Colton Haynes Confirmed To Return For ARROW Season 7 As A Series Regular
Colton Haynes is officially returning to Arrow as a series regular in season 7! In a surprise announcement, the actor will once again portray Roy Harper AKA Arsenal. Hit the jump for details...
Arrow recently received a seventh season renewal and while nothing has been revealed about where the upcoming season will take Oliver Queen and company, we now know that the seventh season will see the return of a familiar face: Roy Harper!
It was announced today that Colton Haynes will be back as a series regular next season, reprising his role as Roy Harper AKA Arsenal. The executive producers shared the following statement following the announcement:
We’re very fortunate and excited to welcome back Colton to Arrow. While we’ve always enjoyed Colton’s returns to the show, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have him return as a proper series regular and we’re very excited about all the creative opportunities Roy Harper’s return affords us.
Colton Haynes has been with the show since almost the beginning, debuting in the second half of the first season and then remaining as a series regular until his departure towards the end of season 3. He returned for an episode in season 4 but was absent until his actions protecting Oliver in season 3 came full circle this season, with Ricardo Diaz imprisoning him until Thea comes to the rescue. After battling the Thanatos Guild, Roy rode off into the night with Thea and Nyssa al Ghul on their quest to locate the other Lazarus Pits.
Colton Haynes himself is looking forward to returning to the show as a regular, stating that he "could not be happier to return to my role as Roy Harper alongside my Arrow family." It is currently unclear what will bring Roy Harper back to the show on a more permanent basis, especially considering where things were left at the end of his two-episode arc this season. Could Roy's return signal that things have ended between him and Thea, who has officially exited the series (for now)? Or perhaps his appearance opens the door for Willa Holland to reprise her role as Thea on a limited basis next season?
We will have to wait until next season to learn what brings Haynes back to the show and whether he will bring his Arsenal costume with him or let Thea keep it, but with the finale of season 6 being teased as unprecedented, perhaps we will see some signs in the finale of what is to come with regards to Roy. The Arrow crew are shooting the finale soon, so it is certainly possible they could include Colton Haynes in a limited appearance in the episode.
Are you excited to see Roy Harper return to Arrow on a more permanent basis in the upcoming season? How do you think his return will factor into the show? Be sure to leave your thoughts below!