ARROW Showrunner Claims 'Damien Darhk' Is "Pure Evil"; Is This Our First Look At The Villain?
According to Arrow EP Marc Guggenheim, the Season 4 villain 'Damien Darhk', may just be the most evil foe Oliver has encountered so far. We may also have our first look at former Justified star Neal McDonough in character as Dahrk. Hit the jump to check it out!
Arrow has had its fair share of impressive 'big bads' over the course of it first three seasons, and many fans believe the villains are the show's strongest element. However, according to executive producer and showrunner Marc Guggenheim, the likes of Deathstroke and Ra's Al Ghul pale in comparison to what's coming next season. Speaking to Access Hollywood, Guggenheim explained why Neal McDonough's 'Damien Darhk' could be Oliver Queen's most dangerous enemy yet.
"Damien's a different kind of villain than we've had on the show before. He's not as centurion as Ra's, he's not as looney tune as Slade, he's not as -- and people will be surprised I use this word -- but he's not as noble as Malcolm Merlyn. He's pure evil. We wanted someone who was truly, truly malevolent. We've never done that on the show before. All of our big bads always thought they were doing… the wrong thing for the right reason. This guy does the wrong thing for the wrong reasons."
It sounds like the Arrow writers are not holding anything back in Season 4. In addition to praising the incoming McDonough for the "intensity" and "darkness" he brings, Guggenheim also hinted that audiences won't have to wait very long to meet Mr. Darhk.
"It's a bad situation to have this guy coming in. And the other thing that we're doing that's different is in past seasons, you've had to wait 'til usually the mid-season finale to meet the big bad and have Oliver confront the big bad. We are coming out of the gate strong. We're not waiting and actually, that itself has really energized the show and it infuses even the 'villain of the week' episodes with an epic-ness that they wouldn't otherwise have."
We may also have our first look at Damien Darhk, courtesy of his new co-star, Paul Blackthorne. The actor, who plays 'Quentin Lance' on the show, posted a selection of BTS photos on his official Facebook page - including one that seemingly features McDonough in character alongside some of his henchmen. Make your own mind up and check it out below!
Arrow Season 4 premieres October 7 on The CW.