Nobody Told Katie Cassidy She Was Coming Back To Arrow

05/29/2017 01:15 pm EDT

In the world of comic book movies and TV shows, fans are quickly learning that dead is not necessarily dead. The Walking Dead kills Glenn a few times before making it permanent. Game of Thrones faked us out with Jon Snow for a season finale cliffhanger. And Arrow has killed just about everybody, at least once, before bringing them back.

As it turns out, the cast of Arrow don't necessarily know they will be coming back to the series if their character is killed off. For Katie Cassidy, she had no idea she would be returning to the CW series until an executive producer gave her a glimmer of hope after shooting Laurel Lance's death scene.

The actress address the moments during a panel at Heroes & Villains Fan Fest in London over the weekend.

"I have no idea what's gonna happen," Cassidy said. "I've been very transparent. I didn't ask to leave, I didn't want to, but I understand the whole from a producing standpoint and writing standpoint, it makes sense. The decision."

Then came Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim to the rescue.

"And then the decision to bring me back, I had a conversation with Marc Guggenheim, he said 'Would you...' Actually, the day we shot my death scene, after I wrapped, he said, 'Would you consider coming to play with us in the future?' I was like, 'Absolutely!' I've been here and I believed in the show since day one and just because I'm not gonna be around as often, as sad as that was, I will always be with the show."

As Cassidy's account of the story goes, "One thing lead to another and the rest is history."

Newcomer to the series Josh Segarra had only compliments to pay Cassidy as he sat beside her for the panel. "The impact that she left, is amazing, man," Segarra said.

Arrow recently wrapped is fifth season with a shocking cliffhanger that teased tragic fates for multiple characters. We'll find out how it will all turn out when the series returns for Season 6 this fall on the CW.

MORE ARROW NEWS: The Internet Reacts To Arrow's Insane Season 5 Finale / Arrow: Did [SPOILER] Really Die? / The Arrow Easter Egg That Sealed One Character's Fate / Arrow: Who Is Deathstroke's [SPOILER]?

After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the North China Sea. He returned home to Star City, bent on righting the wrongs done by his family and fighting injustice. As the Green Arrow, he protects his city with the help of former soldier John Diggle (David Ramsey), computer-science expert Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), his vigilante-trained sister Thea Queen (Willa Holland), Deputy Mayor Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne), brilliant inventor Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum), and his new recruits, street-savvy Rene Ramirez (Rick Gonzalez) and meta-human Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy).

Oliver has finally solidified and strengthened his crime-fighting team only to have it threatened when unexpected enemies from his past return to Star City, forcing Oliver to rethink his relationship with each member of his "family".

Based on the characters from DC, ARROW is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti ("The Flash," "Supergirl"), Marc Guggenheim ("DC's Legends of Tomorrow," "Eli Stone"), Wendy Mericle ("Desperate Housewives," "Eli Stone"), Andrew Kreisberg ("The Flash," "Eli Stone," "Warehouse 13") and Sarah Schechter ("The Flash," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow").

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.