Behind-the-Scenes Drama Made Colton Haynes Walk Away from Arrow
Colton Haynes released his memoir a year ago, unveiling many secrets that Hollywood had kept for years. Let's dig in!
In 2022, Arrow star Colton Haynes released a memoir titled Miss Memory Lane, in which he opened up about his experiences with addiction, coming to terms with his sexuality, acting, and much, much more!
One of the topics Haynes touched on was his decision to limit his screen time on Arrow's season 8, and it was not what you'd expect.
The actor played Roy Harper / Arsenal on the superhero drama for eight seasons and became a fan favorite.
At the end of season 7, we received the sad news that Colton would only return in a recurring role for season 8. At the time, it was explained as "his contract had ended," and nothing more. In the memoir, Haynes got candid about the real reasons behind his departure from the show.
He said that he chose to appear in a limited capacity in season 8 because he "was too depressed" and "couldn't stand working with one of the castmates."
The actor decided to keep the name of the said castmate a mystery. However, this did not stop the fans from guessing.
Some people think that it could have been Willa Holland, who played Thea Queen, but others disagree because the actress was only a guest star in season 7 and believe it to be someone with a main role in season 7 to make Colton's life so unbearable that season that he chose to limit his appearances in the final one.
Another fan theory involves Katie Cassidy, the beloved Laurel Lance. While she can be a likely candidate for the person who Haynes couldn't stand screen time-wise, they seem to hang out a lot off-screen, so there is a catch.
People also think that it could have been someone from the future storyline, as it would have made more sense if this castmate was a new person, and that was why Colton left after season 7 and not earlier.
We may never find out the truth, but we are glad that we got to see Roy Harper in season 8, even if it wasn't as much as we'd initially hoped. Better than nothing, right?