Batman of Batman: The Animated Series and Wonder Woman as played by Lynda Carter in the 1970s Wonder Woman show as you've never seen them, anyway. The two beloved series have been remastered and updated to HD for the move to DC Universe. Viewers who have never seen either show or feel the need for a rewatch will see these superheroes looking crisper and cleaner than when they first debuted in these projects.

DC Universe will roll out new TV shows and movies monthly in addition to all the new comics that will be added to the service's library. You can gain access to DC Universe for a cost of $74.99 annually or $7.99 monthly. The annual cost saves 20% on the monthly cost, but you may want to go monthly at first just to give the service a try. The service goes live on Saturday, September 15, a.k.a. Batman Day. For the latest and greatest in superhero news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend, and don't forget to check out our fall TV premiere guide.

Ever since the BBC announced Jodie Whittaker would be taking the Whoniverse by storm as the 13th Doctor in the popular Doctor Who series, she's become the person at the center of a debate about whether or not the Time Lord should be female. In this world of mixed opinions, many people seem happy or at least intrigued by the change in direction, but there has also been a vocal faction of people who have been skeptical about the major change. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, Torchwood star and Doctor Who alum John Barrowman has some comments for the naysayers, noting he feels we should give Whittaker a chance. During his Comic-Con panel, Barrowman said:

John Barrowman himself has not been quiet about his excitement for Doctor Who changing up the show in such a visceral way. The actor is known for cosplay at Comic-Con, and last year he even wore a Tardis dress to commemorate the announcement that Jodie Whittaker would be taking over. This weekend he also talked a little bit more about Doctor Who's canon and how the decision makes sense for the BBC show.

We recently got our first look at Jodie Whittaker's new look as the 13th Doctor in the universe. The trailer is finally out and we've also been told to expect something very different from the new season. John Barrowman also said he was able to get up and close with Jodie Whittaker's funky new costume for the season, and was maybe a little bit jealous of her new look.

The new Doctor will make her official TV debut when the new season of Doctor Who hits the schedule later this year, and will air in the U.S. on BBC America simultaneously with the U.K. premiere.

Marc Guggenheim says one former Arrow star could make a surprising return in Season 6 if he so desires, even though the character the actor plays is dead, In an interview at San Diego Comic Con, Guggenheim shares that while Malcolm Merlyn may have blown up into a million pieces on Lian Yu, there's always a home for John Barrowman on The CW's series, and it's up to the actor if he wants to return:

Marc Guggenheim speaks the truth there, as Arrow has not shied away from opportunities that bring back former cast members in the months and years following their character's death. With multiple worlds and multiple doppelgängers, perhaps Earth-2 or Earth-3 has a Malcolm Merlyn with a story worth bringing to Arrow? Better yet, maybe there's a doppelgänger that goes by M.M. and is terrible at archery but loves coffee, and it's actually just Tom Cavanagh in a Barrowman mask? Of course, that kind of silliness works better on The Flash than Arrow, but considering what a humorous character John Barrowman is in real life, it might be interesting to give him a cameo where he appears as a Merlyn who embodies the actor's personality.

While that would be some great fan service to the many fans of John Barrowman, it does seem like a waste to grab the actor back and not do something related to the life of Malcolm Merlyn that was built up over the years. Marc Guggenheim did mention flashbacks and time travel in his interview, so there's definitely an open door for Barrowman to step back into that exact role should he want to do so. As for Barrowman, who first broke the news to fans about Merlyn's fate, his Instagram response indicated he was down to return if needed:

With responses like that, Arrow fans will have to keep an eye out for John Barrowman when the show returns for Season 6 October 12th at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. As teases of the show's new main villain and news regarding a book to explain Season 5's finale are hitting the web, fans are reminded they can simply bookmark our fall premiere guide to remember the premiere date of Arrow and all other shows coming soon. For shows premiering in the here and now and down the road, visit our summer premiere guide.

With every regeneration comes a flurry of discussion amongst the Doctor Who community about the new Doctor, and this year got a little more verbally heated than most. For Season 11, the long-running series is prepping for its first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, and while we've heard thoughts on the topic from the BBC and exiting showrunner Steven Moffat, now we know what Doctor Who favorite John Barrowman thinks. He shared this take with fans at an SDCC panel that CinemaBlend's own Conner Schwerdtfeger took a TARDIS to:

The first statement John Barrowman shared really speaks volumes, as it reminds us that there will always be a community of pop culture fans that will complain when something changes. In hindsight, it's silly to think anyone was worried that David Tennant would be a lesser Doctor Who force than Christopher Eccleston simply due to his age. Whatever one's preference there, Tennant went on to be one of the most beloved Doctors of all time, and while that's no guarantee Jodie Whittaker is lined up for the same legacy, Barrowman's comparative story is worth taking into consideration.

Another thing John Barrowman talks about is just being along for the ride as someone fully invested in the Who-niverse. With show canon offering no explicit rule that the Doctor cannot be a woman, it's not as if the showrunners are committing some grievous timey-wimey atrocity.

Ultimately, Barrowman wrapped up the topic encouraging fans on both sides of the coin to "wait and see,' even throwing a Captain Jack tease right at the end to bring things back to himself:

It would be a dream for Doctor Who fans to see Captain Jack again for Season 11, as it's been quite a while since John Barrowman made an appearance on the series. Barrowman stated two years ago he'd be happy to return, but said the invitation has never come from the Doctor Who staff. Hopefully, Season 11 is the perfect time for a return from Jack Harkness, who has been known to make passes at the Doctor in the past, ones that the Gallifreyan was fine with. Who knows how a female Doctor would respond to Jack's flirtatious ways? We can all be assured, however, that he'd be down for whatever response he got.

We're still waiting for a start date for Season 11 of Doctor Who but it is known that Peter Capaldi's final episode as the Doctor will be the Christmas special, airing December 25th on The BBC and BBC America. For more about that, check out the interesting news about the return of someone who only recently left, and another who left long ago. For more on shows in the here and now, visit our summer premiere guide.

There are few things in the world that can get people as hyped up as hypotheticals about superheroes. Most people have opinions about which superhero characters they like, and even which actors they prefer to play major characters. Which brings us to Batman. The Caped Crusader has been everything from a young Bruce Wayne on the small screen in Gotham to an aging hero in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Recently a whole slew of people on a Comic-Con panel predictably couldn't agree on who the best Batman is, but their vociferous arguments might indeed sway you in a different direction.

Perhaps you are already like Archer's Aisha Tyler, who stated first that Ben Affleck is her Batman of choice. Basically, she told fans in the audience at the Great Debate panel that she prefers DC's newest version, as played by Affleck, because his personality is so dark. He's not funny or lighthearted, and he's very serious. But she likes him because:

Also on the panel was American Gods actor Orlando Jones, who prefers a very different version of Batman: Michael Keaton, who appeared in Tim Burton's Batman.

Christian Bale was not uttered at this point, and he wasn't bound to be. Charlie Jane Anders, who was also on the panel, threw a real curveball with her choice, noting that she actually prefers Kevin Conroy's version of the character. Conroy is the Batman in Batman: The Animated Series and other animated voice projects.

Arrow's John Barrowman argued for Adam West, of the 1960s Batman TV series, an iconic project that is still remembered and has a fanbase decades later. He also took a shot at Christian Bale's version of the character:

Clearly, if one panel couldn't even come to a decision regarding who is the best Batman, we don't expect a total consensus, here. I'm sure we all have a different favorite Batman actors, but in cases like these, it's typically best to see what the overall feelings are with a poll. So, what do you think? Who's the best Batman? Be sure to check out our list of superhero movies, ranked, as well.

This poll is no longer available.

The 2016-2017 TV season finales of all four shows in The CW's Arrow-verse have aired, and they did everything from teasing huge villains to sending a hero into the Speed Force to blowing up an entire island. The Arrow Season 5 finale was a bloodbath as a number of characters seemed to meet their doom on Lian Yu. One character who seemed pretty dead but didn't actually die on screen was Malcolm Merlyn, so we couldn't say for sure if he really was killed. Now, actor John Barrowman has revealed the fate of Malcolm. Check it out!

R.I.P., Malcolm Merlyn. As John Barrowman says in the Facebook video, Malcolm's death actually happened off-screen. The Arrow finale played the twist as Malcolm sacrificing himself to save Thea (and stop Captain Boomerang) by blowing himself to smithereens via land mine, but Malcolm has seemed definitively dead in the past, only to be revealed as very much alive. This time, Malcolm is evidently dead for good.

John Barrowman is clearly quite sad about needing to leave all the friends and fans he made over his five years in the Arrow-verse. He'll certainly go down as one of the people who helped shape the Arrow-verse into what it is today. After all, if Arrow had been a flop back in 2012, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and even Supergirl probably never would have debuted. Arrow could have definitely flopped if not for a charismatic supervillain for Oliver to face in Season 1, and John Barrowman elevated the action as Malcolm.

The 2016-2017 TV season was actually pretty huge for Malcolm Merlyn, as John Barrowman signed a deal that made him a regular throughout the entire Arrow-verse instead of simply on Arrow. He played an especially key role in Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 as one of the three members of the Legion of Doom. When the Legion was defeated, Malcolm returned to Arrow to try and reunite with his daughter again, and he ended up in the mess that would ultimately result in his death.

Of course, none of this is to say that Malcolm Merlyn could absolutely never return to the Arrow-verse. Unlike a certain Supernatural star, John Barrowman doesn't hint at any bad blood between himself and the producers, and all of The CW's superhero shows have been known to bring back dead characters in new and unexpected ways. With the time travel of Legends of Tomorrow, the alternate realities of The Flash, and the flashbacks of Arrow, there may always be a place for Malcolm Merlyn and John Barrowman. We'll have to wait and see.

All four shows of the Arrow-verse have been renewed and will return to the small screen in the fall. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in superhero news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.

The Arrow-verse has become a sprawling landscape complete with all sorts of outlandish characters. Every season we see new personalities enter the fray, but nothing can compare to some of the most engaging and exciting originals. One prime example of a longstanding, fan-favorite Arrow character is John Barrowman's Malcolm Merlyn -- who has straddled the line between good and evil for the last five years. The morally gray archer consistently entertains as one of The CW's best DC characters, but now it seems that we may not see him for quite some time once this season comes to an end. Check out the tweet below for more information.

As you can see from that tweet, John Barrowman took the stage at Kansas City Planet Comicon (in delightfully flamboyant fashion, because Barrowman) and announced that he would not return to the Arrow-verse during the 2017-2018 season. This means that we will not see any hint of Malcolm Merlyn on The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, or his home turf on Arrow. Of course, this represents a massive shift for the Arrow-verse as a whole, as Merlyn is one of the universe's most enduring characters, and John Barrowman himself has become one of the most beloved performers on any of the current DC series.

This naturally raises questions about where the Arrow-verse will take The Dark Archer going forward. At this point, it remains unclear whether or not Barrowman's comments are a thinly veiled admission that Merlyn will die at the end of this season, or if he will simply take some time away from the series before potentially returning. We know Merlyn will play a role in the final episodes of Arrow's fifth season, so death isn't entirely off of the table. After all, the character has basically been living on borrowed time ever since he survived an arrow through the heart during The Undertaking at the climax of Arrow's Season 1 finale back in 2013.

As much as we absolutely love Malcolm Merlyn (and John Barrowman's portrayal of him), we have to admit that this actually feels like good news. Between his time as a central villain on Legends of Tomorrow and his stints crossing over into the other Arrow-verse series over the last year, we reached a point of saturation for the character. Beyond that, the Arrow-verse hasn't really figured out how to pick a lane and stay in it, as Season 3 of Arrow explicitly set the character up for a redemptive arc -- only to pull back and return him to his villainous status over the last two seasons.

For now, it looks like we should enjoy the time that we have left with Malcolm Merlyn because there's no way of knowing when the Arrow character will return. The Emerald Archer's solo series airs every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. Take a look at our comprehensive summer TV premiere guide for more information related to all of the most highly anticipated series set to premiere once the spring season comes to an end.

The fifth season of Arrow is only a few episodes away from its grand finale, and the action is really starting to pick up. In the last episode, the big bad Prometheus staged an attack on the Arrow bunker that has Oliver and Felicity in deep trouble, and we can be sure that he's got plenty of other tricks up his sleeve. As it turns out, another tricky character will have a part to play in the final arc: Malcolm Merlyn himself. Executive producer Wendy Mericle had this to say about Malcolm's return:

Arrow Season 5 has been bringing Oliver full circle as he comes to the end of his flashbacks to his five years of hell, so many episodes have featured all kinds of throwbacks to Season 1. It's only fitting that Oliver's first supervillain makes a return to play a part in the final arc of the season. Wendy Mericle's comments to CBR indicate that Malcolm will be one of the unlikely allies that Oliver calls upon for his showdown with Prometheus, but they also indicate that Malcolm has his own reasons for joining the fight.

Of course, viewers who have been watching all four of The CW's DC series in the 2016-2017 TV season might be a little taken aback to see Malcolm Merlyn helping the heroes. Appearing only via hallucination and flashback in Season 5 so far, he's spent the majority of his time as a member of the Legion of Doom over on Legends of Tomorrow. The Legion was ultimately defeated by the Legends, so it's possible that he'll have had (yet another) change of heart and switched sides again. Whatever the reason, as long as Thea is on Oliver's side in the finale arc of Arrow Season 5, we can bet that Malcolm will probably do what he can to keep her as safe as possible.

That said, Malcolm's idea of keeping Thea safe doesn't always align with what most of us non-villainous folks would have in mind. He has done an awful lot of manipulating, drugging, and brainwashing of his biological daughter over the years, and I've been more than ready for him to pay the ultimate price for what he's done to her and to countless innocents. Who knows? Maybe I'll get my wish and Malcolm will be sent off to meet his maker in the Season 5 finale. We've already heard that some characters might be dying in the finale. What better way to bring the show full circle than by finally getting rid of Oliver's first nemesis?

Wendy Mericle has also revealed that Arrow will look very different in its new era of Season 6, so I wouldn't be shocked if the show phases out characters like Malcolm Merlyn sooner rather than later. Then again, he's played by the legendary John Barrowman, so I also wouldn't be shocked if he survives to the very end. We'll have to wait and see.

New episodes of Arrow air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere guide and our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.

This fall, The CW will increase its already impressive interconnected comic book universe by adding Supergirl to the mix, which will lead to a four-way mega-crossover that no Earths have ever seen before. And now it looks like the creative team behind the shows will also give one particular Arrow character access to every show, as actor John Barrowman is now officially a series regular on not only his own home show, but also The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. That's a lot of traveling for Malcolm Merlyn.

That's right, one of the most villainous patriarchs on DC TV will not only give Oliver Queen and Star City reason to assume bad things are afoot in Season 5, but according to TVLine, Merlyn will also apparently pop up in Central City, National City and...wherever the hell Rip Hunter and his crew are on any particular day. It's a pretty incredible concept, and one that would have been a lot more exciting had Arrow not put Malcolm Merlyn through the character development wringer, turning him from a vengeance-fueled villain-in-hiding to the new Ra's al Ghul to a functioning (if only occasional) ally of Team Arrow. But even though joining more shows probably won't help that, it's hard to complain about more John Barrowman on our televisions.

We have already seen Malcolm Merlyn showing up on The Flash before, for the Arrow crossover that was used to set up Legends of Tomorrow, and it isn't a stretch to see how he could appear on the latter show. But since Supergirl takes place in a different dimension, we probably won't find Merlyn creeping around CatCo until after the big crossover explains how Kara's world connects to everything else.

Strangely enough, having access to all four series isn't something that's exclusive to John Barrowman's villain. You might recall that Wentworth "Captain Cold" Miller also got contractually boosted up to series regular for all four CW DC shows, a reveal that was quite shocking, considering how his last Legends of Tomorrow episode went. I assume that Miller's promotion will be tied to the Flashpoint narrative that will presumably affect more than just The Flash this fall, but Merlyn's new expanded role is still a mystery to me.

Arrow Season 5 is set to debut on Wednesday, October 5, with The Flash Season 3 bowing one day earlier. Supergirl Season 2, meanwhile, will premiere on Monday, October 11, with Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 starting up on Thursday, October 13.

Oliver Queen has battled a lot of bad guys on Arrow, but his greatest recurring nemesis is Malcolm Merlyn, a.k.a. The Dark Archer. Although Merlyn has been more of an ally during Seasons 3 and 4, the man still has sinister plans afoot, especially now that he’s the new Ra’s al Ghul. Aside from the occasional bit of dialogue and the flashbacks in Season 3’s “Uprising,” there isn’t much we know about Merlyn’s life when he’s not around Team Arrow, but that’s going to change next week, as Merlyn’s actor John Barrowman is now working on a new digital comic book, titled Arrow: The Dark Archer.

Co-written with his sister Carole and illustrated by Daniel Sampere, Barrowman’s series will not only follow Malcolm’s exploits between Seasons 3 and 4, but will also include flashbacks to his younger years, before he was shooting arrows. Starting on January 13, 12 chapters will be released biweekly online, and the entire story will eventually be collected in print form. Here’s what Barrowman had to say about the book’s plot to TV Insider:

The book will also visit familiar locales like Corto Maltese and Nanda Parbat, though Carole said that readers will see these places in “quite different perspectives.” Barrowman later added that he’s always had a backstory in mind for Merlyn since taking the part, and since the actor has played a key role in fleshing out the character on screen, writing the comic is the next step forward to get the audience to relate to him. This is the third Arrow digital comic book tie-in to be released, following the side stories published during Season 1 and Arrow: Season 2.5.

Merlyn served as Arrow Season 1’s prime antagonist, and he was partially successful in his plot to destroy The Glades. Although he was shown to still be alive in Season 2, he wasn’t seen much that season, though it was revealed that he was Thea’s biological father. In Season 3, while training Thea, he brainwashed her into killing Sara Lance to get Ra’s al Ghul off his tail. Eventually his plot was uncovered, but after his life was saved, he assisted Team Arrow in taking down the immortal baddie, though this was only so he could become the new Ra’s al Ghul. Season 4 has seen Merlyn settling into his new role as the League of Assassins’ leader, and while he is still helping the protagonists deal with Damien Darhk, we’ve also seen him up to his own schemes. Remember how he gathered Vandal Savage’s ashes at the end of the Arrow/The Flash crossover? That can’t be good, especially since we know Vandal will be Legends of Tomorrow’s main villain.

If you’re eager to learn more about Merlyn’s backstory,  you can find Arrow: The Dark Archer on platforms like the DC Comics app or Comixology, or just wait for the print version to hit your local comic book store next year. Meanwhile, Arrow will return with new episodes on Wednesday, January 20 at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. To see when everything else will be premiering in the next few months, check out our midseason TV schedule.

Warning: spoilers for this week’s Arrow are ahead!

If you’ve been watching Arrow recently, you know that Thea Queen is finally suffering intense side effects from the Lazarus Pit after being fully healed in it last season. This week, however, showed what happens when you submerge a long-deceased person within. In this case, Sara Lance came back from the dead in “Restoration,” but instead of being her normal self, she was crazed and animalistic. And it turns out these two may not be the only current characters who were resurrected in the Lazarus Pit. Season 4’s main antagonist Damien Darhk may have also taken a long dip in it at some point.

John Barrowman, a.k.a. Malcolm Merlyn/the new Ra’s al Ghul, recently chatted with EW about Malcolm’s comment about how Sara will have to kill Thea, but play close attention to what he said about Damien near the end. According to Barrowman:

Barrowman’s comment makes it sound like Damien is also one of the people that’s come out of the Pit before. The newest big bad has been described as being pure evil (and proven it a few times already), but what if he didn’t get there just on his charming personality? When the first Ra’s al Ghul (a.k.a. Matt Nable’s character) first mentioned Darhk’s existence to Oliver in Season 3’s “Al-Sa-him,” he said that after Darhk lost his bid to lead the League of Assassins, he escaped with his followers and some of the waters from the Lazarus Pit. This is the way he’s kept himself alive and physically rejuvenated after all these decades, but it might not be his only use of the waters. Perhaps at some point in his long life he was badly injured or died, and someone revived him in the Lazarus Pit, but instead of getting the bloodlust that Thea and Sara have, he was irreversibly corrupted. If that happened, does that mean we’ll see flashbacks of a nicer Damien?

On the off-chance that Damien doesn’t have any further connections to the Lazarus Pit, that doesn’t mean an outside force didn’t change him. I’m specifically talking about the magic he wields. He was seen performing a blood ritual at the end of the Season 4 premiere, and this magic has given him abilities like super strength, telekinesis and killing someone just by touching them. When you’re tampering with forces that dark, they’re bound to change you in a negative way.

You can watch Damien’s plot unfold on Arrow Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW, though also keep an eye out for him on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow this season.

The global appeal for Doctor Who is probably the strongest it’s ever been, as fans anticipate the show’s 2015 premiere this fall. One would think that the return of one of the series’ most popular characters in the contemporary era, John Barrowman’s Captain Jack Harkness, would be a no-brainer. However, there are still no plans to reunite The Doctor with his former traveling companion, and the fault apparently doesn’t belong to Barrowman.

John Barrowman, who portrayed the enigmatic immortal Captain Jack on Doctor Who and its 2006-2011 spinoff Torchwood, revealed to the UK paper Ipswich Star that despite being a regular on American television’s Arrow on The CW, he’s still game for a return to Doctor Who. However, the prospects of that are still very much in the court of the network overlords at the BBC or ITV. According to Barrowman:

Captain Jack has not been seen on television since the last Torchwood series, “Miracle Day”, finished its run in 2011. His last appearance on Doctor Who came by way of a quick cameo in the 2010 curtain call episode for David Tennant’s 10th Doctor, “The End of Time.” The precise reason as to why we haven’t seen him for what is now nearly four years remains a mystery. However, such an idea may require complex answers.

The character’s charisma, humor and television-groundbreaking approach to sexuality has made him memorable and popular enough to warrant branching off into his own adventures on Torchwood, where he headed the Who mythology’s governmental organized team tackling extraterrestrial incursions and other supernatural phenomena. We’ve certainly seen Captain Jack go through quite a lot in the last few Torchwood series, relating to loss of family and paramour. Consequently, it could be the case that either the network or the show’s creative forces simply feel that we’ve seen enough of him, for now.

However, it’s still possible to have Captain Jack return in ways that avoid saddling Doctor Who with Jack’s heavier baggage. Rendered immortal after being killed and resurrected by The Doctor’s temporarily power-imbued companion Rose Tyler, Captain Jack has found himself woven through the Who timeline circuitously. (Fans even argue about canonical validity of "Miracle Day.") Thus, there are numerous possibilities within the mythology to bring him into the picture in a non-linear way. In fact, a fun prospect would be a story arc following up on an old clue that the slowly-aging, but undying Captain Jack was destined in the far, far future to become the giant tendril-sporting disembodied head bigshot known as The Face of Boe.

For now, though, Barrowman seems content with his current place in the pop-culture zeitgeist, having also carved out quite the following for his Arrow character, Malcolm Merlyn. The character has at times proven to not only be as enigmatic as Jack, but also walks the line between the role of loving father and pure, heartless evil with disturbingly impressive ease. However, should we ever get a pallet cleanser that sees Captain Jack walk through the big blue doors of the TARDIS again to team with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor (or maybe a later incarnation), it will be that much sweeter, given how long we will have had to wait.

While the fate of Torchwood seems uncertain at this point, we may be seeing John Barrowman back on television soon enough, should things go well for the Shonda Rhimes executive-produced ABC pilot Gilded Lilys.

Written by K.J. Steinberg, Gilded Lilys is set in 1895 and follows the drama taking place as New York’s first luxury hotel is about to open. TV Guide shared the casting news, stating that Barrowman will play Julius Ashford Lily, a member of the central family in the story.

Barrowman is well known to Doctor Who and Torchwood fans for playing the role of Captain Jack Harkness in both series. Given the time-traveling nature of Doctor Who and Jack’s history, Barrowman’s not exactly a stranger to playing a role from a different era. It's also not difficult to picture him playing a man described as "mama's favorite son, who's very charming, lucky and loose."

?While I’m hopeful that we haven’t seen the last of Jack Harkness as a character, and that Torchwood will return in some form or another at some point down the line, the prospect of getting to see the especially talented John Barrowman in a new role is certainly exciting, even if it means seeing him without Harkness’ trademark trench coat. We’ll have to wait and see how things go for Gilded Lilys.

The cast of Torchwood and writer Jane Espenson sat down with the press yesterday to talk to us a little bit about Miracle Day. While they avoided giving up any major spoilers, we did learn some interesting things about what’s to come for the characters. Find out what they had to say about Gwen and Jack’s relationship, Rex’s fate, Oswald’s mindset and some upcoming fights involving the characters!

After attending the Torchwood: Miracle Day panel I knew these guys were a pretty animated group. John Barrowman is a true entertainer, who offered up comedy and even a song for the audience, while Eve Myles joked and showed some amusing facial expressions in reaction to John. The cast was still in good spirits when they met with us later at the press room.

Among the writers of the show is Jane Espenson, who’s written for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, and more recently, Game of Thrones. She talked about enjoying “making a meal out of appetizers” as she’s jumping from project to project, contributing her talent to various shows rather than focusing on on big project at a time. This includes Torchwood, the upcoming Once Upon A Time and a webseries about a newlywed male/male couple called Husbands. “I don’t see how a network doesn’t buy it and put it on TV,” Espenson says of the series.

On Torchwood Espenson spoke of the newly developing group dynamic in Miracle Day, saying “This group starts to refer to themselves as Torchwood and I think that’s really significant. If there was another year, I assume some version of this Torchwood is what would continue but that is Russell’s area.” So, we might be seeing the start of a new team, should Starz renew Torchwood for another season.

If you caught last night’s episode, you may have enjoyed the late-night phone conversation Jack had with Gwen, during which (spoiler alert!) they had a heart to heart, but then Gwen got distracted by a web-chat with her baby and left Jack talking to himself. Espenson was proud to have written that bit:

Considering all that’s happened since the start of Miracle Day, I’d say they were all overdue for a breath (and whatever else they decided to get that night).

Espenson spoke about finding the humor in dark moments and understanding the importance of that “glimmer of light” in the darkness. “One chuckle in a dark scene goes a long way,” she said. I think that’s a big part of what makes her writing stand out from other writers. There’s a range of emotions utilized that doesn’t detract from what’s going on or throw off the rhythm of the story.

John Barrowman, who plays Jack in the series, and Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper) talked about Jack and Gwen’s relationship and they seem to universally agree that a romance between them is a bad idea, or at least, wouldn’t be as good as the relationship they have. “Jack and Gwen are not in love. They love each other for very different reasons,” Barrowman said. “It’s not a sexual love. It’s a love of the person he would do anything for as she would do anything for him.” Myles sees the sexiness in the non-sexual nature of Gwen’s relationship with Jack. “What they share is far sexier than sex,” she said. “It’s more psychological than that. It’s a very unique, respectful, loving friendship and they could easily [get together] but it’s because they choose not to, it’s more exciting.”

I’m going to agree with both of them on that. Earlier in the series, I expected Gwen and Jack to get together but I think that ship has sailed. The relationship they have isn’t perfect but the complexity of it stands on its own and really doesn’t need a romantic element to complete (or complicate) it.

Barrowman also talked about how frustrating it is for Jack to need to be taken care of. He’s used to being the one to protect other people, especially Gwen. But now the tables have turned, with everyone else being immortal and him being vulnerable. Gwen’s not only looking out for Jack. She has a daughter to think if. On being a mother, she said, “It’s a lioness with a cub. Everything is more heightened for that woman now. She’s got to save the world because she’s got a little girl in it, and that little girl is everything.”

John got to talking about Jack finding out what he really wants and it was at this point that he started to get nervous about giving too much away. There were references to his role on Doctor Who and that there are parallels to his life prior to what’s going on in Miracle Day, which plays a role in how everything turns out.

When Barrowman’s not playing Jack Harkness, he’s performing on a BBC show called Tonight’s The Night that makes people’s wishes and dreams come true through performance.

Another bit of Torchwood news that’s kind of spoilery: There’s an upcoming episode that’s going to feature an argument between Jack and Gwen. There seemed to be some confusion over whether this happens in Episode 5 or 7. Regardless, the two are going to have it out and from the sound of it, it’s going to be really good.

Eve Myles said the fight was her favorite day of shooting the show, ever, and that we’re going to find out things we didn’t know about Gwen. “It’s such a good episode. It’s so good. You get to the bottom of Gwen Cooper. You get to the bottom of Jack Harkness. You get to the bottom of their relationship, and they have it out, and it’s brutal.”

Myles doesn’t feel like there’s been a major shift from the transition to Starz. “It’s been so organic. It’s just worked.” It sounds as though the new cast-members are enjoying the experience as well. Mekhi Phifer (ER) talked about getting on board with a show with an established fanbase and wanting to honor the show, “The great thing is, there’s a great following. You have all these people that are going to watch and be tuned in. But at the same time, it’s a little nerve-racking because I’m the new kid on the block. I’m the FNG! I want to maintain the integrity of the show and what they’ve already established, so that is the challenge of that.”

If you’re concerned about Phifer’s character, rest assured that he is actually healing. According to Phifer, Rex is getting better, it’s just a slow process, which probably isn’t helped by all the running around he’s doing. He expressed apprecation for working on a sci-fi show. “When you suspend reality a bit, there’s no limit to where you can go.” “We’re playing it like it’s real, but obviously there’s an element of fantasy to it, which gives the writers, like Jane, free reign to have fun with it and right her heart out. Anything she’s ever dreamed about, she can put on paper and we can portray it.”

Bill Pullman talked a little bit about the mindset of convicted killer Oswald Danes and some of the questions going through his mind. “He’s no longer going to die and they can’t incarcerate him anymore. What is it? What is now? Where do I go? What is power? Why are the things I’m saying of interest to people? Do I have a motive? Would I know myself if I had a motive? Do I know anything about how I work as a human being? It felt like all of that was on the table.”

Pullman wasn’t giving anything away on where the man’s head is really at, but at least we know he’s wondering the same things we are! As for Esther, actress Alexa Havins is grateful for the cast of the show and is hitting it off rather well with Eve Myles. “We just had to found our rhythm and it was quite easy because Eve and I are absolutely in love. We’re out of our minds. We may leave our boys for each other,” she joked.

Esther apparently has a fight coming up and hair-pulling may be involved. “It’s raw,” she said of her upcoming fight-scene. “It’s a little wobbly and a little off. It looks like kind of a bar brawl, mixed with like chick-fight over a dude. There’s hair pulling because it’s with someone who’s not as experienced, so it’s kind of neat. We’re equally matched as far as experience level.” She also joked about the ridiculous high-heeled shoes she’s running around in and how they might come in handy in a fight. “It’s fun, but more than anything but I’m like, ‘can I use the heel as a weapon?’”

All in all, it seems like the cast is really enjoying Miracle Day and from the sound of it, we’re in for more big things. Barrowman put it best when he told us, “You’re in for the fucking ride of your life.”

Joe Johnston has yet another update on where he’s at with his Captain America movie. Ready for it? Brace yourselves. They’re almost ready to do something!

For years now the internet has been flooded with a wide variety of Captain America casting rumors. Many of them may even have been real, some of those people could have been considered by the studio before being abandoned to go in another direction. But after all the waiting, though the movie has a director, there’s still no Cap. Johnston promises that’s about to change. Talking to Sci-Fi Wire he says, “We have a very short list, but we're still juggling actors here. I'd say within the next couple of weeks we'll have ourselves a Captain America, I hope.”

At least they’re narrowing it down. Thus far everyone from Matthew McConaughey to Will Smith has been rumored for the part. My favorite name so far though, is lesser-known John Barrowman. John first came to prominence as a recurring character on BBC’s newest version of Doctor Who, where he played an all-American Cap type (who happened to be really into kissing dudes). The character was so popular he eventually got his own series, if you’ve heard of something called Torchwood, then you know that Barrowman is the reason to watch it.

John is actually rather famous over in Great Britain, but he hasn’t really had his day yet here in America. He’s a perfect fit for the character. Yeah I know, they’re almost certain to go with a bigger name. But here’s hoping that Barrowman is at least a contender. Joe, make sure he’s on your short list.

Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?