Stephen Amell's Flash Return is the Only Way to End Arrowverse on a High Note
DC Studios are intent on uniting their stories across all media in their new direction, which likely means the end of the Arrowverse. With Season 9 probably being the end of The Flash, Stephen Amell has to make an appearance as Oliver Queen to bring closure to the franchise.
The Arrowverse comprises all series from the CW network, including Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, and Batwoman. It was a shared universe that explored the multiverse, eventually leading to Crisis on Infinite Earths, a hugely popular event from the comics in 1985.
It was praised for having a similar style to comic books, preferred by some fans over DC's films of the decade.
The Arrowverse began in 2012 with Arrow starring Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. Choosing a relatively unknown superhero allowed DC to focus on more popular characters for the more profitable films while still telling engaging superhero stories on television.
Arrow came to its end in 2020 after eight seasons. Amell has since not reprised his role in any other shows, much to the chagrin of fans. A cameo by the character that started it all would be a perfect ending to the franchise.
The prevailing theory is that he will return as the Spectre, even if in a cameo. Queen took the title of the Spectre from Jim Corrigan in Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Earth-Prime (a comic miniseries written by Arrow writers) confirmed that Queen was still the Spectre. He said a threat to reality was on its way, which might be a reference to Red Death – a threat appearing in The Flash Season 9.
Time travel could also come into play. Legends of Tomorrow lasted seven seasons before the time-traveling series ended on a serious cliffhanger. A tie-in between Legends, The Flash, and Oliver Queen could give that series closure as well.
Both the CW and DC are under new leadership. DC has said it wants to focus on "the future," following the Marvel Cinematic Universe's footsteps of unifying television and film content. The CW canceled every DC Comics show, leaving The Flash the last remaining.
The Arrowverse has been a bright spot among DC fandom in the past decade and it deserves a proper send-off. That starts with a final appearance by Stephen Amell.
Season 9 of The Flash premiers on February 8. The Flash and Arrow are both available for streaming on Netflix.