A John Barrowman return is possible for Arrow season 6 (or beyond)
Back when Malcolm Merlyn was killed off during the season 6 finale, it seemed like that was it for the character and the show was moving forward. Yet, we do now have these comments from executive producer Marc Guggenheim (per Green Arrow TV) that strongly indicate that such a return is possible down the road, provided that Barrowman wants to come back:
“That’s up to John … We told John when we called him to tell him about the events of the finale, every single person on all the shows has come back in some shape or form. We’ve got flashbacks, we’ve got time travel, we’ve got parallel universes. Goodbye is never goodbye. He has an open invitation to return to the show any time he wants.”
As for Barrowman, however, he seems to recall this conversation slightly differently. Here is what he had to say in a post on Facebook:
I am surprised and very happy to hear Marc Guggenheim’s comments about Merlyn’s future in the Arrowverse because in a very decisive phone conversation we had with Wendy Mericle, I was led to believe that there were no plans to bring Merlyn back.
If they have changed their mind, awesome!
I have LOVED playing Malcom Merlyn and was SO disappointed to be told the news of his death and to no longer be part of a fantastic team and show.
If they want me back, they just have to ask! The ball is back in their court. Write Merlyn an amazing storyline and I will be there.
Is this a sign that Barrowman is coming back for sure? Not yet, but Guggenheim seems to think that this was the message he and Mericle passed along the whole time.
How do you bring Merlyn back?
Well, there are certainly some interesting ways you could argue that he survives what happened in the finale — maybe he goes through his own hell on the island like Oliver Queen once did. Or, you just bring him back via flashbacks or introduce a version of Merlyn from another Earth.
The one thing that the show does have to be careful about for the time being is how the show handles death — if you let everyone come back, it causes you to lose some of the impact of death in the first place. They were able to send Earth-1 Laurel Lance off for good, but that’s been one of the few deaths that has stuck. (Even with that, though, we do also have Black Siren coming.)
What do you think: Should John Barrowman return in Arrow season 6 or some other one in the future? Be sure to share in the comments below!
Meanwhile, head over here in the event you want to get some additional news when it comes to the show. (Photo: The CW.)