Arrow Season 5 Spoilers, Speculations: 5 Things We Know So Far

CW’s hit show “Arrow” will start its fifth season in less than a month… and after a long and often dragging Season 4, things seem to be taking quite an interesting turn. Team Arrow has all but dissolved, Oliver is mayor of Star City, and as the trailers have shown, a new team is being put together. Beyond that, CW has been pretty secretive about the inner workings of the show. This secrecy leads to chatter among the fan base of course, and it can be difficult to make predictions.

Here are 5 things we know so far about Arrow Season 5

1.Manu Bennett returns as Slade Wilson

The mercenary Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke (Manu Bennett) has been a fan favorite since Season 1, and his popularity only skyrocketed when he was cast as Season 2’s primary antagonist. However, Bennett’s character hasn’t made any pivotal appearances since Season 3 episode 14: The Return. It may be a stretch to say we’ll see the Deathstroke character again due to Joe Mangianello portraying the villain in the upcoming Batman movie, but Stephen Amell stated at Salt Lake Comic-Con that Manu Bennett will still play a part on the show. “That’s not how that works… Just because there may or may not be a Deathstroke in the DC Extended Universe doesn’t mean Manu Bennett can’t exist on our show.”

2.New villain “Prometheus” makes his debut. Roy Harper in danger?

The early production code name for Arrow Season 5’s new villain was “James.” Word on production has described him as a scheming, charismatic “man on a mission,” and “out for revenge” over a tragic loss. It definitely fits with the description of someone involved with a mob, and we already know that the Bratva will be playing a key role this season. When the Season 5 trailer premiered however, we found no trace of this mysterious James. What we did see however, was preview of a dark fighter called “Prometheus.”

Arrow Season 5: So who is Prometheus?

There’s no word on who is behind that bandage-style mask, and the studio has already announced that this is a totally different character meant to tie in with Oliver Queen’s legacy. CW has yet to announce even the name of the actor playing Prometheus, though WWE superstar Cody Rhodes is a likely candidate. We do know two things however: first, CW’s Wendy Mericle stated in a Comic-Con interview with TV Guide Magazine that Prometheus is a man who lost someone due to Oliver Queen’s actions as The Hood. This leads to a lot of speculation that Prometheus and James are one and the same. Second, and more interestingly, the comic book incarnation of Prometheus is the man responsible for cutting off Roy Harper’s (played by Colton Haynes in Arrow) right arm.

3.Felicity Smoak is all-new vigilante?

It’s already been announced that Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) is going to be dealing with guilt over the deaths she caused by diverting a nuclear missile strike to Havenrock instead of Star City. That kind of responsibility definitely serves as a good platform to get into the superhero mindset, but it seems very lacking on a personal level. Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim has already stated in an interview with EW that they’re going to have Felicity play a “really really key role” that has nothing to do with Oliver or her parents, and that it would be “new territory” for her.

Naturally, in a show about vigilantes, the prevailing theory is that Felicity is going to take a shot at being one. But which one? Felicity has no superhero alter-egos in any of her comic book appearances, and the show has introduced brand new characters before (John Diggle played by David Ramsey). With the introduction of a Prometheus we haven’t seen before, it’s not unlikely for Felicity to come up with a mask of her own.

4.Flashpoint affects story continuity; John Barrowman returns as Malcolm Merlyn with a twist!

John Barrowman has announced that he would be playing a “different kind” of Malcolm Merlyn this season, but what did he mean by that? The statement is fairly vague on its own, but the cast and production team has repeatedly stated that:

a.) there would be more crossovers and tie-ins between CW properties this season, and —

b.) The Flash’s altered timeline dubbed Flashpoint would have “some impact” on the show. It’s highly likely that Malcolm Merlyn will be less of a neutral, self-serving character this time around. In fact, it’s entirely possible that Malcolm Merlyn will be on Team Arrow’s side for the entirety of Season 5… or for however long Flashpoint lasts.

5.Katie Cassidy returns as Laurel Lance

The death of the Black Canary hit fans hard, but we haven’t seen the last of her on Arrow. People suspect a flashback of some sort to tie her into the story, as episode 1 will reveal her last words to Oliver Queen. Cassidy has also announced that she will be making multiple appearances across Arrow, Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow throughout the year. The only real question is: to what extent?

We do know that a second incarnation of Laurel Lance exists in the same universe. Earth Two’s Black Siren, who debuted in Season 2 of The Flash, is undoubtedly going to come back and haunt Team Arrow some time in the future. There is also the possibility that the events of Flashpoint may have the original Laurel Lance alive for some period of time.