The CW’s Arrow has arguably gone through quite a lot of evolutions over the years, but one of the show’s alumni is proud of one ongoing arc.
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ComicBook.com was on hand for Manu Bennett‘s panel at Dallas Fan Days 2018, where the actor discussed his time as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke on the long-running series. As Bennett put it, he’s enjoyed seeing the path that Slade and Oliver Queen/Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) have gone on throughout the years, all while making their dynamic feel rooted in the same things.
“I think [Arrow is] a piece of modern mythology.” Bennett explained. “[It’s] a very well-written show. It’s got its demographic and it’s got its audience. It’s hitting targets, you know? I think that Stephen and I have evolved — he and I, personally — with our performance as Oliver and Slade, in a way that just is, you know. The writers have done a really great job with this journey that he and I have been on. I think that every time it’s come up, it’s kind of like an origin story. It swells emotions in people again, which is my whole modus operandi. So I’m glad for all of that.”
As Arrow fans will surely remember, Oliver and Slade became allies during their time on Lian Yu, before Oliver ultimately betrayed Slade. Slade returned to Star City years later to get back at Oliver, infecting the city with Mirakuru and causing an uprising of sorts. Oliver defeated Slade, throwing him in a secret ARGUS prison, only to ask for his help in Season 5’s final fight against Prometheus. Slade, now free of the Mirakuru, began to sympathize a lot more with Oliver, and the pair worked together to try to find Slade’s son in Season 6.
While Oliver and Slade essentially parted ways when they last saw each other, it sounds like Bennett is more than willing to add another chapter to their story.
“I’d love to come back on it at some stage,” Bennett teased. “I don’t know.”
Bennett has made similar sorts of comments in the past, hinting that he loved the opportunity to get to add more depth to his character.
“I mean, I’m lucky because of all of the Slade origin story stuff,” Bennett explained during another panel appearance last year. “Every time we add on a little bit of a layer here and there it helps kind of draw that story out. Sometimes I’m missing Arrow and there’s been times when it’s been a year and a half between getting back out there to film Oliver and the cast – Stephen [Amell] – but they made a really good job out of this last couple of episodes and that they humanized Slade rather than demonized the character was just such a relief for me because I’ve always been of the idea that Deathstroke from the DC Comics, Marv Wolfman’s character, has more integrity than just being a crazy Mirakuru guy.”
What do you think about Bennett’s latest comments about Arrow? Would you like to see his Deathstroke return to the show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Arrow airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.
