On Saturday, The CW’s signature superhero dramas, “Arrow” and “The Flash” were honored with a rare doubleheader panel at the annual PaleyFest in Los Angeles. SuperHeroHype was among the media crowd on the red carpet, which only allowed about two minutes with each cast member. Fortunately, Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, John Barrowman and executive producer Marc Guggenheim had some spoilery things to say about the upcoming “Arrow” episodes. As for “The Flash,” Grant Gustin, Candice Patton and Rick Cosnett teased several of the stories that will close out the first season.
Stephen Amell
SuperHeroHype: How long do you think Arrow will run? And is there a possibility of Arrow becoming a movie after the series ends?
Stephen Amell: I think we’re gonna do six seasons, unless something goes horribly awry and I say something incredibly stupid with nine microphones in my face. But we’ll probably do six seasons and then see from there. There’s a pretty good track record of successful television shows transitioning to the big screen. That’s not something that we really think about, because when you’re in the soup of a twenty-three episode season, you can’t possibly think about a theoretical movie three-and-a-half years down the road.
SHH: You’ve said that Felicity is the only woman in Oliver’s life this season. Is that still the case? If so, what did you think about the fans’ reaction to her and Ray getting together recently? Because it seems like they’re crying, they wanted Oliver to be with Felicity.
Amell: Season’s not over yet. [laughs] She is definitely the only woman in his life this year. But not the only woman that he has to save.
SHH: What’s his relationship with this newbie, wannabe superhero?
Amell: His relationship with Ray Palmer is excellent. His relationship with Ray Palmer if Ray Palmer is going to be the Atom… that could be a different set of circumstances.
SHH: What’s it like working with Brandon Routh in those scenes?
Amell: It’s a little bit of the same sort of vibe that I get working with Grant [Gustin] that Oliver is pretty sullen and serious a lot of the time and I like working with Brandon and Grant because I get to play humor, even in deadpan looks, which is something that I really enjoy.
SHH: What is so tempting about the offer that Oliver is getting right now?
Amell: One of the things that Ra’s pitches to him is that the League does as Ra’s al Ghul commands. So if he commands that they stop killing, they stop killing. You are the architect of the League of Assassins when you’re Ra’s al Ghul and that’s an army for him to command… in theory.
SHH: Has WWE reached out to you about getting you on RAW?
Amell: We’ve been in touch a little bit. Maybe around the start of the fourth season we’ll try to do something… I think. They don’t know that. [Laughs]
Katie Cassidy
SHH: What was your favorite part of the season?
Katie Cassidy: Oh my gosh! There were so many… Well, hello! Obviously when I got to put on the costume and become Black Canary was pretty cool. There’s so much of it, I love that when Laurel puts on the costume that she’s not necessarily good at first. She’s messy, she’s going with her heart, her heart and her fight and… [John Barrowman walks behind her] Sorry! He just rubbed my ass!
John Barrowman: Sorry!
Cassidy: I was like, “who just rubbed my ass?! Oh, it’s John.” [Laughs]
Barrowman: It just looked so good!
Cassidy: Oh thanks. [she turns back to SHH]. I think [my favorite episode] was 13, The Canaries episode where Laurel is hallucinating her sister. That episode was so fun for me and I was very, very active. Any time I get to be a part of the action and the A-story, I love that. I actually really love the episode where Laurel really goes after [Malcolm]. I don’t know! She’s kind of crazy, but really cool.
SHH: What’s coming up with Laurel in the rest of the season?
Cassidy: You’ll see her character and her journey continue to grow. As I said, when she was first Black Canary, she wasn’t very good. But you’ll see her [advance]. Nyssa plays a big role in that and ends up teaching her a thing or two to help her evolve and expand on that.
John Barrowman
SHH: What’s coming up with Malcolm in the rest of Arrow Season 3?
John Barrowman: Well, there’s big changes for everybody, but what’s amazing is that the things that have happened with Malcolm gives me as the character and also the writers a free reign to do anything that they want because he’s divulged who he is emotionally. He’s exposing himself [not in that kind of way!], but he’s exposing himself in a self way and an emotional way to all of the other characters. So, is he asking for their trust? We don’t know. I mean… I really want to tell you what’s going to happen, but it’s so f***ing exciting it’s not even funny.
SHH: Do you think that Malcolm is going towards a redemptive arc?
Barrowman: I don’t know. Keep watching, because is he going for redemption or is he going to find out that he’s still the villain or is he going to be a dad? Or is he going to be an amalgamation of all three while working with alliances that are unconventional? That’s all I can say.
SHH: Has anyone talked to you about Arrow Season 4?
Barrowman: Oh yeah. I’ve already been commissioned and I’m here for a while. I’ll be here for a long time.
SHH: So there’s no getting rid of Malcolm Merlyn?
Barrowman: There’s no getting rid of John Barrowman!