Wizard World Chicago – the one of the largest comic book conventions in the U.S – welcomed Arrow star Stephen Amell to its stage last week and, during the question and answer session that followed, he addressed a number of points regarding both the fourth season of Arrow, and its implications for the wider DC universe.
Excitement among DC fans escalated recently when it was announced that Matt Ryan – star of the now cancelled Constantine series – would be reprising his role as the con-man-turned-occultist in at least one episode of Arrow. Onstage at Wizard World, Stephen Amell teased those scenes.
“I’ve been filming scenes all week long with Matt Ryan. He is such a treat. And a trip. He’s always saying his lines – and he’s getting ready to go on Broadway right now with Keira Knightley, so he’s always saying those lines too. I can’t tell if he’s having a conversation with me, or preparing. And sometimes I chime in, [and] he’ll be like, I wasn’t talking to you, mate.”
It is the fact that Constantine is set to turn up in Arrow that has fans pondering the bigger picture for the DC Universe. Crossovers have already happened between Arrow and its spinoff The Flash, but since Constantine was unrelated to either in terms of narrative, does his appearance on the show indicate a conscious move towards a more cohesive universe – in the style of, say, Marvel? Stephen Amell explained that he had tackled this subject with DC Entertainment chief, Diane Nelson.
“[She said they plan to make] the best version of each thing, and not forcing crossovers just for the sake of forcing them.”
