‘Arrow’ season 5 spoilers: Dolph Lundgren cast as flashbacks wind down

While the “Arrow” flashbacks over the course of the past two years have been frequently criticized, it does appear now as though they could be going out with a bang.

While at the TCA Summer Press Tour on Thursday, it was confirmed that “Rocky IV” actor and general icon of awesomeness Dolph Lundgren was cast to play an adversary of Oliver Queen’s during some flashback sequences in Russia. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim (per TVLine) got slightly more specific to reporters in talking about the parallels of this story to what is going on in the present:

“It’s going to involve Oliver’s introduction into the Bratva. He’s basically recruited into this criminal organization. In the present day, he has recruits of his own. He’s a trainee in the past and a trainer in the present.”

In the early episodes in particular we know that Oliver will be working to assemble a larger team of crime-fighters, which we wonder about in terms of it being a move that could cover more of Star City full-time thanks to the likes of Wild Dog and Artemis. With him taking on the role now as the city’s new Mayor, we would imagine that there will be a little less time for him to put on the signature costume. Then again, this is also “Arrow,” and we have to think that the show will come up with a pretty interesting way for him to still hit the streets fighting bad guys.

As for the end of the flashbacks, it’s time since so much of them has taken away from the present-day action on the show. Let’s hope this final arc is great, and that there are some exciting things in store for a potential season 6 without them present.

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