TV Guide has confirmed that Deathstroke actor Manu Bennett is indeed set to reprise his role as Slade Wilson in Arrow's season 5 finale. Bennett is currently in New Zealand shooting The Shannara Chronicle's second season but is set to arrive in Vancouver later this week.
The extra confirmation was needed after series star Stephen Amell and executive producer Marc Guggenheim tweeted the news of Manu's return, only to have the intense action star refute their claims. However, TV Guide states that either Bennett's agent forgot to inform him that he was returning or the New Zealand actor was just drumming up a bit of publicity and spectacle for his "shocking" return. In reality, it's likely the latter as the fact that Bennett had such a clear and crisp set photo ready at his disposal screams that the whole thing was staged.
Manu's bluff will be called when the Arrow season 5 finale, titled "Lian Yu" airs May 24 on The CW.