Arrow: Colton Haynes Returns as Roy Harper for Final Season

The final season of Arrow is bringing back a lot of former actors who previously appeared on the series, chronicling Oliver Queen’s journey toward Crisis on Infinite Earths by celebrating the character’s past in The CW ‘s premier superhero series. But there were worries that one of the show’s most prominent characters and Oliver’s close ally Roy Harper would not return after actor Colton Haynes was demoted from his status as a series regular from Arrow Season 7. Well, those fears are for naught as Haynes is indeed returning for the eighth and final season of Arrow.

The news comes from a report from Entertainment Weekly in which they reveal Haynes will be a recurring star in the final season, wrapping up Harper’s adventures with Oliver before the Crisis begins.

“We couldn’t have ended the show without having him back,” showrunner Beth Schwartz said in an interview with EW.

This is a surprising change as Haynes previously took to social media to clarify his status, revealing that he wasn’t asked back as a series regular.

“Getting a lot of angry messages so just to clarify…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,” Haynes wrote.

But when the news of Haynes’ recurring status was revealed, the actor took to social media to celebrate his return to the Arrow set for one last time.

The actor also spoke out earlier this year and opened up about his battle with alcoholism and anxiety, revealing personal details in an intimate post on social media.

“I no longer want to project a curated life,” Haynes wrote. “I get immense joy when someone comes up to me & says that my willingness to open up about depression, anxiety, alcoholism, & addiction has helped them in some way. I’ve struggled the past year with trying to find my voice and where I fit in & that has been the most beautiful struggle I’ve ever had to go through.”

He added, “I’m so grateful to be where I am now … but man these times were dark.”

Haynes will be seen in the final season of Arrow premiering on Tuesday, October 15th at 9pm ET on The CW.