The CW’s Arrow got an injection of new blood during its Comic-Con panel on Saturday as several new castmember announcements were made to coincide with the first trailer for the upcoming second season.
Providing new enemies for Stephen Amell as Oliver Stone/The Hood to go up against in Season 2 will be former True Blood star Kevin Alejandro as Brother Blood and Michael Jai White as Bronze Tiger. They will join Michael Rowe as Deadshot to form the Suicide Squad.
In an odd twist, John Barrowman showed up during the Arrow panel sporting a t-shirt from the show. Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn/Dark Archer character was killed by Arrow in the Season 1 finale. Or was he? He looked dead enough, but Barrowman’s presence at the panel can’t be ignored.
The big newcomer in Season 2 is Summer Glau as villain Isabel Rochev, leader of a large corporation that sets its sights on a struggling Queen Industries. It is believed that Rochev will also be the Black Canary in Season 2, a character whose origin will be explored and who is teased at the conclusion of the Comic-Con trailer. In the comics, Black Canary is actually Laurel (Katie Cassidy), but her character seems to be on her own vindictive path to find the “last archer” and take him down.
With Colton Haynes as Roy Harper upped to series regular, expect his journey to become Arrow’s sidekick to slowly move forward and gain some momentum. As Season 2 begins five months after the events of Season 1, Oliver has gone on hiatus as Arrow in mourning the loss of his best friend. Roy seems obsessed with taking up the mantle of Arrow to help Starling City fight crime. He may need to fall a couple times before he’s ready to earn Oliver’s trust and rise up for justice.
Emily Bett Rickards is back as lovable Felicity and has also been upped to series regular. In the five month gap, she’s been busy overhauling Arrow’s secret base to help lure him back to work. Upstairs at the club, Oliver’s sister Thea has taken over Tommy’s duties as club manager while bad mom Moira is stuck in a jail cell.
Arrow may finally get his wish and lose “The Hood” name when Arrow: Season 2, dubbed “City of Heroes,” premieres on The CW on October 9.
