Arrow season 8: Colton Haynes not returning as series regular
Arrow may be returning for its eighth and final season but one of its longest-running stars won’t be a regular part of it.
Arrow is set to return to The CW for one final adventure before Oliver Queen hangs up his bow once and for all in the show’s 10-episode-long eighth and final season. However, one of the show’s most beloved characters may not be around in a regular capacity to see how things go down.
Colton Haynes, who has played Roy Harper (a.k.a. Arsenal) on the show since the very beginning (and appeared as a series regular in Season 7) will not be returning to the show as a regular in Season 8.
The news was revealed by Green Arrow TV following an interview that the site conducted with showrunner Beth Schwartz at the Television Critics Association press tour.
However, while the red archer won’t be in every episode of the season, it does seem like there’s still a chance that he could pop up in a guest role before the end of the show, as Schwartz revealed that they would be open to having him back.
"“We hope to have him back… We love him and he’s obviously one of the foundations of the show.”"
While the news of Haynes’ full-time departure from the show is upsetting, it isn’t all that surprising, as Roy was simultaneously written out of both the present-day and flash-forward storylines in the Season 7 finale. And this, of course, raised questions about his return.
An Arrow veteran, Haynes appeared in a recurring capacity in the first season before being promoted to a regular for the second.
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He then left the show after Season 3, but did make a brief guest appearance in Season 4. He would later return for two episodes in the sixth season before returning in a regular capacity for its seventh.
The question is: Will the veteran Arrow actor make one final brief return in a guest role for the eighth, or have we truly seen the last of Roy Harper?
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Arrow returns to The CW on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Are you sad to hear that Haynes won’t be a series regular this season? What is your favourite Arsenal moment? Let us know in the comments below!