Television production in North America has really been thrown for a loop by the pandemic these last few months. Shows that shoot in Canada, for instance, have had to deal with the extra challenge of actors traveling into the country needing to quarantine for two weeks before getting started. This has naturally affected The CW’s Arrowverse series, which film in Vancouver. Amid the outbreak, then, former Arrow star Stephen Amell offered to lend a helping hand by being willing to suit up in the Emerald Archer’s hood once again.
While speaking to Michael Rosenbaum on his Inside of You podcast, the native Canadian revealed that he called Arrowverse architect Greg Berlanti, when it looked like the DC shared universe was going to have a hard time getting back up and running again, to let him know that he would be willing to do an impromptu Arrow season 9 if they couldn’t get the likes of Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist back in the country.
“I called Greg up and said just that,” Amell said. “I said, ‘Look, I hope this doesn’t happen, but if everything goes to sh*t and you guys can’t get actors up here because of issues about mostly American actors crossing into Canada, and if things can’t be figured out, here’s the deal man. I’m here and if I have to stay here, I want to work. If I’m going to work, let’s just figure out a way to bring Oliver back from the dead.'”
Amell explained that Berlanti at first thought he was joking, but he stressed that his offer was genuine.
“I go, ‘Yeah, of course, I’m f**king serious. Again, I hope it doesn’t happen. But, can we at least put it on the radar,'” Amell said.
An Arrow revival would have been a wild and unexpected turn of events, but 2020 has already changed the TV landscape in so many surprising ways that it probably would’ve seemed par for the course. Shows that were once set to continue have been cancelled – such as Netflix’s GLOW and I Am Not Okay With This – while the casts of many long-finished series produced new specials during quarantine – Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, etc.
In the case of the Arrowverse, though, Amell’s Arrow revival offer didn’t need to be taken up in the end as things progressed to the point where production could continue and The Flash, Supergirl, Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow and Superman & Lois are all now set to debut their latest seasons on The CW in the new year.