Another Character Exits the 'Arrowverse': Colton Haynes Will Not Return as a Regular in Final Season

Are Arrow fans saying goodbye to another series regular? The final season of the popular CW show is set to premiere this fall and reports surfaced that Colton Haynes who plays Roy Harper (aka Arsenal) will not be returning.  

Viewers were first introduced to Roy’s storyline in Season 1 of Arrow before he left in Season 3 after faking his own death to protect the identity of Oliver Queen (played by Stephen Amell) aka the Green Arrow. 

Though the comic book character did appear in a few episodes in seasons 4 and 6, Colton did not return as a series regular until Season 7. In the most recent season of the CW series, fans watched as Roy’s storyline took place in both present and future timelines.  

With the news of Colton’s status questionable on the DC show, it comes as a shock to fans because some plot points in Roy’s story were left unanswered, such as why he exiled himself to Lian Yu. Seriously, we need answers! So, why is Colton leaving Arrow?

Following news of Colton’s departure from the Arrowverse, the actor clarified via Twitter what happened. “Getting a lot of angry messages,” he wrote on August 8. 

"I didn't exit the last season of Arrow. I was not asked to come back for the final season as a series regular. But y'all know Roy... he's never gone for too long." 

The final season of the comic book series will run for 10 episodes, hopefully wrapping up each beloved character’s storylines. While it is unclear if Colton will reprise his role as Roy in Season 8 of Arrow, fans were not happy about his demotion.

“Pretty disappointing that in an allegedly 'Green Arrow' show there is no place for Roy Harper but a lot of time for bland original characters with no depth. @ColtonLHaynes you deserved better,” tweeted one fan. 

Another person wrote, “We need to see Roy and Thea for the last season of Arrow. They were a massive part of the earlier seasons and it feels bad not seeing them one more time.” 

In the Season 7 finale, audiences watched as the kids: Mia (Katherine McNamara), William (Ben Lewis), and Connor (Joseph David-Jones), were left in charge of defending the city. The cast members were reportedly promoted to series regulars, so it’s safe to assume they’ll play a major role in the finale season.  

Since the series premiere, Felicity Smoak has been a major character in the Arrowverse. In a shocking social media post, actress Emily Bett Rickards revealed that she would not be returning for the final season.  

Emily has not officially stated the reason behind her decision to leave, but did explain at the MCM in London that “it’s not totally goodbye.” She said, “We sent her off in a beautiful way and she lives on in these people. I see her everywhere I go.”

"I spent seven years of my 20s on this show – people fall in love with this character that I now have to say goodbye to," she confessed. "She'll always be a huge part of my life, as will all these people. I'm saying goodbye to a family I've been working with for the past seven years.”

We will definitely miss the on-screen chemistry between Felicity and Oliver Queen.