Arrow’s Stephen Amell Teases Giant Billboards of Him Wearing Only a Speedo

Stephen Amell’s time on Arrow may have ended, but the actor’s hard work is only beginning, at least in terms of training. Amell revealed on social media on Monday that he’s headed back into the gym to begin training for his hourlong wrestling-related drama series Heels and it sounds like he has some significant motivation to get into his top fighting shape. Amell teased “giant billboards” featuring him wearing only a Speedo as part of the upcoming Starz series’ promotion that, as he put it, aren’t going to make themselves.

On Monday morning, Amell took to Twitter to share that his training for the series, which will see him play Jack Spade, the charismatic villain (the “heel”) of a family-owned wrestling promotion, begins today and suggested that billboards prominently featuring him in character and little else are a major motivation.

“I start training for Heels today,” Amell wrote. “Giant billboards with me wearing only a speedo aren’t going to f-cking make themselves.”

It was announced in August 2019 that Amell’s next television project following Arrow would be Heels with a report that the actor had signed on to lead the series, a move that led Starz to greenlight and commit to an initial eight-episode order. The series does not yet have an estimated release date, but you can check out the series synopsis as well as details about Amell’s Jack Spade below.

“Written by Michael Waldron (Loki), with Mike O’Malley set as showrunner, Heels is about the men and women who chase their dreams in the world of small town pro wrestling. Set in a close-knit Georgia community, it follows a family-owned wrestling promotion as two brothers and rivals — one of them played by Amell — war over their late father’s legacy. In the ring, somebody must play the good guy and somebody must play their nemesis, the heel (Amell). But in the real world, those characters can be hard to live up to — or hard to leave behind.”

In the ring, Amell’s Jack Spade is the charismatic villain, or heel, of the Duffy Wrestling Association (DWA). In the real world, he’s its hard-working owner, a husband and father trying to make ends meet while fighting to realize his impossible dreams. He has the mind of an artist in the body of a warrior, and a Steve Jobs-ian need for perfection — and for control. He says he’ll do whatever it takes to build the DWA into an empire. Will he go so far as to risk his marriage, or his relationship with his brother?”

With Arrow ending in just a few weeks — the series finale is set to air on Tuesday, January 28 — knowing that things are gearing up for Amell’s next product is certainly exciting news and it’s also likely exciting for Amell himself as well. The actor is a noted wrestling fan and has not only made high-profile guest appearances at various wrestling events but also has a friendship with wrestler Cody Rhodes who himself has made several appearances on Arrow over the years.

Are you excited that Amell has begun training for Heels? Are you looking forward to the wrestling-related drama? Let us know in the comments below.