Now that Arrow has concluded, we’re learning more and more about the behind-the-scenes development process of one of The CW’s most popular TV shows.
If you really think about it, the story of Oliver Queen, through its 8-season run, resonated with the idea of evolution more than anything else. For instance, take the philosophy behind the Green Arrow’s crusade; Oliver started out on a killing spree and didn’t accept limitations when it came to dealing with his enemies, but by the end of the show, the playboy-turned-vigilante proved to be the greatest hero in the multiverse by sacrificing his life to rebirth the world. The same argument could be applied to almost anything that came out of Arrow in the past couple of years, including set designs and other production values.
Even Arrow Team’s headquarters, which was originally a humble basement with some of Oliver’s fancy gadgets lying around, turned into a fully-fledged base of operations from season 4 onwards. Apparently, though, set designers originally pitched a fancier bunker, but according to executive producer Marc Guggenheim, the show had to scrap that idea for budgetary reasons.
The co-creator has been sharing a lot of snippets and BTS material with fans in the past couple of days, and the latest video he uploaded on Twitter gives us a look at the would-be HQ for Team Arrow.
Something a little different for a Friday (as if the days of the week have any meaning right now). This is the model for the three-level Arrow bunker we couldn't afford to build… pic.twitter.com/aYuVCLmIWt
— Marc Guggenheim (@mguggenheim) April 3, 2020
As we heard in the clip, this concept would have involved Oliver and Lance sharing drinks at the bar, which could suggest that this design belongs to the early days when Verdant was still around. Though, they could still build a bunker on another bar in Star City since it would be the perfect cover, right?
At any rate, budget limitations always tend to take their toll on shows like Arrow but in all fairness, the bunker that got built still served as a cool-looking set for many of the series’ most unforgettable scenes.
