John Barrowman Will Play A Major Role In Arrow's Season 5 Finale

04/26/2017 08:25 pm EDT

When Arrow's sizzle reel for the remainder of the season debuted last week, fans were treated to many surprise cameos. One that stuck out to some was Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman).

While the villain has been a part of Arrow's lore since its debut, he has rarely been seen during this current season. Granted, part of this was due to his involvement in Legends of Tomorrow's now-complete second season, but his apparent return to Arrow made fans wonder how he fits into the season's many storylines.

According to Arrow executive producer Wendy Mericle, Malcolm is involved with the later events of this season due to his connection to both Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Thea Queen (Willa Holland).

"He's going to be a huge factor leading up to the finale," Mericle explained to CBR.com. "This season is all about legacy, and when Malcolm comes into the story, it's really rooted as much by necessity from Oliver's point of view as it is about what Malcolm means to him and what Malcolm means to Thea."

This is sure to be welcomed news to some Arrow fans - including those who have been hoping for a more significant plotline for Thea, who has been missing from much of this season as well.

Mericle reassures that the storyline between the three characters will be an important one - which will have significant effects on Malcolm as a character.

"It's a great story," Mericle revealed, "because it's going to have a lot of action but it's also going to have this kind of emotional undercurrent that is going to lead to a really big, huge series moment for him. I think it's a great story to tell, and it's great stuff for John [Barrowman] to play."

Oliver, Team Arrow, ARGUS and the SCPD kick off a citywide manhunt for Adrian Chase (Josh Segurra). Helix tells Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) they have a way to find Chase but they will need something big, and illegal, from her in return.

Joel Novoa directed the episode written by Speed Weed & Elizabeth Kim.

Arrow airs Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. The series returns from a mini-hiatus this week to burn through the final episodes of the season, which ends in late May.

More Arrow news:

• Season 5 Finale Will Flashback To Moments Not Shown In The Pilot
• The Five Biggest Moments In That Arrow Season 5 Sizzle Reel
• Two Team Arrow Members Upgraded to Series Regular For Season Six
• Is Arrow Planning A The Walking Dead-Style Season Finale Cliffhanger? It Sounds Like It

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