Although Katie Cassidy appeared in every season of Arrow as some variation of Laurel Lance, her time on the show hit a major speed bump in Season 4. That was when Earth-1 Laurel, i.e. the character Cassidy had been playing since the DC TV show began, was killed by Damien Darhk. Last year, Arrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim shared his regret over killing off Laurel, and now Cassidy has reflected on how she learned this unfortunate news, as well as being informed that she’d be coming back as Black Siren, a.k.a. the Earth-2 Laurel.

How Katie Cassidy Learned Laurel Lance Was Being Killed Off

Katie Cassidy opened up about this period of her professional life while on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, telling the title host that she “had to eat humble pie” when they killed her off Arrow. As Cassidy recalled, it all started when she and the rest of the main cast received an email saying that showrunners Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle wanted to meet with everyone for lunch individually to do “a little catch up” on what would be happening for the next few seasons. This didn’t sit well with the actress, as she explained:

This call happened while Katie Cassidy was in New York to attend New York Comic-Con with the rest of Arrow’s cast. It had been set up in the Arrow Season 4 premiere that one of the show’s main characters was in a grave, and Guggenheim broke the news to Cassidy that it was Laurel on this call, which also included fellow co-creators Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg. The actress was “angry at first,” and then had this to say regarding why she thinks she was selected:

While that marked the end of Earth-1’s Laurel Lance journey in the Arrowverse (minus flashbacks, dream sequences and visions), it fortunately wasn’t the end for Katie Cassidy on Arrow. We have The Flash to thank for her return in Season 5 and sticking around for the rest of the show’s run.

How Katie Cassidy Learned She’d Come Back As Black Siren

The Flash introduced the Arrowverse’s multiverse, and in the Season 2 episode “Invincible,” viewers met Black Siren, who was allied with Zoom at the time and had the metahuman ability to sonic scream, as opposed to using a device like Earth-1 Laurel did. Here’s how Katie Cassidy recalled being invited over to the Scarlet Speedster’s show:

Evidently that one-off appearance on The Flash was the right call, because “Invincible” hit enough with fans that Marc Guggenheim decided that it was worth bringing Cassidy back to Arrow to keep playing the Earth-2 Laurel. In the actress’ words:

Katie Cassidy recurred as Black Siren for four episodes in Arrow Season 5, and then she was restored to her series regular status in Season 6. While the character started off as a more straightforward villain, she slowly redeemed herself and became an ally to Team Arrow. Cassidy was also going to star in the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff that Arrow’s penultimate episode set up, with Katherine McNamara and Juliana Harkavy also on board to reprise Mia Smoak and Dinah Drake, respectively. However, by early 2021, The CW passed on the spinoff.

Fortunately, you can still revisit Katie Cassidy’s years on Arrow by streaming the series with a Netflix subscription. Next up, the actress is leading the psychological thriller Nanny-Cam, which is filming in New Jersey.

In 2020, Arrow concluded its run on The CW, although characters like Oliver Queen and John Diggle would later resurface in The Flash and other corners of the Arrowverse. Still, with nearly half a decade having passed since the eight-season saga following Stephen Amell’s Green Arrow ended, Marc Guggenheim has opened up about aspects of the show that didn’t turn out the way he hoped. Specifically, he talked about what would have prevented Katie Cassidy’s Laurel Lance from being killed off, as well as why Arrow Season 4, i.e. the season in which she met her demise, is his “least favorite” of the bunch.

Marc Guggenheim Regrets Arrow Killing Off Laurel Lance

Although Katie Cassidy appeared in every season of Arrow and resumed being a series regular in Season 6 to continue playing Earth-2’s Laurel Lance, the Earth-1 Laurel, who’d been around since the show began in 2012, was mortally stabbed by Damien Darhk in “Eleven-Fifty-Nine.” While discussing the drastically different kinds of fan reactions that Arrow received in comparison to fellow Arrowverse series Legends of Tomorrow, Marc Guggenheim said during his appearance on The Showrunner Whisperer that had he known the Emerald Archer’s show would have gone on as long as he did, Earth-1 Laurel would have stuck around, explaining:

Laurel’s death was met with a lot of backlash from fans in 2016, though at the time, Marc Guggenheim defended the decision. But like he said, that was back when Arrow was only expected to run for five seasons, and it ended up going for an additional three. It’s fortunate Katie Cassidy was able to keep participating in Arrow, and I presume she welcomed the opportunity to play a Laurel with a much different personality. Still, I can’t help wondering what might have happened with Earth-1 Laurel had she survived the events of Season 4.

Marc Guggenheim Doesn’t Like Arrow Season 4’s Tone

Marc Guggenheim’s regret over what happened to Earth-1 Laurel are just part of his larger issues with Arrow Season 4. As he acknowledged in the below quote, going with a more lighthearted tone following three seasons of dark storytelling wasn’t a good call:

Guggenheim added that he wished he and the Arrow writing team had approached Season 4’s storyline differently, and that they’d “stuck to the game plan too rigidly in a lot of places.” So he’d go back and change things if he could, though he then shared why he wouldn’t touch the Season 4 finale, titled “Schism”:

If you’re interested in revisiting Arrow, it can be streamed with a Netflix subscription among plenty of other DC movies and TV shows on that platform. Otherwise, make sure you have a Max subscription, as that’s where the majority of upcoming DC TV shows will be going.

In 2012, Arrow premiered on The CW and kicked off a shared universe of DC Comics properties on television. The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and Black Lightning followed, and for nearly a decade, this franchise delivered interconnected stories that channeled the same appeal that their comic book source material had been doing for decades. Many superheroes were featured in the Arrowverse, but we’re here to talk about 32 that had major roles in the franchise.

Before going further, there are some stipulations to point out. First, these characters need to have been established in the comics as superheroes before they were introduced in the Arrowverse, hence why characters like Nia Nal/Dreamer, Sara Lance/White Canary and John Diggle/Spartan aren’t on here. Second, these characters need to be chiefly known as heroes in the comics, which is why the likes of Captain Cold, Heat Wave and Killer Frost won’t be mentioned. Finally, we’re only covering the six live-action shows that made up the main Arrowverse continuity, both pre and post-“Crisis on Infinite Earths,” so don’t go looking for people from shows like Superman & Lois and Stargirl.

Green Arrow

Arrow starred Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, and while he initially went by The Hood and The Arrow, this version of Oliver finally started going by Green Arrow in Season 4. In addition to his eight seasons leading Arrow, Amell’s Oliver participated in all the biggest Arrowverse crossover events. He died in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” but fans got to reunite with him in the Arrow series finale and The Flash episode “It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To.”

The Flash

Oliver Queen may have ushered in the Arrowverse, but it wasn’t until Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen got struck by that bolt of lightning that this franchise started getting truly fantastical and fully embracing its superhero roots. Barry protected the citizens of Central City for nine seasons of The Flash, and he was also present for every big Arrowverse crossover event. This Barry also had the unique privilege of being the only Arrowverse hero to cross over with the DCEU, as he met Ezra Miller’s Flash in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

Supergirl

Although Supergirl originally debuted on CBS, it was established to take part in the wider Arrowverse continuity when Barry Allen traveled to the Earth of Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers late in Season 1. Those ties only grew stronger once the show moved to The CW, and from there, Kara rounded out the Arrowverse’s main trinity of superheroes with Barry and Oliver Queen. At the end of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Kara’s Earth merged with the franchise’s main Earth, so Supergirl concluded its six-season run in the same world where the majority of her superhero cohorts now live.

Batwoman

Initially Batwoman starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, the same character who holds the mantle in the comics. However, following Rose’s exit post-Season 1, Ryan Wilder (seen above) was created to take over as the vigilante, with Javicia Leslie being cast to play her. Batwoman only lasted three seasons, but both Kate (later played by Wallis Day) and Ryan still stood out as important heroes before, during and after that time, with the former appearing in both the “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths crossovers,” and the latter both reprising her role on The Flash and playing an evil speedster version of Ryan called Red Death early in Season 9.

Black Lightning

When Black Lightning came along, there was absolutely nothing connecting it to the Arrowverse. Jefferson Pierce’s return to superheroing unfolded in its own corner of the multiverse, but then “Crisis on Infinite Earths” came along and merged his Earth with the main Arrowverse Earth and Supergirl’s. Cress Williams would later reprise Jefferson for an episode of The Flash Season 8, but it was across Black Lightning’s four-season run where he shined best, with no one but the allies in his immediate circle on hand to help him out.

Black Canary

Five individuals held the Black Canary mantle in the Arrowverse: Sara Lance, the Laurel Lance from Earth-1, Evelyn Sharp, Dinah Drake (seen above), and the Laurel Lance from Earth-2. Of those five, the two Laurels and Dinah were able to unleash a sonic scream on their enemies, although Earth-1’s Laurel’s came from a device rather than as a metahuman ability like the other two. There had been plans for Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy to continue respectively playing Earth-2 Laurel and Dinah alongside Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak in a Green Arrow & The Canaries spinoff, but it was never picked up.

The Atom

Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer debuted at the beginning of Arrow Season 3, where he would unveil his A.T.O.M. exosuit. After initially having been presumed dead by the end of the season, Ray resurfaced in Season 4 having been revealed to be shrunken to the size of an atom, and he was able to incorporate shrinking into his exosuit. From there, he became one of the founding Legends of Tomorrow and stuck around on that show as a series regular until midway through Season 5.

Arsenal

By Arrow Season 3, Colton Haynes’ Roy Harper, who’d already appeared in the first two seasons, had taken up archery and joined Oliver Queen in fighting crime as Arsenal, though he was also called Red Arrow by the media. Although Roy had to leave Team Arrow that same season after he masqueraded as The Arrow and faked his death, he would still pop in and out of the show throughout the rest of Arrow’s run to help out his friends. He also followed in his comic book counterpart’s footsteps by gaining a cybernetic arm.

Speedy

The second Speedy in the comics was Mia Dearden, so it was only appropriate that Willa Holland's Thea Queen, who was a loose adaptation of the character, also received that name. When Roy left Star City, he left his Arsenal costume behind, and she made adjustments to it so she could wear it out in the field and join her brother Oliver as a bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero. Eventually she embarked on a personal crusade to battle the Thanatos Guild.

Vibe

Carlos Valdés’ Cisco Ramon was already a valued member of Team Flash at the beginning as its tech genius, but after he discovered he was a metahuman capable of manipulating dimensional energy, he became Vibe. Cisco took a metahuman cure in Season 5, but he continued to fight crime as Mecha-Vibe using a suit that provided him with some of his former powers until he left in Season 7 to join A.R.G.U.S.

Superman

I know, I said I wouldn’t include anybody from Superman & Lois on this list. However, in this case, I’m talking about the Superman from Earth-38/Earth-Prime. In other words, this is the Clark Kent who appeared on Supergirl and participated in “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” We’d assumed he was also the one leading Superman & Lois until it was revealed that show is set on another Earth.

Martian Manhunter

Originally Supergirl viewers thought David Harewood was playing Hank Henshaw, the man who became Cyborg Superman in the comics. But early in Season 1, it was revealed that his character was actually J’onn J’onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter, who assumed Henshaw’s identity to try and do good as the director of the Department of Extranormal Operations. Harewood would later play the sinister Henshaw for a few episodes, but it was J’onn who stuck around for all of Supergirl as one of Kara’s most important allies.

Elongated Man

Ralph Dibny gained his elastic powers from The Thinker’s machinations in The Flash Season 4, and after being stabilized, he joined Team Flash to help them fight crime as Elongated Man. Hartley Sawyer portrayed the character through to the end of Season 6, but after the actor was fired from the show, a stand-in performer was used for the Season 7 premiere. While healing from some major burns, Ralph decided to leave Team Flash to travel the world with Sue Dearbon and dismantle various criminal organizations.

Vixen

Although Mari McCabe, the Vixen from the comics, was played by Megalyn Echikunwoke in the Vixen and The Ray animated web series, as well as an episode of Arrow, it was the character’s grandmother, Amaya Jiwe (seen above), who got more attention in the Arroverse. An original character created for Legends of Tomorrow, Amaya, played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers, was active as Vixen during World War II as a Justice Society member, and after traveling through time with the Legends for a while, she returned to her original time period at the end of Season 3. Richardson-Sellers then stuck around a few more seasons as a shapeshifter named Charlie.

Firestorm

Just like in the comics, the Arrowverse’s original Firestorm duo consisted of Robbie Amell’s Ronnie Raymond and Victor Garber’s Martin Stein, with the two being recurring characters in The Flash Season 1. However, after Ronnie died in the Season 2 premiere, Stein merged a few episodes later with Franz Drameh’s Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (seen above), and the two went on to join the Legends of Tomorrow. That’s where they stayed until Stein died in the “Crisis on Earth X” crossover, prompting Jax to leave and resume his normal life.

John Constantine

Although NBC’s Constantine series only lasted one season, Matt Ryan was able to keep playing the trenchcoat-wearing sorcerer in multiple other ways, most notably in the Arrowverse. Following a guest appearance in Arrow Season 4, he returned two years later in Legends of Tomorrow, where he eventually became part of the team and hung around until the end of Season 6. Even then, Ryan remained on the series to play Gwyn Davies, the inventor of time travel.

Kid Flash

Depicted as Iris West’s long-lost brother rather than her nephew like in the comics, Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West was introduced midway through The Flash Season 2. After Season 3’s premiere showed him as the Kid Flash of the Flashpoint timeline, the main version of Wally gained super speed when Doctor Alchemy restored his powers from that other reality. Wally exited as a series regular at the beginning of The Flash Season 4, but would later make guest appearances in Seasons 6 and 9, as well as appearing in the latter half of Legends of Tomorrow Season 3.

Jay Garrick

After it was revealed that the Jay Garrick that viewers had been following along with in The Flash Season 2 was really the sinister Zoom, the real Jay was revealed at the end of that season to be a doppelgänger of Henry Allen from Earth-3. With John Wesley Shipp having played Barry Allen in The Flash TV show from 1990 (whom he also reprised in “Elseworlds and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”), it was only fitting that he also play this veteran speedster as well.

Thunder/Blackbird

If you’re making a show about Black Lightning, then it’s only appropriate that you include his superhero daughters too. The first of them was Nafessa Williams’ Anissa Pierce, a.k.a. Thunder, although there were also various instances where she went by the moniker Blackbird. Unlike her father and sister, Anissa didn’t generate and manipulate electricity, but rather was able to manipulate her density with her breathing, giving her super strength and durability.

Lightning

Like her superhero name clearly indicates, not only did Jennifer Pierce inherit the same kind of powers as her father, but she also had the added ability to generate electricity on her own rather than just manipulate it like Jefferson. China Anne McClain played Jennifer for the majority of Black Lightning’s run, but for a good chunk of Season 4, Laura Kariuki took over the role, though this was later revealed to be an ionosphere entity who stole her identity.

Mister Terrific

After being introduced in Arrow Season 4 as a Palmer Technologies employee who worked closely with Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum’s Curtis Holt (rather than Michael Holt, like in the comics) officially joined Team Arrow at the beginning of Season 5, taking the identity Mr. Terrific, which had previously belonged to his favorite wrestler. Curtis stuck with the team until the end of Season 6, and from there he briefly worked for A.R.G.U.S., then took a job in Washington D.C.

Wild Dog

Instead of using Jack Wheeler from the comics, Arrow gave that superhero identity to the original character Rene Ramirez, played by Rick Gonzalez. Although frequently hotheaded, Rene was nonetheless another valued member of Team Arrow for many seasons, though there was a period where he, Curtis and Dinah formed their own group. Eventually, Rene retired from being Wild Dog and became mayor of Star City by the end of the show.

XS

While XS is indeed a character from the comics, The Flash’s version of her is a melding of her and Barry Allen’s daughter, who was known as Dawn in the comics. In this show, while it’s implied that’s what Jessica Parker Kennedy’s character used to be named too, changes to the timeline led to her being named Nora, after Barry’s mother. The original version of Kennedy’s Nora was erased from the timeline after Cicada’s dagger was destroyed, but fortunately, a new version of her came into being afterward.

Impulse

Rather than being Barry Allen’s grandson like in the comics, Jordan Fisher’s Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse, is depicted as Barry and Iris West’s son, i.e. Nora’s sister. Introduced towards the end of Season 7, and a speedster just like his father and Nora, Impulse shared a special connection with Jay Garrick and had already made an enemy out of Godspeed from his time period.

Guardian

In Supergirl, the Guardian mantle was held by the Olsen siblings rather than Jim Harper or Mal Duncan. James Olsen first started fighting crime as Guardian in Season 2, with Winn Schott making him his suit and shield. Then in Season 6, one season after Mehcad Brooks stopped playing James as a series regular, Azie Tesfai’s Kelly Olsen (seen above) took over as the new Guardian, although James did don his costume one last time in the series finale.

Citizen Steel

Nick Zano’s Nate Heywood joined Legends of Tomorrow at the beginning of Season 2, gaining the ability to transform his body into steel from an experimental serum. This power is more like Colossus’ from the X-Men than the Nate from the comics, but it was a welcome one to have until mustard gas eroded the steel in Season 7, which led to him retiring from the team. This version of Nate also simply went by Steel rather than Citizen Steel, not to be confused with the John Henry Irons Steel.

Mon-El

Hailing from Daxam, a planet populated by Kryptonian offshoots, Mon-El gained the same kind of superpowers as Supergirl when he landed on Earth. However, because he was a spoiled prince from the Daxamite monarchy, it took a while for him to start behaving like a hero. Mon-El and Kara fell in love, but while Chris Wood and Melissa Benoist married in real life, it wasn’t meant to be for the characters. Mon-El ended up traveling to the 31st century and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Batwing

When Batwoman began, Luke Fox initially started out working behind the scenes to help Kate Kane out, having already been keeping Wayne Tower secure on Batman’s behalf. Then in Season 2, Campus Johnson’s character began his own superhero journey, one which culminated in him constructing a supersuit and becoming Batwing, just like in the comics.

Brainiac 5

Brainiac 5 was one of Mon-El’s teammates in the Legion of Super-Heroes, and together with Saturn Girl, they traveled back to the present day in Supergirl Season 3. By the end of that season, Winn Schott decided to travel to the future to stop an AI-killing virus, Jesse Rath’s Brainiac 5, a.k.a. Brainy, stayed in the present and became one of Supergirl’s most valued allies. He also formed a romantic relationship with Nia Nal.

Hawkgirl

Although both Hawkgirl and Harman appeared in Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 following their introductions in the “Heroes Join Forces Crossover,” Ciara Renée’s Kendra Saunders unquestionably had the bigger role. After her version of Carter Hall was killed by Vandal Savage, she joined the Legends to help try to defeat the villain across time. By the end of Season 1, Kendra and a later incarnation of Carter left after Vandal was finally killed for good.

Rip Hunter

Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter, one of DC Comics’ greatest time travelers, assembled the Legends of Tomorrow to help him stop Vandal Savage. Season 2 saw him bring brainwashed by the Legion of Doom, but fortunately, their programming was erased, and he then decided to leave the Legends after realizing he had nothing left to teach them. He then spent the next five years of his personal timeline forming the Time Bureau, but by the end of Season 3, Rip sacrificed his stop the demon Mallus.

Jesse Quick

Rather than being Jesse Chambers like in the comics, The Flash’s version of Jesse Quick was Jesse Wells, the daughter of Earth-2’s Harrison Wells. Violett Beane's character gained her super speed after being exposed to dark matter during an attempt to restore Barry Allen’s own speed. By Season 3, she began fighting crime on Earth-2, and occasionally on Earth-1, as Jesse Quick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Jesse was restored to life in the new multiverse created during “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

While the Arrowverse is over, these 32 will be remembered as some of its most prominent superheroes, and there are plenty of others we could spend time talking about. They’re just among the many reasons why this franchise will continue being enjoyed for years to come.

It's fair to say Katie Cassidy is currently living out what could be described as a real-life Hallmark movie. Although she's not set to appear in the network’s annual Countdown to Christmas lineup, the Arrow alum led A Royal Christmas Crush, which premiered over the summer. The flick was for the channel's Christmas in July event (which is great if you'd like to stay in the holiday spirit even when it’s a hundred degrees outside). The film also stars Stephen Huszar, who struck up a relationship with Cassidy. Now, months after their meet cute on the set, the two actors are still going strong.

How Did The Stars' Meet Cute Happen?

In June, it was reported that the two actors were dating and, as a result, they landed on a list of couples who met on set and starting dating IRL. A source told People that the couple were in love and had even embarked on a whirlwind trip together, going from Europe to Portugal to Spain to France and ending the trip in Monaco.

After word got out, Katie Cassidy confirmed the news with a sweet Instagram photo of her and her beau. As for the Hallmark movie that brought the stars together, A Royal Christmas Crush, it sees Cassidy plays an architect, who gets a new job opportunity at the Royal Ice Hotel. There, she meets the Royal Prince, played by Huszar, and the two have a whirlwind romance. Stephen Huszar may not actually be royalty, but it still seems like he stole Cassidy’s heart.

The couple actually had a secret romance while filming the movie. The Arrowverse actress previously told US Weekly that they kept things professional, but they were able to let their guard down when their characters did “and allow space to fall into one another.” The personal chemistry between the stars could be a major reason why they were so electric whenever they were on screen together. You can't help but love a sweet romance as well as a successful collaboration between two talented performers.

How The Hallmark Stars Are Doing Today

While A Royal Christmas Crush may have premiered in July, Katie Cassidy and Huzsar are as in love as ever. For the actress’ 37th birthday over the weekend, Huszar shared a very sweet post on Instagram that will make anyone melt. He wished the “love of his life” happy birthday and praised everything about her. He also shared more than a few pictures from their many trips together as well as one that appears to showcase a homemade pizza night at home:

The two are just the latest Hallmark stars to date, as When Calls the Heart's Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace got engaged in 2022. Now, it looks like Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar are as happy as ever, and one might wonder if they'll end up exchanging vows as well. We'll just have to wait and see if that ends up being the case. For now, fans can check out A Royal Christmas Crush as it airs this season alongside entries on the 2023 Christmas movie schedule.

One of the hottest upcoming Hallmark movies to hit this schedule may be a bit icier than expected for this time of year. A Royal Christmas Crush is hitting Hallmark as part of a very merry month of programming, and its two leads Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar recently admitted they are in a romance in real life to boot. Talk about finding your Prince Charming on set, am I right? 

I hope you are prepared to hop from myriad June wedding plotlines to a whole host of ice sculptures and probably some hot chocolate, because the most merry time of the year is coming a bit early this year. I for one, am stoked.

When Does A Royal Christmas Crush Air? 

A Royal Christmas Crush will hit the 2023 TV schedule on Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. While it’s not exactly Christmas movie season, the film is a brand new holiday movie and is being aired alongside some classic Hallmark favorites as part of its Christmas in July schedule. 

Who’s In The Cast For A Royal Christmas Crush?

There are a slew of familiar faces in this upcoming summer movie. They include some familiar Hallmark names, as well as some newcomers to the holiday movie genre (including the former Arrow star herself). Take a look at the cast list: 

• Katie Cassidy
• Stephen Huszar
• Angela Besharah
• Kathryn Kohut
• Charlie Ebbs
• Alice Hamid
• Pip Dwyer 
• Glenn Edward Gyorffy

So, where have you seen the two leads before? Huszar has appeared in Letterkenny, Fringe, Supernatural and the Hallmark original series Chesapeake Shores, but his resumé is populated with a slew of Hallmark original movies. Among these I particularly enjoy the mystery franchise A Ruby Herring Mystery, but he’s in plenty more Christmas flicks. Try prioritizing the Christmas favorite films Time for us to Come Home For Christmas opposite Lacey Chabert and Return to Christmas Creek opposite Tori Anderson. 

Katie Cassidy is most known for her work in the Arrow-verse, particularly on its flagship series Arrow, where she played Laurel Lance. She’s had other high-profile TV gigs on Melrose Place and in Gossip Girl, and now she’s in her first ever Hallmark movie! Next up, Cassidy reportedly has her first big directorial effort in the works.

How A Real-Life Romance Came About On The Set Of A Royal Christmas Crush

Huszar and Cassidy have been doing press for their Christmas in July flick in recent weeks. The two admitted they’d kept their romance a secret on set while A Royal Christmas Crush was filming; in fact, they were strangers when the new movie started filming. But as Cassidy told Us Weekly previously: “When chemistry is there, it’s just there.” 

The two ultimately kept things low key and professional on set (per their own words). Then, in June, after the movie had filmed, it was Katie Cassidy who went Instagram official with her new beau, sharing in a post “Welp, cat’s out of the bag.” 

She really did find her “Prince” Charming. No really, as her new beau plays a literal Prince in their new TV movie. Cassidy’s character Ava will accept a job at a royal ice hotel. I’m sure there’s some sort of heart melting pun to be found, here, but I think you get the gist. 

Katie Cassidy also recently spoke about her character finding her "prince" in an interview with Us Weekly. She joked it was really her co-star's nice jawline that would catch anyone's attention, leading to sparks. 

I mean, when it comes to jawlines, she's not wrong. 

What’s Next For Hallmark? 

The network has not one but two new original movies hitting the Christmas in July schedule. The next one, Take Me Back for Christmas, will star Vanessa Lengies and Corey Sevier. That flick will hit the schedule on July 15 at 8 p.m. ET. Plus, there are a slew of other fun holiday-themed movies you may or may not have seen before hitting the schedule all month. 

Hallmark’s Christmas in July programming block has once again arrived to continue bringing the coziness of holiday romances to summer audiences, and one of those on-screen romance took on a life of its own. The stars of the upcoming release A Royal Christmas Crush, Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar are now dating in real life after the initial sparks started flying between them while filming, and it actually helped the film. 

A Royal Christmas Crush sees Katie Cassidy’s Ava, an architect, falling for Huszar’s Prince Henry while Ava helps her uncle build an ice hotel for the royal family. (I mean, who doesn't have that story in their romantic background.) Even though the couple's real-life tale is a tad different, it still made filming easier due to the fact it felt organic with an added element, as the Arrow alum told Us Weekly:

Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar are definitely not the first couple who turned fictional love into reality, and probably won’t be the last, but even their love story sounds like a Hallmark movie in the making while on the set of a Hallmark movie. Having a secret relationship may be tough at times, but it does sound like it actually worked for the duo, and being able to almost follow in their characters’ footsteps made it all the more real, both on-screen and off.

That being said, it’s hard to push down feelings for someone when you know they’re actually there, and while the two were professional, as Huszar echoed his co-star’s sentiments about the situation, the feelings just could not be pushed down any longer. At least it helped with the overall filming of the movie:

It’s sweet to hear how the two of them talk about each other, because not only will fans want to witness their relationship in A Royal Christmas Crush, they will now likely want to keep celebrating their IRL relationship. With the film set to premiere Saturday, July 8, on the Christmas-friendly channel, seeing how their relationship radiates on-screen, knowing that they were in a then-secret relationship off-screen, will be something to look forward to. 

Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar’s relationship was first confirmed by Cassidy while on vacation after it was reported that the two were seen together. They are just the latest Hallmark couple to take their relationship on in the real world, following When Calls the Heart’s Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace in 2019 and got engaged in 2022. Meanwhile, Julia Gonzalo and Chris McNally welcomed a baby together in 2022 after meeting on 2018’s The Sweetest Heart. It's not so surprising, though, since Hallmark is all about the cheesy romances and falling in love when you least expect it. 

It's clear that Cassidy has met her real-life Prince Charming with Huszar, but make sure to watch the duo in their on-screen royal romance, A Royal Christmas Crush premiering this Saturday, July 8 at 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark as part of the upcoming slate Hallmark films. Take a look at the 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres to look forward to this year.

It’s hard to deny the appeal of Hallmark’s romantic comedies. These pure and idyllic TV movies make it seem like it’s impossible NOT to find love, particularly if you’re working with someone you don’t like, traveling out of the country or happen to be in the vicinity of royalty. Yes, it’s all a bit ridiculous — that’s part of the charm! — but in actuality, romance often really is found in all of those places. The network’s movie sets have been the meet-cute setting for several real-life couples, and the stars of an upcoming Hallmark project just went public with their own real-life relationship.

For Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar, the stars of Hallmark’s A Royal Christmas Crush, the sparks apparently continued to fly even after the cameras stopped rolling. A source revealed to People: 

The couple confirmed the news themselves soon after it was reported that they’d been spending time on a luxury yacht with Italian music artists Fedez and Lazza. The actors certainly looked like they had no worries as they took in some sun in their first Instagram post as an official couple: 

Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar met on the set of A Royal Christmas Crush, which will premiere July 8 on the Hallmark Channel. In the Christmas-in-July rom-com, Cassidy plays Ava, who "accepts the opportunity of a lifetime to work at the Royal Ice Hotel which leads her to a surprise whirlwind romance with the most important guest of all, the Royal Prince himself,” according to the network’s synopsis. Huszar, naturally, will portray the prince. I guess that means it really was the opportunity of a lifetime, and not just for Cassidy’s character! 

Ahead of their relationship being made public, the actress posted a sweet photo of the two of them on Instagram, in which she dubbed him her “Prince Charming.”

Stephen Huszar has appeared in a number of Hallmark movies, dating all the way back to 2011. His credits include Glacier National: A National Park Romance, Undercover Holiday, A Homecoming for the Holidays and many more. Katie Cassidy, meanwhile, is making her debut on the family friendly network after appearing on Arrow, Supernatural, Harper’s Island and several other series and movies over the years.

Hallmark has witnessed the beginnings of several real-life relationships, including Kevin McGarry and Kayla Wallace, who met on When Calls the Heart in 2019. They confirmed their romance in 2020 and went on to appear together in Feeling Butterflies and My Grown-Up Christmas List in 2022 — the same year they got engaged. Julie Gonzalo and Chris McNally similarly met on The Sweetest Heart in 2018 and welcomed a surprise baby together in 2022.

If you want to see where it all began for Katie Cassidy and Stephen Huszar, A Royal Christmas Crush will premiere at 8 p.m. ET July 8 on Hallmark, and be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon. 

It’s been over two years since The CW’s flagship Arrowverse series, Arrow, came to an end. While it seemed like the series' legacy could continue in the form of Green Arrow and the Canaries, a spinoff set in 2040 that follows Oliver’s daughter, Mia as the new emerald archer alongside Lance and Dinah Drake, the network officially canned the series last year. Now, Katie Cassidy is opening up about the decision, and why she believes it was actually a good thing. 

Katie Cassidy portrayed Laurel Lance/Black Canary/Black Siren throughout Arrow’s eight-season run and became a fan favorite. So it was no surprise that the network considering bringing the character back for the proposed series, which had a backdoor pilot (starring Cassidy, Kat McNamara, and Juliana Harkavy) air towards the end of the parent show's final season. While promoting her new spy thriller Agent Game, Cassidy spoke to ComicBookMovie.com about the axed spinoff. The actress shared her honest thoughts about it, and it sounds like she was ready to to begin a new chapter in her career:

The actress' feelings are understandable, especially since she was on the original show for such a long time. Although it’s clear that the superhero series will always hold a special place in her heart, it was simply time for her to move on. She may not be open to playing Laurel on a regular basis anymore, but she could always return for a guest spot. Her former co-stars have done this. David Ramsey was making the rounds across the universe last year (ahead of his reported Justice U series), and Kat McNamara showed up in The Flash’s “Armageddon” event.

Not only that, but it seems another one of her colleagues would love to have her back. In October 2021, Legends of Tomorrow star and former Arrow actress Caity Lotz revealed that she’s “always pitching” ideas for Laurel Lance to appear on the series. Legends is the most reasonable Arrowverse series for the character to appear on, given its unpredictable nature, and I'd personally love to see it happen.

Of course, such a gig would have to line up with Katie Cassidy's busy schedule, highlighted by her newest project. According to Deadline, her upcoming directorial debut, Daddy Issues, which she also co-wrote with Maria Betrand and Meg McCaig, focuses on three women who must wrestle with how their fathers have impacted their lives. Cassidy will also star in the film and produce it.

With this, perhaps the Supernatural alum can simply direct an episode of Legends of Tomorrow or another Arrowverse series instead of making an appearance. That would certainly serve as a consolation prize of sorts for some fans who'd love to see her working within the superhero franchise. For fans like myself, it's sad that Green Arrow and the Canaries didn't get picked up, but I'm glad to see Katie Cassidy is getting to try some new things in her professional life.

Although Katie Cassidy is primarily known for TV outings like playing Juliet Sharp in Gossip Girl and various versions of Laurel Lance in the Arrowverse, she’s also appeared in a handful of movies over the years. Well, the actress is about to take a big step forward with the film portion of her career, as it’s been announced that she’ll be directing her first movie. However, the subject matter might not be to the liking of Paul Blackthorne’s Quentin Lance, Laurel’s dad on Arrow.

Katie Cassidy’s feature directorial debut is titled Daddy Issues, which she co-wrote with Maria Betrand and Meg McCaig. The movie is described by Deadline as a coming-of-age story set in Los Angeles about three women who “should have already grown the fuck up,” but are “unable to escape the relationship dysfunction they learned from their fathers.” So while the two main versions of Laurel Lance in Arrow shared a close bond with Quentin Lance (though that’s not to say there weren’t rocky moments), Daddy Issues will focus on the negative ways the trio’s respective fathers have imprinted on them.

In addition to the aforementioned creative duties and starring in the flick, Katie Cassidy will also produce Daddy Issues. Marina Studios has also come aboard the movie after Cassidy showed a presentation for the project earlier this year at the Mammoth Film Festival. Production will unfold this fall in Boston and Los Angeles.

The news about Daddy Issues follows six months after the release of Katie Cassidy’s last film appearance, the romantic crime drama I Love Us, which she also executive produced. In addition to directing her first movie, there’s another reason 2022 will be a big deal for Cassidy on the film front, as she’ll soon be seen acting alongside Mel Gibson, Dermot Mulroney and fellow Arrow vet Katherine McNamara (who’s returning to The CW for Walker: Independence) in Agent Game. Still, it’s safe to say that making Daddy Issues will hold a particularly special place in Cassidy’s heart later this year.

Katie Cassidy’s other notable film credits include Click, Taken, the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Monte Carlo and Wolves at the Door. As far as Katie Cassidy’s work in the Arrowverse goes, we haven’t seen the Earth-2 incarnation of Laurel Lance, a.k.a. Black Siren, since Arrow concluded in early 2020. While there had been plans for her to star alongside Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak and Juliana Harkavy’s Dinah Drake in the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff following Arrow’s penultimate episode serving as a backdoor pilot, The CW announced that it was passing on the project in January 2021. 

However, Caity Lotz, who debuted as Sara Lance on Arrow and has been leading Legends of Tomorrow since the beginning, has expressed interest in bringing Katie Cassidy back to the time travel series, as she made two guest appearances as the original Laurel Lance in Season 1. So maybe there will come a day where we see a Laurel back in the Arrowverse, but for now, Cassidy will be keeping busy putting Daddy Issues together.

While we wait for more news about Daddy Issues and Katie Cassidy’s other creative endeavors, look through the lineup of 2022 movie releases to see what will play in theaters and on streaming later in the year. This includes Agent Game, which will be released online and in select theaters on April 8.

Following her time on Arrow, Caity Lotz’s Sara Lance hopped over to Legends of Tomorrow, and with Dominic Purcell’s Mick Rory departing at the end of Season 6, she and Amy Louise Pemberton’s Gideon (who’s now taken human form) are the only original series regulars left on the Waverider. Clearly Sara’s time traveling escapades aren’t ending anytime soon, but it’s also been a while since she reunited with her family, specifically Laurel Lance. Well, Lotz is game for Katie Cassidy to come aboard for some Legends of Tomorrow fun.

The last time we saw Laurel Lance, specifically the Earth-2 version who goes by Black Siren, was in Arrow’s series finale “Fadeout,” where she attended Oliver Queen’s funeral and questioned why she was saved after “Crisis on Infinite Earths” rebooted the universe rather than her deceased original Earth-1 counterpart. But as we’ve seen with John Diggle popping up on various Arrowverse shows recently, just because Arrow ended doesn’t mean Katie Cassidy couldn’t reprise Laurel elsewhere, and Caity Lotz is eager to re-team with Cassidy on Legends of Tomorrow, telling TV Line:

Legends of Tomorrow would certainly be the most logical place for Laurel Lance to resurface, and while the Earth-2 Laurel obviously doesn’t have the same dynamic with this reality’s Sara Lance that Earth-1 Laurel did, it would be nice to see their relationship fleshed out. Plus, as Caity Lotz pointed out, this would also allow for us to check in with Paul Blackthorne’s Quentin Lance, Sara and Laurel’s father who was resurrected by the  “Crisis on Infinite Earths” craziness. We also haven’t seen Alex Kingston’s Dinah Lance since the Arrow Season 4 episode “Canary Cry,” so we’re due for another encounter with Sara and Laurel’s mother.

For now though, Sara Lance has other matters to attend to, as she and the other Legends are stuck in 1925 after another version of the Waverider destroyed their Waverider in the Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 finale. They’re now searching for Gwyn Davies (played by Matt Ryan, who previously starred as John Constantine), an early pioneer in time travel, for his assistance in getting back to the present day. It’s practically guaranteed they’ll eventually accomplish that goal, but taking into account that the Legends of Tomorrow writers have also likely plotted out most, if not all of Season 7 already, there may not be any room to include a Sara/Laurel reunion. So if you want that to happen, cross your fingers for Season 8 to be ordered.

You can enjoy Legends of Tomorrow Season 7’s antics (including what the 100th episode has coming up) Wednesdays at 8 pm ET on The CW. Meanwhile, Katie Cassidy will next appear alongside Mel Gibson, Dermot Mulroney and fellow Arrow actress Katherine McNamara in the spy thriller Agent Game, which doesn’t have a release date yet.

After 15 seasons, Supernatural will soon come to a close. With that much time on air (dating back to when The CW was still The WB), Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) have many adventures to look back on and, with that, many familiar faces who may not have been so familiar when they made their appearance on the series.

Perhaps you remember the time 1980s music icon Rick Springfield played a rock star possessed by Lucifer himself, or The Exorcist star Linda Blair’s spot as as a skeptical police detective, or even when Paris Hilton dabbled in self-mockery as a demon-possessed version of herself. However, do you remember seeing Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard on Supernatural, or maybe Emmy-winner Sterling K. Brown?

These are just two celebrities who would eventually take Hollywood by storm, but not before landing a gig on the extremely popular fantasy adventure series. There are 11 others we had in mind to mention.

Alden Ehrenreich (Ben Collins)

Playing a younger version of Harrison Ford’s iconic space pilot in the 2018 prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story made Alden Ehrenreich a household name. More than a decade earlier, the then 15-year-old actor made his screen debut on the second ever episode of Supernatural, called “Wendigo,” as Ben Collins, a young man looking for his missing older brother in a Colorado forest with his older sister, Haley (Gina Holden). Sam and Dean, while posing as park rangers, agree to help them on a hunch that the sibling may have been killed by the titular mythical creature.

Sterling K. Brown (Gordon Walker)

From his Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role on the hit NBC drama This Is Us to his brief, yet memorable, appearance Eric Killmonger's late, Wakandan born father in Black Panther, Sterling K. Brown has become one of the most versatile, sought-after actors today following a career spanning nearly two decades. One of his earlier roles was a guest spot in Season 2 of Supernatural as a Gordon Walker, a vampire hunter who has it out for Sam Winchester. Brown would reprise the character for a three-episode arc the following season, that saw him become the very creature he despised and ended with Sam beheading him.

Lauren Cohan (Bela Talbot)

In one attempt to find the Winchester Brothers, Gordon Walker interrogated their on-and-off ally, con artist Abbie Talbot (better known as "Bela"), played by Lauren Cohan. The British-American actress would eventually become a master at battling monstrous creatures after joining the cast of The Walking Dead in its second season, but her first recurring role on Season 3 of Supernatural saw her employed by monstrous creatures years after making a deal with a demon in her teens. Despite occasionally turning good to help Sam and Dean, her redemption moment came to a bitter end after betraying the brothers, costing her whatever protection they could have provided once her devilish bargain expired and allowing her soul to be taken by Hellhounds.

Finn Wolfhard (Jordie Pinksy)

While still a teenager, Finn Wolfhard has earned the title of his generation's most prolific "scream king," from playing Richie Tozier in both It films, starring in the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and, of course, his breakout role on Stranger Things. Yet, the Canadian actor's first association with the horror genre began a year before he was cast on the hit Netflix series as a guest star on Supernatural. In the 2015 episode "Thin Lizzie," Wolfhard plays Jordie Pinsky, whose father was the victim of a murder which took place at the childhood home of alleged murderer Lizzie Borden, now re-opened as a bed and breakfast, and Sam and Dean are convinced that primordial being The Darkness, which they just call "Amara" (Yasmeene Ball), may be involved.

Leslie Odom Jr. (Guy)

In one of his first TV gigs, Leslie Odom Jr. starred in a wedding episode of Gilmore Girls, which was Jared Padalecki's first major TV gig. Coincidentally, the future Hamilton actor's sole appearance alongside Padalecki on Supernatural is the Season 7 episode literally titled "Season Seven, Time for a Wedding!" The nuptials in question are between Sam and his obsessed fan Becky Rosen (Emily Perkins), which Dean correctly assumes is the work of some sort of black magic and eventually discovers Becky sold her soul to a crossroads demon named Guy (Odom Jr.) in exchange for Sam's love.

Dylan Minnette (Danny Carter)

As a protagonist in 2016 thriller Don't Breathe and the Netflix original horror flick The Open House, Dylan Minnette tends to play a lot of characters who enter places that they should be staying away from. In fact, this reputation dates back even years before he landed a lead role on hit drama 13 Reasons Why when the then 13-year-old starred in a Season 4 episode of Supernatural. In the episode, called "Family Remains," Minnette plays a young member of the Carter Family, who have just moved into a house in Nebraska, only to come across Sam and Dean, who have reason to believe their new home is haunted.

Ashley Benson (Tracy Davis)

After breaking out as Hanna Marin, a meek protagonist of Pretty Little Liars, in 2010, Ashley Benson's next big role would be the not-so-meek Brit in Harmony Korine's controversial thriller Spring Breakers. Yet, before either of those projects came her way, the model/actress also played quite a "hellraiser" (more literally speaking) in the Season 4 Halloween episode of Supernatural, in which she starred as Tracy Davis, a 600-year-old witch performing human sacrifice to resurrect the evil demon Samhaim (actually pronounced correctly in the episode). However, Sam and Dean do not figure that out until after they initially try to protect her from evil art teacher Don Harding (Don McManus), who actually turned out to be her brother.

Gary Cole (Brad Redding)

What helps Gary Cole stand out among the rest of the of the actors on this list is that, by the time he landed his guest spot on Supernatural, he had pretty much already established himself as a prominent onscreen presence, especially as Bill Lumbergh, cinema's quintessential boss from hell, in the classic 1999 comedy Office Space. Of course, the fact that his Season 2 appearance has certain thematic parallels to that iconic role only makes it more worth mentioning. In "Hollywood Babylon," Sam and Dean pose as production assistants to infiltrate a supposedly a haunted movie set, but Brad Redding, a bullish producer played by Cole, turns out to be one of more antagonistic characters they encounter, until he falls prey to the real on-set evil.

Katie Cassidy (Ruby/Lilith)

Although she is best known today for playing Laurel Lance (a.k.a. Black Canary) on Arrow, Katie Cassidy does have a place in horror movie royalty (so to speak) for her roles in the modern day remakes of When a Stranger Calls and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Her proudest moment within the genre would more likely be her recurring role on Supernatural, for which she actually got to play characters. Starting off as the first known human vessel of Ruby, a demon who becomes a frequent ally to the Winchester Brothers and love interest of Sam, Cassidy's character's body would eventually be taken over by a white-eyed demon named Lilith, who is most definitely not an ally to the Sam and Dean, but used her new appearance to insidiously achieve their trust.

Aldis Hodge (Jake Talley)

In Leigh Whannel's 2020 update of The Invisible Man, Aldis Hodge plays James Lanier, a police officer who falls prey to the manipulation of his friend's evil ex-husband. In the two-part Season 2 finale of Supernatural, he played Jake Talley, a US military officer who possesses the ability to manipulate others with mind control as a "Special Child," but that did not stop him from falling prey to the wishes of the Yellow-Eyed Demon, Azazel, and become one hell of an obstacle for Sam and Dean. Jake eventually becomes entirely consumed by his demonic side, becoming instrumental in the unleashing of the Apocalypse.

Felicia Day (Charlie Bradbury)

Felicia Day has earned a bit of a "geek goddess" reputation among her cult followers for years, from starring on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eureka, her recent regular role on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000 revival, and plenty more beloved projects. Among those programs, undoubtedly, is Supernatural, on which she starred as skilled computer hacker, and LARP enthusiast, Charlie Bradbury, whom Sam and Dean treat as the "sister [they] never wanted." Her Season 7 debut would only be Day's first appearance on the series and would later appear as Charlie's evil side as well as an alternate version of the previously murdered character originating from an apocalyptic dimension from which Dean transports her to the main Earth.

Jared Keeso (Matt Harrison)

It is impossible to imagine Jared Keeso as anyone other than Wayne, central character of the hilariously surreal comedy series Letterkenny, which he also created. Believe it or not, however, the Canadian actor had a career before the Hulu exclusive series, which includes a brief guest spot on the second season of Supernatural in which he plays Matt Harrison, the unfaithful boyfriend of Angela Mason (Amara Zaragoza), and her first victim after she resurrects from the dead as a vengeful zombie. He is actually just one Letterkenny actor to have had a guest spot on Supernatural, given a lot of it is filmed in Canada, including Nathan Dales, Kaniehtiio Horn, and Tyler Johnston.

Cory Monteith (Gary)

Another actor who made one of his first TV appearances in the second episode of Supernatural (like the previously mentioned Alden Ehrenreich) was Cory Monteith, who played a camper named Gary who becomes a victim of the Colorado Wendigo. Years later, the Canadian actor would achieve great success as a high school athlete balancing sports with a love for performing arts on the hit musical series Glee. Unfortunately, his role was tragically cut short when he passed away at 31 due to a combined overdose of alcohol and heroin.

For more information and updates on Supernatural, as well as more A-listers who made early appearances on your favorite shows, here on CinemaBlend.

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.

Arrow’s first post-“Crisis on Infinite Earths” episode, aptly titled “Green Arrow and the Canaries,” served as a backdoor pilot to a potential spinoff that would follow the 2040 adventures of Mia Smoak, Dinah Drake, and Earth-2’s Laurel Lance. It was hard not to get a Birds of Prey vibe while watching the episode, and it turns out Arrow stars Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy wouldn’t be opposed to that team-up. The pair have invited Harley Quinn actress Margot Robbie and the Birds of Prey cast for some crossover action, which is technically possible now after “Crisis.”

Before the Arrow-verse’s five-episode crossover, it was thought impossible for characters from DC Comics' movies and TV shows to cross paths. That changed after Ezra Miller appeared as DCEU’s Barry Allen, interacting with Grant Gustin’s Barry during “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” So after that set-up, could the Birds of Prey actors appear in Arrow’s potential spinoff? Katie Cassidy would definitely be down to share the screen with Margot Robbie. Here's what she had to say:

I’d be fine with that, too. The multiverse may have collapsed, but the finale for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” confirmed there are a few worlds left – which harbor Stargirl and DC Universe’s Titans and Doom Patrol, for instance – that didn’t merge into the newly minted Earth-Prime. Depending on where Harley Quinn and the Birds are currently stationed, an inter-dimensional jaunt might not be the craziest idea.

Speaking with ET, Arrow’s Juliana Harkavy also expressed excitement at the possibility of the Birds of Prey cast making a cameo in the spinoff (if it gets picked up to series, that is). The film stars Jurnee Smollet-Bell as the Black Canary, and Harkavy likes the idea of there being another version of her character. In her words:

It’s fitting because “Green Arrow and the Canaries” already hinted at a network of Canaries and the cameo-heavy “Crisis on Infinite Earths” certainly left the door open for more movie characters to appear in the Arrow-verse. The possibilities are seemingly endless now, so bring on the Nolan-verse.

Arrow’s series finale, which brings back Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity Smoak and other familiar faces, will air on Tuesday, January 28 at 9 p.m. ET and will be preceded by an hour-long special presentation at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. For more on what to watch after Arrow is over, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for premiere dates and times.

Arrow has wrapped filming on the final season, and the stars of the superhero drama have shared lots of heartfelt farewells. It seems like just yesterday that it was announced that Season 8 would be Arrow’s last. Since then, the eighth season has gotten underway and, on-screen, there is still more to come.

Among the things set to go down is the return of Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity for Arrow’s series finale, with an air date for that major episode having already been set. Worth noting is the fact that Rickards will not be the final season’s only return. But, for the cast of Arrow, the journey of filming all of the exciting final season is over.

Taking to Twitter, Arrow’s co-showrunner, Marc Guggenheim, commemorated the last day of production. Guggenheim posted the following farewell message on behalf of himself and fellow Arrow showrunner, Beth Schwartz. It reads:

When it came to Stephen Amell saying goodbye, he posted a particularly heartfelt picture and caption on Instagram as the final week of filming got underway. The actor, who recently took on his fiercest enemy yet, posted this before the final day of filming on Arrow. Check it out:

As for the last day of filming, Stephen Amell kept things to the point with a poignant message posted on Twitter. No picture accompanied it. Here is what the Oliver Queen actor had to say about finishing filming on Arrow:

Original Arrow cast member (and potential spinoff star) David Ramsey shared a great post on social media. Ramsey’s message came as he prepared to get started on the final day of filming Arrow. He did so in a very cool way for fans! Check it out:

Katie Cassidy Rogers has worn many hats since starting on Arrow, and the actress commemorated her final day of filming as Laurel Lance/Earth-2 Black Canary. On Twitter, Cassidy Rogers posted this moving message complete with a heartfelt photo. Here it is:

Over on Instagram, Katie Cassidy Rogers struck a pose with her long-time Arrow co-star Willa Holland. Despite a lot of questions surrounding their characters’ survival at different points, both original Arrow cast members are still around for the final season. Check it out:

Speaking of original cast members, Colin Donnell played Oliver’s best friend, Tommy Merlyn. He is back for the last season. It is a return that has been promised in a significant way. The actor shared his thoughts and feelings about finishing Arrow with this emotional post:

Colton Haynes took to Instagram to pour his heart out about the last day of filming on Arrow. The actor, who plays Roy Harper/Arsenal, shared an emotional message in the caption and a lot of photos. Be sure to slide over to see them all!

Echo Kellum, who plays tech genius, Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific, shared his thoughts on the final day of filming Arrow. Kellum left the show before being among those to return for the final season. On Twitter, the actor posted a tender message after Arrow wrapped production. It said:

Rick Gonzalez reflected on the last day of filming on Arrow with an emotional post. In it, the actor chronicles his journey to joining the show as Rene Ramirez /Wild Dog. Arrow fans will want to read it all! Check it out:

Arrow’s Juliana Harkavy opted to post something a bit different for the last day of filming. The actress, who plays Dinah Drake/Black Canary, turned singer for an emotional farewell song tribute to Arrow. Take it away, Harkavy!

She has a spinoff to look forward to, but that does not mean saying goodbye to Arrow is not tough. Katherine McNamara, who plays Felicity and Oliver’s grown-up daughter Mia, shared her thoughts on wrapping the show on which she originated the role. See it here:

Joseph David-Jones seemed to allude to Arrow’s final week of filming on his Instagram. A few days ago, the actor, who plays adult Connor Hawke, posted a hopeful message as the end of shooting grew near for Arrow. Check it out:

To close things out, check out Arrow producer and director James Bamford’s poignant tweet as Arrow filmed the final shot of its series finale. The post is punctuated by a highly emotional Pokémon GIF that will likely tug on the already raw heartstrings of Arrow fans. Here it is:

If your emotions are running high, remember that there is still more Arrow to come! The final episode’s script title has been released, and there is the giant “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover to anticipate. The end is near but is not yet here!

New episodes of Arrow will air this fall on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. The series finale will bow on Monday, January 28, at 9 p.m. ET. You can currently stream past seasons of Arrow on Netflix along with other new content.

Only ten episodes are left before Arrow comes to a close, marking the end of an era as the show that started the whole Arrow-verse concludes. Along with Stephen Amell and David Ramsey, Katie Cassidy kicked off the show with the pilot all the way back in 2012, and even her character's death wasn't enough to keep her out of the Arrow-verse for long. Now, with Arrow in production on its eighth and final season, Cassidy took to social media with a touching message:

Although Arrow is still weeks away from premiering its eighth and final season, Katie Cassidy has already posted a kind and grateful message about how the show provided her with "the role of a lifetime." Interestingly, the photo she chose was not of her updated costume (and hair!) for Season 8, but rather one from back when Laurel first started her vigilante career.

I do have to wonder about the timing of Katie Cassidy's post. After all, filming for the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover hasn't even begun yet, so it's not like this is the time for regular members of the cast to start posting their end-of-show tributes on social media en masse. Was Cassidy feeling especially emotional about the show due to her experience as director of an episode? Or does her character make an early exit from the Arrow-verse, prior to the final credits rolling on Arrow?

It's too soon to say, but even if this latest version of Laurel Lance does for some reason depart from the action in Star(ling) City sooner rather than later in Season 8, nobody is ever really gone for good in the Arrow-verse. Fans of Katie Cassidy on Arrow can enjoy her Twitter post without necessarily panicking about what it may or may not mean.

Considering the ups and downs of Katie Cassidy's arcs over the years -- including Laurel's death as one of the biggest main cast deaths of the entire series -- it's good to see that her time on Arrow has "been a blast" and she'll "forever" cherish moments such as directing.

Katie Cassidy recently revealed that she'd pitched a Birds of Prey series, which wouldn't be unprecedented on the network. There was a short-lived Birds of Prey show on The WB before it became The CW, and the Arrow-verse has played with a Birds of Prey-ish dynamic several times since back in Season 2.

Emily Bett Rickards' departure from the Arrow-verse presumably means that Felicity will have no part in any future spinoffs or even a move to one of the shows that will still be going, but Katie Cassidy will be joined in Season 8 by fellow Season 1 series regular actress: Willa Holland, who's been gone since Season 6 aside from a 100th episode cameo in Season 7. Yes, Thea Queen will be back, and not just for a one-off guest shot.

Willa Holland will recur throughout Season 8. Colton Haynes reportedly will not be back as a regular; what does this mean for Thea and Roy? Could Thea return in the flash-forwards, to hang with her niece and nephew and maybe reconcile with Roy in a guest shot of his own? The flash-forwards are supposed to be a key part of the eighth season.

Find out what's in store when Arrow returns to The CW for Season 8 on Tuesday, October 15 as the last of the Arrow-verse series to hit the airwaves in 2019. (Legends of Tomorrow won't be back until next year.)

Only a few years ago, DC Entertainment had strict restrictions in place for keeping its television franchises separate from its film franchises, in order to largely eliminate the existence of multiple live-action versions of the same characters. With the company's projects being so numerous now, the urge to keep the universe's distinct is less of a distressing issue. But is everyone so easy-going that Birds of Prey could become a new Arrow-verse drama on The CW at the same time a feature film is in the works?

With The CW's flagship superhero series Arrow coming to a close in early 2020 with the conclusion of Season 8, the entire ensemble cast will be available for new projects. There's a decent chance that at least one of the main stars will get embraced by another series within the Arrow-verse, and there's also a possibility that executive producers Marc Guggenheim and Greg Berlanti will attempt to create a new series from Arrow's ashes.

Some fans are hoping for a spinoff that further develops Arrow's future timeline in 2040 and beyond, focusing on Katherine McNamara's Mia and Joseph David-Jones' Connor Hawke, among others. Others, meanwhile, continue hoping for The CW to realize that Birds of Prey is the best and most logical follow-up series to be developed out of the Arrow-verse's current lineup, especially considering there have been several episodes centered on the female heroes teaming up.

READ: Could Arrow’s John Diggle Star In His Own Spinoff? Here’s What David Ramsey Told Us

Katie Cassidy Rodgers has portrayed two versions of Arrow's Laurel Lance over the years, which means she's also served as the franchise's first Black Canary, and then its somewhat moral villain Black Siren. The actress is getting behind the camera for the first time in Season 8, as the director for Episode 3. While promoting the episode, Cassidy Rodgers spoke with Newsarama and said she has talked with CW execs about a Birds of Prey TV show. In her words:

Not much light was shed on how well that pitch session went, but it's likely that the network wouldn't have tipped a hat too far in any particular direction, as not to get the rumor train running too quickly. Katie Cassidy Rodgers didn't share any overtly negative impressions about it, so for the time being, Birds of Prey's TV chances can get filed in the "Possible, Not Probable" folder.

If Joss Whedon's big-budgeted Birds of Prey movie wasn't already in existence – it's currently in reshoots-mode with John Wick helmer Chad Stahelski adding his talents for action sequences – then I'd be far more optimistic about The CW taking its chances with a TV version of the female hero squad.

The show's chances of coming into existence might even be stronger if Katie Cassidy Rodgers is specifically part of the creative team that would put it together. With her first directorial effort behind her, Cassidy Rodgers wants to keep expanding her creative side. Speaking about her initial hesitance to direct an Arrow episode, she said this:

It would be a change of pace for The CW to order up a spinoff co-created by one of the Arrow-verse's stars, as opposed to the franchise's expansive list of producers and showrunners, and it's a change that has a certain amount of promise. In a perfect world, Katie Cassidy Rodgers has one of the ideal minds capable of telling long-form Birds of Prey stories, considering she's been enveloped in that world for most of the past eight years. In any case, she'd definitely have some unique insights into the process.

Lots of other questions would get risen by an announcement about a Birds of Prey TV show, of course. One of the biggest ones would definitely revolve around the involvement of Caity Lotz's Sara Lance, who is currently heading up Legends of Tomorrow. Her interest in joining a third Arrow-verse show might also grease the wheels a little. She did return to Arrow for the most recent "Birds of Prey" episode, so it's possible she'd be down for a long-term project.

While we probably won't hear anything concrete about a TV version of Birds of Prey for a while, fans should still keep the conversations going to prove to The CW that this project has everyone's full support, at least in theory. Prove to them that we don't want Katie Cassidy Rodgers & Co. to go away forever just because Arrow is. (Though not until after the big "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover, of course.)

The eighth and final season of Arrow will debut on The CW on Tuesday, September 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

For certain Arrow fans, there will always be a debate about how the show has handled Katie Cassidy's characters over the years (among some others, perhaps). Everything was coming up black roses in the Season 7 finale, however, with Earth-2's Laurel Lance returning to Team Arrow to face Emiko, only now having switched from Black Siren to Black Canary, the initial persona adopted by Earth-1's Laurel. Looks like we're getting more from Cassidy's revised Black Canary in Season 8, too.

Executive producer and former showrunner Marc Guggenheim confused some fans over the weekend with a tweet showcasing a newly revised outfit for Katie Cassidy in Season 8. Guggenheim initially stated the concept art he shared was meant for Black Siren, even though the actual image very clearly states that it's of Black Canary. (As if that mask and weapon choice didn't give it away already.) Check out how he corrected himself...or did he?

The easiest assumption to make here is that Marc Guggenheim has been so used to referring to Katie Cassidy as Black Siren that he botched that first tweet. The concept image was likely meant to get shared with fans at San Diego Comic-Con, with timing issues keeping it from going public at the event. Given how hectic SDCC is, especially for the various panelists getting shuffled around, Guggenheim probably just had a slip of the thumb.

But then, because this is Arrow, where informational subterfuge is part of the war games, that actually could be a shot of Black Siren's new costume, which is just meant to call back to Black Canary's. The name on the concept art easily could have been doctored, too.

Of course, Katie Cassidy once again reverting back to the role of Black Siren wouldn't do much to explain why she ends up in a vigilante group in 2040 known as the "Canary Network," and not the "Siren Network." Sometimes you just have to let logic take the wheel, even for a franchise that is frugal with its embrace of logic.

To speak of the new look itself, the suit adds some striking yellow accents, which manage to bring to mind one of Black Canary's comic outfits, but without mimicking it at all. It looks more like a tactical police suit than a super-character's get-up, but at least it's sensible enough for battle and isn't all about showing off as much skin as possible. (Melissa Benoist is extremely pleased that Supergirl's titular heroine no longer wears a skirt.)

All that said, I'm pretty sure back when Black Siren was first introduced on Arrow (after debuting on The Flash, she would have laughed out loud at the thought of one day wearing that suit. She was pretty harsh, guys.

How will Laurel Lance's return to the Black Canary persona be affected by the season premiere, titled "Starling City," which could possibly mess with Arrow's timelines? Will her and Dinah Drake's relationship in the present and/or the future be affected by the upcoming "Crisis on Infinite Earths" mega-crossover event?

The Hilarious Black Canary Accident That Never Made It In To Arrow's Blooper Reels

Arrow will be spending its final season in style, and Black Canary is only part of the fun. It was previously announced that former stars Colin Donnell and Josh Segarra will be back to reprise the roles of Tommy Merlyn and Adrian "Prometheus" Chase in quite different ways. At San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that Susanna Thompson will be returning in the Season 8 premiere as Oliver's mother Moira Queen, who hasn't been seen since Season 5's finale.

While fans will be waiting a lot longer to find out whether or not Emily Bett Rickards will make a return to Arrow as Felicity, we can at least look forward to almost certainly watching Katie Cassidy kick some more ass as Black Canary in Season 8.

Joining a fall season that is already stacked with big shows, Arrow's final season will kick off on The CW on Tuesday, October 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

This was a huge week for the cast and crew of The CW's Arrow. Not only because everyone is filming the big Season 7 finale that will set up the superhero drama's final season, but because it was the final (for now) episode filmed with co-star Emily Bett Rickards, whose Felicity Queen is...well, we don't know what Felicity is doing. But we do know that Rickards is exiting the show and will focus on other projects.

To be expected, Emily Bett Rickards' praises were sung on social media by some of her beloved castmates, as well as others that have worked with the actress during her seven-year journey on Arrow. Here's how her on-screen hubby Stephen Amell compacted all of his emotions into a single post.

It would appear Oliver Queen had an easier time disguising himself as the Green Arrow than Stephen Amell did disguising himself as someone not gushing tears to the point of dehydration. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that bad, but Amell isn't fearful about putting all of his emotions and feelings out there. Especially when arguably his closest Arrow companion is saying goodbye.

Showrunner Beth Schwartz, who took over Arrow for Season 7 after Marc Guggenheim stepped down, also took to Twitter to share her disbelief that the day had finally come when Emily Bett Rickards delivered her final (for now) performance as Felicity.

While it might not exactly count as "taking over the world," Emily Bett Rickards will be starring in the stage play Reborn in July and August at the Soho Playhouse. Just in case anyone wondered where the actress could be seen once her final Arrow episodes have aired.

Now let's shake things up with an emotional video posted by Arrow co-star Rick Gonzalez. Might have to start calling his character "Sad Dog" after this one.

Arrow fans are probably lucky that more video clips haven't been released from Emily Bett Rickards' final day/night of filming. I'm sure lots of videos were taken, but maybe Rick Gonzalez's video was the only one that didn't have any spoilers in the background.

And now, a message from Ms. Laurel Lance herself, Katie Cassidy.

Katie Cassidy's message to Emily Bett Rickards was quite inspirational and motivating. Cassidy know a little something about vacating Arrow for a spell, as she was initially killed off the show in Season 4. Of course, she soon assumed the role of Earth-2's Laurel, which allowed her to return to Arrow as a series regular in later seasons. Sadly, it doesn't look like Emily Bett Rickards is being set up to play another Earth's Felicity in the drama's final season.

Here's a parting message from longtime Arrow director and stunt master James Bamford, who has been a big fan of Rickards for years.

It would be a shame if we had to end this story with only spoken words and no melodies. Thankfully, Stephen Amell fixed that right up with this video of his daughter Mavi singing a tune to Emily Bett Rickards.

Those who weren't too busy paying attention to the song probably made note that this moment happened in front of a particular cabin. As such, this supposedly non-spoilery video may very well show fans where Felicity's story caps off on Arrow. But that kind of speculation is for other articles, while this one is all about celebrating Emily Bett Rickards.

With rumors of a spinoff circling, Arrow will return to The CW from its mini-hiatus on Monday, April 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Get ready to see some Birds flying.

No show can remain on television forever, and while it looked like Supernatural could've been the first, the ride is finally coming to an end. To commemorate that, we've compiled a list of actors and actresses who made this show great to update fans with some info on where they can watch them now that they're off The CW series.

Katie Cassidy - Ruby

Katie Cassidy stepped into Supernatural in Season 3 to play a demon that helped out Sam and Dean in hunting other demons. The brothers were initially wary of her intentions but slowly began to trust her more and more as the season progressed. Ruby would eventually prove untrustworthy; by then Cassidy had left the series and been replaced by Genevieve Cortese.

Though Katie Cassidy would exit the series and leave The CW temporarily, audiences know she's appeared in prominent roles on a fair few of the network's hits over the years. She's been Ella on Melrose Place, Juliet on Gossip Girl, and Laurel Lance and Black Siren in Arrow and the other Arrow-verse shows. Given her relationship with The CW, it's a wonder the show hasn't found a way to bring her back for just one episode.

Lauren Cohan - Bela Talbot

Bela Talbot was a character that came into Supernatural in Season 3 in order to be a real pain in the ass to the Winchester brothers. Lauren Cohan's character knew of the supernatural world, and often stole mystical objects and flipped them for a massive profit. Talbot had a solid run, although ultimately lost her life and soul after her deal with a Crossroads Demon expired.

Lauren Cohan drifted around Hollywood for a bit but things really picked up for her in 2011. In addition to roles on Chuck and The Vampire Diaries, Cohan joined a little AMC series by the name of The Walking Dead and her career has been on fire ever since. Anyone who says otherwise need only reference her growing film resume, or her much-buzzed ABC series Whiskey Cavalier.

Mark Sheppard - Crowley

Supernatural fans likely remember Crowley well, as the "King of Hell" made frequent appearances beginning in Season 5. Whether willing or unwilling, Crowley often coordinated with the Winchester brothers in affairs that helped them defeat Lucifer. After years on the show, Crowley's ride came to an end when he sacrificed his life with an Angel's Blade in order to seal Lucifer in an alternate world. The plan failed, but Crowley's death stuck.

Since his exit in 2017, Mark Sheppard hasn't take a ton of roles, but he recently resurfaced in DC Universe's Doom Patrol. Sheppard managed to appear in quite a few shows during his stint on Supernatural, and was a solid guest star on several high profile shows prior. Bottom line, it won't be surprising to see him pop up in a few more projects in 2019 and beyond, so audiences should keep an eye out.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan - John Winchester

Jeffrey Dean Morgan played the Winchester brothers' father, who is a complicated man to say the least. John wasn't the best or most open parent to his sons for most of their lives, which didn't sit well with fans. He did ultimately show up for them in the end, trading his life for Dean's back in Season 2. Luckily, the boys and fans alike got some closure when he was temporarily brought back for the 300th episode.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan hasn't had as many episodes on Supernatural as some would've liked, which was largely due to his role on Grey's Anatomy and Weeds. Things haven't slowed for him since, as his work as Negan on The Walking Dead and continued film career may keep him out of any large role in the final season. He is open to making it happen, though!

Adrianne Palicki - Jessica Moore

Jessica Moore was Sam's girlfriend at the start of Supernatural, although their love was ultimately never meant to be. Jess was killed under Azazel's orders, and to drive the dagger deeper the murderer ended up being a demon that was also the "friend" that introduced the two. This ultimately drove Sam to join Dean in his quest to find John, and while Jess never resurrected like other Supernatural characters, Sam did get vengeance on the demon that killed her.

Adrianne Palicki has done a slew of television since Supernatural, but her home right now is on Seth McFarlane's The Orville as Kelly Grayson. Those who haven't seen her before that may want to check back on past episodes of Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. or one of the many other shows she's been involved in as of late.

Sterling K. Brown - Gordon Walker

Who doesn't remember Gordon Walker? Gordon was the vampire hunter who liked his job a little too much. While this wouldn't have been a problem with folks like Van Helsing, Sam and Dean took exception to Gordon's blatant killing if a being was supernatural and not so much as to whether or not they were doing harm. Gordon eventually met his end via Sam, who decapitated him with a makeshift garotte.

Sterling K. Brown left Supernatural due to a contractual obligation to Army Wives, and has found numerous roles in film and television since. Many will recognize him as the increasingly unlikable Randall Pearson on NBC's This Is Us, and can catch him on there for the time being. Brown is also doing a bit of voice work and will be heard in the sequel to Angry Birds and Frozen later this year.

Alona Tal - Jo Harvelle

Jo Harvelle wanted to follow in her hunter mother's footsteps, but it takes more than that in Supernatural. Although Jo tried her best when she first appeared in Season 2, she ended up causing more problems rather than solving any. She did eventually figure things out and became a competent hunter when she reconnected with the brothers in Season 5, then tragically died. She next appeared as a ghost in Season 7, and hasn't been seen since.

These days Alona Tal can be found on CBS' SEAL Team where she plays Stella. Tal is said to be a part of the NYPD Blue reboot, and should be along for the ride if the project gets a series order. She'll also be seen in The Red Sea Diving Resort alongside actor Chris Evans, Haley Bennett and others which is set to release sometime in 2019.

Mitch Pileggi - Samuel Campbell

Samuel Campbell was Sam and Dean's maternal grandfather, and also a hunter. He's been possessed, killed, brought down from heaven, had a soulless period where he did some bad stuff and then regained his soul with no memory of that time. Still, what a character arc this guy has had!

Since exiting Supernatural, Mitch Pileggi has been in a whole mess of stuff, and even reprised his role as Skinner for the The X-Files revival. Pileggi recently had a guest spot on NCIS and is also a part of the supernatural film Polaroid. He's taking part in the upcoming film Axis Sally, which features folks like Al Pacino, Meadow Williams, and Lala Kent.

Rob Benedict - Chuck Shurley

When it comes to interesting Supernatural characters, Chuck Shurley tops the list. He's the writer of the in-series novels Supernatural, and documents the adventures of the Winchester brothers as the "new Gospels." Chuck fades away for a time, but then comes back as God in Chuck's form. This raises the question of if Chuck was always God, or if the actual Chuck died and then God later took Chuck's form. Unfortunately, those in charge will probably never tell.

Rob Benedict's last appearance on Supernatural was 2016, and he's been out and around Hollywood since then. He was recently in two episodes in NCIS: New Orleans, and will appear in two episodes of Season 5 of Amazon Prime Video's Bosch. While we don't know for sure, one would hope Benedict will make another appearance in Supernatural's final season.

Richard Speight Jr. - Gabriel

The youngest of the archangels, Gabriel spent a majority of his life trying to avoid the drama of heaven and hell and instead opted to escape to Earth. The plan didn't work out to well, as Gabriel frequently surfaced throughout Supernatural and eventually found himself unable to run any longer from his problems. Gabriel confronted his brother Michael, in a great victory over his cowardice but an overall defeat that cost him his life.

Since his last appearance on Supernatural, Richard Speight Jr. has taken to the independent film scene. Driven, No Place Like Home, and Mama Bear are on the docket for 2019. Dawn of 5 Evils is another project he has in production, although no release date has been announced.

Felicia Day - Charlie Bradbury

Charlie was yet another of Sam and Dean's frequent collaborators, sometimes unintentionally. Despite her attempts to avoid them, Charlie always came around and was actually a big help on a handful of adventures. Charlie did die, but she's got an Apocalypse World counterpart running around that is pretty bad ass.

Felicia Day has been as busy as she was prior to Supernatural, and is keeping it geeky with roles within the genre. This includes her role as Kinga Forrester in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return, and run as Poppy on The Magicians. Fans can also hear her voice on several different animated projects that are on streaming such as Adventure Time, or Skylanders Academy.

Supernatural airs on The CW Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Keep up with CinemaBlend for updates on the upcoming final season as they become available, and maybe get some clues as to how it all shakes out for Sam & Dean in the end. For more on the show, read up on what famous CW actor Jared Padalecki has been hanging out with lately.

The back half of Arrow Season 7 will feature a lot of how Oliver deals with things like becoming a law-abiding Green Arrow and having a secret sister, but he's not the only character getting some meaningful plot development. Showrunner Beth Schwartz revealed that there are exciting things in store for Katie Cassidy's Earth-2 Laurel, who will be getting an episode that teases something Arrow-verse fans have asked about for a while. Brace yourselves, a Birds Of Prey-inspired episode is coming.

Beth Schwartz went on to say that the episode will involve Laurel in some way, but divulged very little else to TVLine on the upcoming Season 7 episode. That means no details on the lineup, although one would think Juliana Harkavy's Dinah will be involved in some way. Harkavy spoke of the possibility of such a thing last year at San Diego Comic-Con, but it didn't seem the show was primed to go that direction at the time.

Now that the news is confirmed, Dinah seems like a legitimate inclusion in this upcoming adventure, and it isn't so crazy to think Barbara Gordon may appear as well. Gotham City's Arrow-verse introduction could mean her character could pop in to play Oracle. Oracle was a part of the team lineup in the television adaptation Birds of Prey and is often a member present in the comics. If Barbara is headed to Arrow, that would obviously be a huge deal.

Another character who frequents Birds of Prey adventures is Huntress, although it's been a minute since Arrow viewers have seen her in action. Her last appearance, hilariously enough, was in the Season 2 episode "Birds of Prey," which saw her team up with Laurel and Sara Lance. It's been a long time since Season 2 of course, and with neither Black Siren nor Canary in the picture at that point, it wouldn't make sense for her to be involved.

Beyond Birds of Prey-inspired shenanigans, Beth Schwartz said Laurel's also going to get a bit of her backstory on Earth 2 filled out, and Arrow fans will learn whether or not Black Siren has truly become one of the good guys. She's done a decent amount of things to prove she's "Team Arrow," but will that hold up should shit really hit the fan in Star City? Perhaps these episodes about her background will make the answer more evident.

Arrow is back on The CW for the back half of Season 7 Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Keep an eye on CinemaBlend for all the latest exciting updates on things happening in the Arrow-verse, and be sure to watch out for what else is coming to television in 2019 with our midseason premiere guide.

Black Siren showed her good and bad side in Season 6 of Arrow, and with Oliver locked away and Diaz in hiding when Season 7 begins, fans are wondering if Katie Cassidy's Earth-2 vigilante will turn full hero or if she'll return to her wicked ways. New showrunner Beth Schwartz spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets during roundtable interviews at San Diego Comic-Con, and said we will continue to wonder such things when Season 7 begins, but did share a bit of what the Laura Lance doppelgänger will be up to when things pick back up:

Black Siren will apparently be out for blood when Season 7 begins, and she'll have a major score to settle with Ricardo Diaz for his part in the death of Quentin Lance, among other things. Now, her specific thirst for justice in this case doesn't seem as if it will lead her to give up her wicked ways, which means she might end up clashing with various members of Team Arrow on her vengeful quest. The positive side of Laurel's evil streak is that things haven't changed for her in general as much as they have for Team Arrow proper, so she's likely been able to continue her search for Diaz uninterrupted, while the heroes have tried to keep their noses clean and names out of vigilante-bashing headlines.

As far as Black Siren's mixups with our heroes are concerned, Juliana Harkavy teased that Laurel and Dinah will be butting heads again in Season 7. Harkavy, who shared a first look at her character in Season 7 not that long ago, revealed that the two women will still be at odds, similar to how they were throughout Arrow Season 6. But beyond the clashing, it appears each might gain a mutual respect for the other before the season ends. Here's how Harkavy put it during the Comic-Con roundtables.

Juliana Harkavy was such a fan of her scenes with Laurel this season thus far, it actually had her pitching the duo make their own Birds of Prey group, after the topic came up. Harkavy's answer all but confirms that Arrow won't feature an iteration of the iconic superhero team in the first half of Season 7, but it would seem to indicate that Harkavy thinks Dinah and Laurel will be on good enough terms that they could eventually team up for their own spinoff. Of course, Harkavy also pointed to the fact that DC is developing a Birds of Prey movie, and even though she might have thought of that as reasoning to make it happen on Arrow, we all know the DCEU has often led to Arrow excluding or removing characters from its narratives.

Arrow returns to The CW for Season 7 on Monday, October 15, at 8:00 p.m. For a list of upcoming superhero dramas headed to television in the meantime, visit our superhero premiere guide. Anyone just wanting a list of television shows to check out regardless of whether or not they feature heroes can visit our summer premiere guide.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 19 of Arrow Season 6, called "The Dragon."

Perhaps no character on Arrow has had a more bizarre arc than Dinah Laurel Lance. The Earth-1 version of the character was a lawyer who became Black Canary after a few boxing lessons, then was killed by none other than Damien Darhk. Actress Katie Cassidy stuck around, however, thanks to the Earth-2 Laurel known as the villainous Black Siren. Black Siren is still around in Star City, and she's currently teamed up with Ricardo Diaz as he escalates his reign of terror on the innocent people of the city.

In "The Dragon," Diaz went on a spree of violence, vengeance, and murder with Black Siren by his side. Katie Cassidy has weighed in on whether there's any coming back to the good side for Black Canary, saying this:

"The Dragon" saw Black Siren get in even deeper with Ricardo Diaz, and he was more brutal than ever as the episode's flashbacks showed some of what made him the way that he is. Obviously viewers probably shouldn't root for the villainess who is the right hand of a supervillain like Diaz, and he certainly doesn't seem worthy of redemption. Is she any better? Well, judging by Katie Cassidy's comments to TVLine, she at least believes that Black Siren isn't too far gone to be redeemed.

Interestingly, the case can be made after "The Dragon" that either Black Siren only needs one big push to go straight again or that she's past the point of no return. She did show some hesitation as Diaz escalated his brutality, and I suppose it speaks well to her that she draws a line at burning people alive. Black Siren isn't quite as dark and vicious as Ricardo Diaz.

Still, that's not exactly saying much. Most people in the entire Arrow-verse aren't quite as dark and vicious as Ricardo Diaz, and she didn't exactly try to stop him. Plus, new images of Black Siren over on The Flash indicate that she's still up to her villainous ways for the foreseeable future. That said, perhaps there is redemption in store for her, if only because she has people in her life who don't want to give up on her. Oliver still has hope for her, and Quentin will die before he gives up on her entirely.

Maybe the support of the good guys combined with her reluctance to do everything Diaz will do will be enough to push her out of darkness and into the light. As Katie Cassidy says, Black Siren does have a lot of explaining to do. If something traumatic happened to make her the way that she is, maybe the good guys will find it in their hearts to do anything and everything to help her redeem herself.

Or maybe Black Siren will live and die as a villain. I've actually preferred Katie Cassidy as Black Siren than Black Canary, partially because we already had a proto-Black Canary in Sara and partially because Cassidy just seems to have a lot of fun with the role. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

Tune in to The CW on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET for new episodes of Arrow. If you're in the mood for non-superhero fare, we have a handy midseason TV premiere guide and summer TV premiere schedule. If streaming is more your style, swing by our Netflix premiere rundown and our 2018 Amazon Prime guide.

Laurel Lance may be dead, but her spirit lives on both through Katie Cassidy playing her Earth-2 doppelganger Black Siren and the memories of some embarrassing moments on the set of Arrow. Cassidy took some time at SDCC to share one particularly hilarious blooper from her time as Black Canary in Season 3 that, unfortunately, never made the blooper reel. Our Head TV Editor Nick Venable was in attendance to take down what Cassidy said in the quote below:

Not exactly the most graceful moment for Katie Cassidy, but hilarious and understandable all the same. Apparently, all those boxing lessons Laurel took from Wildcat in Arrow were all for show. Luckily, that superhero outfit she wore is real-life functional. If that suit was thick enough to make a self-body slam to the ground feel like no big deal, then it must have had crazy padding.

Katie Cassidy's on-set embarrassment as Black Canary is a far cry from her on-screen sister and White Canary Caity Lotz, who does many of her own fight scenes. The Legends Of Tomorrow actress has all the grace Cassidy lacked in her blooper moment (although few among us would probably fair much better), as much of what fans see of Sara Lance fighting is honest to goodness Lotz kicking ass. Perhaps Cassidy can learn a thing or two (if she hasn't already since Season 3 of Arrow) from watching Lotz in action in one of her videos.

Katie Cassidy will have a chance to redeem or top her super-punch-turned-belly-flop as Black Siren when Arrow returns October 12th at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. Fans who have been iffy on tuning in for Season 6 of the series will be happy to learn that Stephen Amell is jazzed about it, and producer Marc Guggenheim assures fans they're gonna like one surprise in particular of the upcoming season. For a full look specifically at The CW's fall lineup, be sure to click here, and those wanting a much broader look at what the fall has to offer should visit our new fall premiere guide. All those still trying to find a hot show to follow as summer winds down still may do so via our summer premiere guide.

With Season 6 of Arrow set to debut this fall, Star City is about to change in a major way. Oliver Queen and Team Arrow 2.0 are poised to kick some serious ass, but they'll need to band together like never before with the questionable motivations of Katie Cassidy's Black Siren sticking around for the foreseeable future. The former Laurel spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets at San Diego Comic-Con about her transition into the Earth-2 baddie, and she explained that portraying this dark version of her former self has caused a headache in scenes with longtime co-stars. Cassidy explained:

The old Laurel is gone for good; we know that for certain. Black Siren's presence in Star City has caused (and will continue causing) a major heartache for every single one of the city's good guys, but the transition into this more villainous persona has not been an easy one for Katie Cassidy, either. After spending all those years playing the daughter of Quentin Lance, making the jump to a more antagonistic persona has not come without confusion on the set. Once you turn something on as a performer, especially when it's a specific connection with another actor, it's hard to turn it off.

That's not to say that Katie Cassidy hasn't performed admirably as Black Siren since her introduction on The Flash. The Earth-2 twist has put a delightful spin on the traditional Laurel dynamic, and Cassidy has delivered some of her best work on the series by taking a more menacing approach. That said, if things continue to get confusing, maybe she can turn to Tom Cavanagh for advice; after all, that guy has more versions of Harrison Wells than he knows what to do with.

One thing that's particularly interesting about Black Siren's involvement on the upcoming season of Arrow is the fact that her morality appears to be in serious question. Arrow has established that there's at least SOME goodness in her that feels reminiscent of the old Laurel, while at the same time making sure to prove that she's not going to take on the mantle of Black Canary -- as we already have Dinah Drake in that role. That leaves Siren in an unusual situation in which her allegiance could become an issue over the course of the next season. She's mostly a villain, but that always seems to be on the verge of changing, and being embraced by Team Arrow could soften her for good.

Black Siren, Oliver Queen, and the rest of the Arrow ensemble will return to The CW when The Emerald Archer's solo series debuts for its sixth season on Thursday, October 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Before the fall TV schedule rolls around, make sure to take a look at our summer TV premiere guide for more info on the rest of this season's major television debuts!

Arrow has killed off plenty of characters over the five years so far. Arguably the biggest was Laurel Lance, who was murdered by Damien Darhk back in Season 4. Death hasn't managed to keep Laurel out of Arrow ever since, however, as she has been brought back to the Arrow-verse via time travel, hallucination, and an evil doppelganger by the name of Black Siren. Co-showrunner Wendy Mericle has revealed how Black Siren's presence will keep Laurel Lance tied into the action in Season 6:

Apparently, Oliver and Quentin's efforts to find a little piece of the Laurel they lost in Black Siren will get back into gear in Season 6. Quentin originally struggled with the idea of Team Arrow battling Black Siren when she had the face of his dearly departed daughter, but he pretty clearly got over that particular hangup in the Season 5 finale when he helped the new Black Canary take her down. As for Oliver... well, I guess Season 6 won't entirely be the start of a new Arrow era if he's still trying to save a Lance sister. Wendy Mericle's comments to TVLine paint a curious picture of what's to come.

It should be interesting to see just how frequently Team Arrow interacts with Black Siren. Katie Cassidy has been announced as a regular for Arrow Season 6, so we should be seeing more of her than we did in Season 5. We can almost certainly rule out Black Siren as the big bad of Season 6 (although there's another big DC Comics villainess who could fit the bill). Still, she could work as a right-hand woman of the big bad. Such a position would elevate her above a one-off Villain of the Week without trying to sell her as a believable nemesis for Oliver. If Oliver and Co. are interacting with Black Siren on a regular basis, their chances of reforming her aren't totally terrible.

Of course, a heroic version of Black Siren could make things awkward in the Arrow bunker. Team Arrow already has a member with a Canary Cry, and they don't have to worry about Dinah's allegiance. We certainly don't need two Black Canarys, and Dinah's not going anywhere. All we can be sure of at this point is that Arrow isn't done with Laurel Lance just yet. Hopefully the folks behind the scenes can turn the Black Siren story into something fresh for the new season.

Arrow will return for Season 6 on a new night this fall on The CW. Check out our breakdown of what we know so far about Season 6 for a peek ahead, and take a gander at our summer TV guide for what you can watch to pass the time until the Star City action starts back up again.

Katie Cassidy was the second-billed star on The CW's Arrow for its first four seasons, and the show's decision to kill her character off in Season 4 was a bold move that shocked many viewers. Of course, the subsequent announcement that Cassidy would appear on multiple shows in The CW's DC universe alleviated some of the worries of fans who would have missed her, and she has popped up a few times. Now, however, Arrow is bringing Cassidy back full-time. She has been signed as a regular for Season 6... with a twist.

When she returns to regular status on Arrow, Katie Cassidy will not play the version of Laurel Lance we came to know over the first four years of the show. Instead, she'll be playing the villainous Earth-2 version of Laurel, known as Black Siren and currently being held prisoner by ARGUS. Earth-1 Laurel will evidently be staying dead, but Arrow has found a way to kinda sorta bring the character back anyway. DC Comics reports that Cassidy will reprise the role of Black Siren in the final two episodes of Season 5 before returning all the way in Season 6.

Black Siren has made three appearances in The CW's DC universe so far. She first popped up in Season 2 of The Flash, shortly after Earth-1 Laurel's murder. Black Siren was a minion of Zoom's, but was captured and imprisoned by the end of her debut episode. Unfortunately for Team Arrow, Black Siren broke out of STAR Labs and traveled to Star City at the behest of Prometheus to trick Oliver and Co. into (somewhat bafflingly) believing that their Laurel was alive again. Although Oliver showed interest in reforming the evil Laurel into a person more like Earth-1 Laurel, Black Siren resisted and was taken away by ARGUS.

The facts that Black Siren survived her Arrow appearances and wasn't shipped back to STAR Labs meant that the odds were good that she'd be back on Arrow again at some point, but I don't know that many fans would have guessed that she'd be back as a regular for Season 6. Black Siren is such an over-the-top character that she almost fits better with the tone of The Flash than Arrow, and Team Arrow is already pretty full. Assuming Oliver wants to continue his efforts to reform her into a hero, she'll probably be brought onto the team.

Either there's going to be an upcoming vacancy on Team Arrow or Oliver will need to build a new wing for the bunker just to make room for everybody. If there is an upcoming vacancy, I only hope that it's not because something awful happened to Thea. The poor girl has suffered enough. I also can't help but wonder if Katie Cassidy's return as Black Siren means bad news for the new Black Canary. Both characters have a metahuman Canary Cry, and having two ladies with the same superpower on board the same show could get old very quickly. As somebody who is more interested in the new Dinah than Black Siren, my fingers are crossed that nothing terrible happens to her to allow Black Siren's status as a regular.

Tune in to The CW on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET to catch new episodes of Arrow. Katie Cassidy's next appearance in The CW's DC universe will take place in the Season 2 finale of Legends of Tomorrow on April 4. Be sure to take a look at our rundown of all the 2017 TV renewals and cancellations so far, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule.

The CW's Arrow deserves quite a bit of credit for getting so many different aspects of The Emerald Archer's world right. Stephen Amell feels perfectly cast as Oliver Queen, and the show has spent the last five years nailing the core themes of the Green Arrow mythos. That said, not everything has worked out perfectly, and Arrow has continuously struggled to do Black Canary justice over the course of the last few years, and we think it might be time for the show to stop trying to make the fishnet-clad hero a thing. She's not going to happen.

I hate to echo Regina George to make this point, but it has become apparent that The CW's Arrow never fully knew how to incorporate Black Canary into the series properly. Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance was framed as a compelling love interest for Oliver in Season 1, but the show was grounded enough to keep her away from the role of actual superhero. As things got more outlandish in Season 2, we received the fan-favorite Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) as The Canary -- which felt like a way to bring Black Canary into the story without actually going that far. However, by the time Season 3 of Arrow rolled around, the Arrow-verse had changed, and it became increasingly clear that Laurel would eventually take on her real comic book hero mantle.

That was an exciting development moving into Season 3, but that's not how it panned out. One of the biggest reasons why Laurel's Black Canary failed to gain the traction she deserved is the fact that the Olicity relationship drama eventually took up far too much of the show's time and attention during a critical transition period for Laurel's character. By the time Arrow finally committed to handing the leather jacket off to the older Lance sister, it had also reframed the show's central love story to center on Oliver and Felicity Smoak. This polarizing development sidelined Laurel's incarnation of Black Canary to a secondary position from which she never fully recovered, which ultimately made her death at the hands of Damien Darhk in Season 4 feel decidedly unearned.

Following the death of Laurel, Arrow has tried time and again to keep Black Canary alive with diminishing degrees of success. First, the show brought in Evelyn Sharp (Madison McLaughlin) as a Canary impersonator, then Black Siren was framed as a possible replacement, and now we have Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy) as the latest (and seemingly final) incarnation of the character.

While Dinah is an excellent addition to Team Arrow and is inherently likable, the fact of the matter is that Arrow took far too long to get to her. We've been through this process so many times and watched enough women don the Canary title that the emotional impact of Dinah taking over as the iconic hero has lost much of its power. At this point, she feels like a retcon to make up for past mistakes.

I will concede that I agree with the longstanding belief that you cannot have a Green Arrow story without Black Canary. She is a fundamental aspect of Oliver Queen's corner of the DC universe, and removing Black Canary from a Green Arrow tale is like removing Alfred from a Batman story, or Lois Lane from a Superman story. I'm not saying that Arrow should ignore the importance of Black Canary in this universe; what I am saying is that Arrow should've embraced the impact of Laurel's death, and allowed the legacy of the character to honorably end with her.

I honestly really like Dinah, but introducing her after everything we've seen from every other Canary genuinely feels like the show is just spinning its wheels and trying to undo Laurel's death. They made the decision to kill the real Black Canary; they now have to live with that.

That said, I fully understand that there are Arrow fans out there who will never completely come to terms with Laurel's untimely demise. We don't blame them, as her arc was easily one of the strongest during the early days of the series. However, if Laurel and The Black Canary mantle are going to continue hanging over Arrow, then it might simply be better and easier to keep her presence limited to flashbacks that focus on when she was alive. Season 5 of Arrow has seen great success flashing back to Oliver's first year under the hood in Starling City, so it's not an entirely outlandish proposition that later Laurel-centric flashbacks could focus on previously unseen moments from Season 1-4.

What do you think? Has the Arrow-verse finally managed to get it right when it comes to Black Canary, or have there simply been too many false starts for this character to work? Let us know what you think in the comments section below to keep this conversation going!

Arrow airs every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. Check out our midseason premiere guide for more information concerning all of this spring's remaining TV debuts.

Although Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 kicked off around the same time Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl began their new seasons, it has a shorter amount of episodes comprising its sophomore outing, as was the case with its first season. Season 2 is subsequently concluding in early April, which means that Legends of Tomorrow is currently shooting its finale. We still have a few weeks to go until official plot information is disclosed about that episode, but today it was revealed that fans can expect to see Laurel Lance during the proceedings.

Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim posted the cast list for the Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 finale on Twitter earlier today, and the most surprising entry is Katie Cassidy reprising Laurel Lance. (The second most surprising entry is that Lord of the Rings mastermind J.R.R. Tolkien will appear, played by Jack Turner.) This will be Cassidy's second time appearing on the series, first showing up in the pilot last year. The big question now is, which Laurel will the actress be playing on the time-traveling superhero show?

Katie Cassidy was a series regular as the Earth-1 Laurel Lance on Arrow for its first four seasons, where viewers watched her rise to becoming both Star City's assistant district attorney and the Black Canary. Sadly, she was killed by Damien Darhk in the episode "Eleven-Fifty-Nine," and since then she's only been seen in flashbacks and as part of the shared hallucination Oliver Queen and others experienced during the Invasion! crossover. Since the Legends of Tomorrow protagonists are riding around in a time machine, it's conceivable that they could somehow run into a past version of Laurel. Sara Lance has sworn off trying to change the timeline to save her sister's life, but circumstances may force the heroes to interact with Laurel to preserve the space-time continuum or something along those lines. However, that's not the only possibility on the table.

Last year, Katie Cassidy appeared on The Flash as Black Siren, the Earth-2 version of Laurel. That doppelgänger returned for two Arrow Season 5 episodes, and last we heard, she was imprisoned at ARGUS. Since all of the Legion of Doom is appearing in the Legends of Tomorrow Season 2, perhaps the super villains will free Black Siren and draft her into their cabal. Sara hasn't met the Earth-2 Laurel yet, so putting her into play would surely throw the White Canary off her game. We'll be sure to keep you updated on Katie Cassidy's involvement in Legends of Tomorrow as more news comes in, as well as any other information concerning the Season 2 finale.

Legends of Tomorrow can be seen Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST/PST on The CW, with the Season 2 finale, titled "Anubis," airing on April 4.

Warning: spoilers for last night's Arrow episode are ahead!

Laurel Lance, a.k.a. Black Canary, met a tragic end earlier this this year in Arrow when she was killed by Damien Darhk, but that wouldn't be the last fans saw of her. Along with appearing in a flashback in the Season 5 premiere, Katie Cassidy reprised the character last night in Arrow's part of the Invasion crossover, in which Oliver Queen was trapped in a Matrix-like simulation where we was about to marry Laurel. It was one of the many touching elements that celebrated the show hitting 100 episodes, and executive producer Andrew Kreisberg made it clear that it wouldn't have felt like an anniversary episode without Laurel involved. he said

Kreisberg provided the above comment in an interview with Variety, saying that even though Arrow has evolved since Laurel Lance's death, she remains and will continue to be a key figure on the show. It definitely would have felt weird if Laurel hadn't shown up in the 100th episode, especially since this simulation (which Thea Queen, John Diggle, Sara Lance and Ray Palmer were also trapped in) also included Moira and Robert Queen, both of whom have been long dead. The simulation showed what Oliver's life would have been like had he never become the Green Arrow, and while Oliver was clearly at peace in this alternate reality, he soon realized it wasn't real and left it behind to return to the conflict against the Dominators. That included giving up his happiness with Laurel on their "wedding night."

While last night's Arrow episode allowed Oliver Queen to give this simulated Laurel Lance a proper goodbye, this isn't the last we've seen of Katie Cassidy on the show. Back in October, executive producer Wendy Mericle revealed that Laurel will show up in the midseason premiere and will be "alive and well." Mericle wouldn't elaborate on how this will be accomplished, though she did hint that Flashpoint may have something to do with her return. Unfortunately, that doesn't clear up the matter much. This could mean anything from the Earth-1 Laurel we watched for four seasons being miraculously brought back to life to her doppelgänger from Earth-2, known as Black Siren, being brought in. However the writers and creative team pull this off, Laurel fans can look forward to her continuing to play a role on the series in the near future.

Arrow will air its midseason finale next Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST/PST on The CW. New episodes will then return on February 1. Click here to find out when your other favorite shows will return midseason.

The death of Katie Cassidy's Laurel Lance will forever be remembered as one of the biggest moments in Arrow's history. That's saying something when we consider the insanity that's happened on that show over the years. Arrow takes place in a comic book universe, where death is easily avoidable (and often reversible) but the Laurel that we have come to know and love over the last four years seems genuinely gone. However, don't mourn too much, as it now seems that we will still get a chance to see the late Laurel as early as Arrow's Season 5 premiere.

Katie Cassidy will return to Arrow as Laurel during the Season 5 premiere this coming October. The actress took the stage at Salt Lake Comic-Con this weekend (via Comicbook.com) and revealed that she definitely will appear as Laurel Lance during the very first episode of the new season. Although she wouldn't (or couldn't) go into any further detail, the general consensus seems to be that this is when we will finally get to learn what they dying Laurel said to Oliver while lying in her Star City hospital bed, as that bit of whispering has become one of Season 4's biggest mysteries.

This revelation makes plenty of sense. After all, we've known for quite some time that Laurel would have some sort of bearing on the fifth season of Arrow. The trailer shown at San Diego Comic-Con establishes that Oliver continues to mourn her demise well into the new season, and he has very much thrown himself into his Green Arrow persona as a means of coping with his failure to protect her.

Of course, there's always the possibility that Laurel Lance could also appear in Arrow's season premiere as her Earth-2 doppelganger, Black Siren. However, given the fact that the Emerald Archer's solo series appears to be moving towards a more realistic and grounded atmosphere this season, that seems unlikely to happen in the first episode of the season. Regardless, Black Siren is still out there.

Then there's the possibility of Laurel actually coming back to life as a result of Flashpoint, although that seems even less likely than the Black Siren scenario. Her death has thus far carried so much dramatic weight (and there have been so many deaths in the Lance family) that it just seems unlikely that Flashpoint will have a permanent impact on that particular moment in the Arrow-verse. Quentin's heart can only take so much.

That being said, we do know that Katie Cassidy's exposure in the Arrow-verse will soon be greatly expanded, as the actress has inked a deal to appear on The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow -- not unlike similar deals made by Wentworth Miller and John Barrowman. Even if Laurel is truly dead, that should keep fans of Ms. Cassidy incredibly excited for the foreseeable future.

The death of Earth-1's Laurel Lance will go down as either the bravest, or the most foolish, decision ever made by the Arrow creative team. Although initially somewhat grating, the elder Lance sister had recently become one of the most popular characters on the series. Having taken on the role of Black Canary, her character finally found a missing balance in her life. However, given the prominence of Arrow's Olicity romance, Black Canary ultimately became the expendable member of Team Arrow when Damien Darhk came to town, and we all know how that ended. We continue to mourn her death, but it's nice to know that she will receive a proper sendoff once we learn her final words to Oliver.

CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with all of the latest and greatest Arrow news as more details become available to us. The Emerald Archer's solo series will return to The CW on Wednesday, October 5 at 8 p.m. EST. Until then make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere guide and fill our your calendars accordingly.

If you know anything about comic book universes, you know that death is generally only the beginning. That being said, fans of The CW's Arrow still all collectively reeled from the overwhelming shock of the death of Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) during the latter half of this season. Although her earlier appearances were less popular with some fans, she eventually solidified her place as a strong member of Team Arrow as the Black Canary. We all were shocked when she died at the hands of Damien Darhk (Neil McDonough), but now it seems that we won't have to completely say good-bye after all.

The San Diego Comic-Con panel for Arrow revealed a number of interesting tidbits about the upcoming Emerald Archer series. However, one of the most notable things to come out of the affair was the reveal by Marc Guggenheim that Katie Cassidy will continue to feature prominently on Arrow. In fact, she will even make her way into other DC series such as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow well into the coming season. The exact nature of these appearances -- whether they will be through time travel, alternate realities, simple flashbacks or some combination of these -- hasn't been completely explained yet, but we can 100% guarantee that Ms. Cassidy will stick around a little while longer.

It isn't difficult to understand why the producers opted to kill Laurel during the last season of Arrow. Love it or hate it, Oliver Queen's (Stephen Amell) romantic entanglement with Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) has become a central aspect of the show, and it's something that definitely outshined his initial romance with Laurel during the first two seasons. Beyond that, Oliver already has a platonic, sisterly relationship with his actual sister Thea (Willa Holland), meaning that Laurel pretty much always felt like the member of Team Arrow who lacked a definitive role in Oliver's life.

Just because a death is logical doesn't mean we have to like it, though. We really cannot express how interested we are that Katie Cassidy will continue to have a presence on The CW. In many ways it felt as though Laurel Lance had only just begun to really hit her stride as a character and a hero, and the actress' recent stint as Black Siren showed that she's an incredibly valuable asset even when she's not portraying the Earth-1 Laurel.

Check out Laurel's death scene from the last season of Arrow, below to take a not-so-pleasant stroll down memory lane:

Although we still have quite a bit of time until all of The CW's DC series return, the promise of Katie Cassidy has given us something to mull over. We will bring you more information concerning the Green Arrow's hit series as more details become available to us. Arrow will return to The CW on Wednesday, October 5. Make sure to check out our fall premiere guide for more information related to all of the most highly anticipated TV debuts and check out what we know about Season 5 of Arrow, here.

Spoilers for The Flash are below.

Now that Barry knows who Zoom is and he can start to take revenge against his former “friend,” The Flash will likely get very intense over the next batch of episodes guiding us to the finale. But before that resolution, the superhero drama will use Earth-2 to put forth a fairly complicated crossover by welcoming Arrow actress Katie Cassidy to play Laurel Lance, but not the one we’re used to seeing in Star City. On The Flash, Cassidy will instead take on the Earth-2 version of Laurel, who isn’t known as Black Canary, but rather Black Siren.

Has all the debris from the confusion-filled nerd-splosion been cleaned up so that we can move on? Good. Cassidy will don her next (presumed) superheroine duds for the second-to-last Season 2 episode of The Flash, set to air next month. This makes the first time that a major Arrow character will get a parallel dimension identity, and depending on whether or not Earth-2 remains a central part of The Flash’s storytelling in future seasons, it might not be the last time.

But depending on how things pan out over on Arrow for the rest of Season 4, The Flash may be the only place we’ll get to see any version of Laurel Lance in the future. All that ”who’s in the grave?” business will soon be coming to a head, and she’s a definite candidate. But if it isn’t Laurel who bites the dust, maybe she could head to Central City for that Flash episode so that both versions could meet and hang out. Can TV audiences handle two Laurels?

This exciting tidbit was revealed at a press screening by executive producer Marc Guggenheim, according to TVLine. He apparently didn’t go into any further detail about what we can all expect from the appearance, but we pretty much expect oodles of insane moments every time The Flash heads to Earth-2. Can’t imagine this time will be any different.

One of the few superpowered characters in this universe that didn’t debut in the pages of a comic book, Black Siren first arrived on the Justice League animated series along with other members of a made-up 1950s supersquad called the Justice Guild of America. The team was an homage to the Justice Society, with Black Siren serving as the lone female member who deals with a number of stereotype issues, partially aping the Golden Age version of Black Canary.

Though we don’t know an episode title just yet, viewers can find Katie Cassidy joining the Flash squad in some capacity on Tuesday, May 17. In the meantime, you can catch the Scarlet Speedster making the transdimensional rounds every Tuesday night on The CW.

And there she is! We knew it was only a matter of time before we saw Arrow's Laurel (Katie Cassidy) filling the figurative wings of her sister Sara, and today, the CW has given us our first official look Laurel in full Black Canary gear... and hair! She's much blonder in her masked get-up than she is when she's trying to put criminals behind bars. Here's another look at her all dressed up and looking ready for some serious action...

I won't pretend to be the biggest Laurel fan. I doubt i'm alone. But it's pretty exciting to see what she looks like when she's out of her sensible suit and dressed for action. Looks like there are a lot of buckles going on there and she's got her baton at the ready. But is Laurel ready?

At this point, it seems like she's only just getting going on her training, having recently confessed to her trainer Ted that she's out for blood over her sister's mysterious murder. When last we saw her, she was picking out a training outfit, and she was pretty enthusiastic about going with the black one. Looks like she knows the look she's going for, and that's even more apparent in the photos above.

The preview for tonight's episode shows Laurel looking eager to find and destroy whoever it was who filled Sara full of arrows and sent her over the edge of a building.

The preview for "Guilty" focuses heavily on dreams and Roy's recent nightmare that he killed Sara. He seems convinced that he did, but I'm still not sure. Regardless, it looks like he's confessing as much to Felicity, which is a good thing. If there's anyone who can stay relatively emotionally detached and help him figure out what really happened, it's probably her. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen. In the meantime, the trailer ends with Laurel saying, "I want to avenge my sister's death."

Is it possible that Laurel's first opponent as Black Canary will be Arsenal?!

Roy didn't do it. At least, I don't think he did. I hope he didn't.

Arrow airs Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST on The CW

Mo’Nique wasn’t a major motion picture star when she portrayed Mary, one of the meanest mothers ever seen on the silver screen, in Precious. And she hasn’t shown much interest in acting ever since she walked away with Lee Daniels’ soul-crushing drama in 2009. But industry trackers pay close attention to any actor who earns a little gold man on Oscar night – as Mo’Nique did – so folks will want to know that the comedian and late-night talk show host is ready to get back in front of the cameras for another movie role.

Mo'Nique is negotiation for a role in the indie dramedy Bumped, where she would join the already cast Camilla Belle and Kellan Lutz, Variety says. In addition to wooing Mo’Nique, the film – directed by Stephen Herek (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) – has signed Alex Gonzalez (Riptide in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class), Gossip Girl star Katie Cassidy, and Xenia Siamas to the growing ensemble.

Bumped works from a Lizzy Weiss screenplay about strangers coming to grips with their differences as they face an interminable layover at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Weiss wrote the surfing drama Blue Crush back in 2002, but has worked mainly on television since. Her premise sounds like it could mix the best of Planes, Trains and Automobiles with The Breakfast Club, and it helps explain why Herek would want a broad range of talents to play characters from diverse backgrounds who could bring some spark to the situation.

Long layovers are the work of the devil, so Bumped is going to have to bring something extremely unique to the table to convince people to sit through one on screen. Adding Mo’Nique certainly guarantees flavor. Since she doesn’t have to work (her talk show is extremely successful), I’m glad she’s returning to feature film work, and heading in what sounds like the opposite direction from the depressing reality that was Precious.

There is perhaps no older standby in Hollywood than mistaken identity. From It Takes Two to Oceans 12 to Date Night to North By Northwest to The Big Lebowski, people can't get enough of spur of the moment impersonations and mixed-up name tags. I'd be tempted to call it a genre unto itself except many of these movies have absolutely nothing in common apart from their blunderous premises. Or maybe they do and I'm missing the corollaries. Let me know after you watch the trailer for Monte Carlo.

The newest from Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy follows the three normal girls as they save up tips and head for their dream vacation in Paris. Along the way, one of them is mistaken for a British heiress by the local press, and they decide to just go with it, playing pollo at high end estates, gorging themselves on free lobster and generally acting like teenage girls suddenly given the key to untapped wealth. Take a look below…

Monte Carlo may not be the freshest film to come down the pike in the last decade, but I must admit there's something about it which looks pretty fun. Plus, it's nice to see Katie Cassidy getting some more movie work after performing admirably in her scenes in Taken. With low expectations and a fundamental need to be more cute than good, Monte Carlo should be pleasing enough to its intended audience who no doubt overwhelmingly approve of the fantasy of suddenly discovering hundreds of designer shoes at your disposal.

Fun fact: IMDB just told me Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman were originally targeted to star until the script was redone to play younger. That must have been an extensive rewrite. Monte Carlo opens in theaters on July 1st. If the rest is equally as good as this trailer, many girls will see it once and not regret their decision.