Malcolm Merlyn has been dead since the fifth season finale of Arrow, but that’s never stopped John Barrowman before! Via ComicBook.com, Arrow star Stephen Amell confirmed that Barrowman will reprise his role as Merlyn in the eighth and final season.
Amell made the announcement during his appearance at Fan Expo Boston. However, he didn’t specify how many episodes Barrowman would appear in. During the first season of Arrow, Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer was Oliver Queen’s nemesis. But during the third and fourth seasons, Merlyn and Oliver had an uneasy alliance. Merlyn and Oliver and eventually had a falling out, but Merlyn still aided Team Arrow in the final battle against Adrian Chase/Prometheus. Merlyn even gave his life to save his daughter, Thea.
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Barrowman made a brief cameo during last year’s Elseworlds crossover. He has also appeared in episodes of The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Given the multiverse storylines in Crisis on Infinite Earths, Merlyn’s return may be on another Earth. However, “the Magician” has cheated death several times before. So it’s impossible to rule out his return to the land of the living in the Arrowverse.
Additionally, Amell hinted that he has already lined up his next television project.
“I’ve recently closed on a new project that I’m really excited about that I am not allowed to talk about,” said Amell. “It’s on TV. I thought that the news was going to break last night, and I was kind of excited to talk about it today, but it’s for me… But something. Something very soon.”
Arrow season 8 will premiere on October 15, on The CW.
Are you excited to hear that John Barrowman will be back on Arrow? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Arrow: The Dark Archer
