‘Arrow’: David Ramsey on Diggle’s Decision in “Brothers in Arms”

John Diggle (David Ramsey) made a major choice in tonight’s episode of Arrow, and it sounds like it could have some major ramifications.

Spoilers for tonight’s episode of Arrow, “Brothers in Arms”, below!

In tonight’s episode, Diggle and Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) addressed the future of the Green Arrow mantle, something that Diggle took very personally. As he explained, he didn’t agree with Oliver’s leadership styles, and believed that Oliver cared more about himself than he did about saving the city.

Ultimately, this ended with Diggle essentially leaving Team Arrow, instead deciding to take on a larger role with his wife Lyla (Audrey Marie Anderson) at ARGUS. And as Ramsey explained in an interview with TVLine, this choice will definitely be permanent for the time being.

“Diggle has made a firm choice in his life about where his place is with the team,” Ramsey explained. “This is something he’s discussed with his wife, so this is a major, fundamental move.”

While some fans have not necessarily agreed with Diggle’s decision, others have argued how much it makes sense for the character. As Ramsey explained when Diggle first took on the Green Arrow mantle earlier this season, the position represented his desire to be able to make change within any context.

“It automatically lifts the character to a place of leadership that you mentally knew he could do, but now you’ve seen it, so you won’t have any problems seeing it next time,” Ramsey told ComicBook.com last year. “I don’t think that’s necessarily by accident in this case, and I’ll tell you why: last season, when we did the crossover and we were placed in a dream state…we lived in the world, within this alternate state of reality, where we were living the lives that we always wanted to have. Oliver was able to right the wrongs he made with Laurel, and Diggle was the Green Arrow. I think that’s interesting in this situation.”

But as Ramsey pointed out at that time, the Diggle family has a unique history with the Green Arrow mantle within the Arrowverse, something that carries over to his current feelings in the matter.

“And we see later on in the future, at least one future, that John Diggle‘s son takes on the mantle of the Green Arrow — he’s Connor Hawke,” Ramsey said. “So the Diggle family and the mantle of leadership within the mythos of the Green Arrow isn’t something that I think we’re necessarily done with. Even if it is outside of his being the leader as Green Arrow, him being a leader in and of himself is something that now we come away with — that he is someone who can carry a team and protect the city competently, with or without the hood.”

Arrow airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.