Colton Haynes Will Return For Season 8 Of Arrow

The CW’s Arrow is gearing up for its eighth season, which will also be its last. As the heroes of Star City prepare for their final outing together, it seems that every major character from the past is going to make a return. Dubbed something of a “Greatest Hits” season, everyone from Ollie’s sister Thea, or Speedy, as played by Willa Holland, to Rila Fukushima’s Katana, will be included.

One notable exception to this has been fan favorite character, and the Emerald Archer’s protégé, Roy Harper, or Arsenal. Colton Haynes first appeared on the program as the Harper during the rookie season as a love interest for Thea Queen. He would eventually turn to vigilantism though with Arrow and become an integral part of the team.

While Arsenal/Roy Harper would be written out multiple times over the course of the show, he always returned, even if it was just for a cameo. In fact, the character was a featured player in the flash-forward scenes of season 7 and helped create the connective tissue of the run as a whole. But as for his inclusion in the series’ concluding 10 episodes, little has been said. In regard to this seeming oversight, Haynes actually took to social media to comment on the situation not too long ago, stating:

Getting a lot of angry messages so just to clarify… I didn’t exit the last season of Arrow. I was not asked to come back for the final season as a series regular. But y’all know Roy…he’s never gone for too long.

It’s important to note the phrasing here. Haynes’ role as a series regular might be over, but that doesn’t mean he’s gone for good. And while this tease did little to tide fans over, showrunner Beth Schwartz has now finally given a definitive answer. During an interview with EW, the producer stated:

“We couldn’t have ended the show without having him back.”

Though this is definitely coming a little late in the game, as the first episode of Arrow is set to arrive shortly, it is, nonetheless, good to hear that Roy will make an appearance and you can leave your thoughts on what you’re hoping to see from him when he returns in the comments section down below.