Arrow season 8: Shadowhunters’ Katherine McNamara promoted

Just in case you needed more evidence that Arrow season 8 is still focusing on the flash-forward timeline, here it is — Katherine McNamara is going to be a series regular for the upcoming ten-episode final season.

Via TVline, the Shadowhunters actress’ promotion is now official, and she joins other actors from the future timeline to get a similar nod leading into the upcoming batch of episodes. When we first met Mia Smoak, we found out how much of a fighter she was. This is someone who isn’t afraid to be rough-and-tumble to get the job done and someone who will challenge authority and do whatever she feels necessary in order to get justice. She’s a formidable character and she’s also got those legacy ties to Oliver and Felicity at the same time.

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Are there still questions about her long-term future? Absolutely, with the most notable one being whether or not Arrow could eventually spawn some sort of spin-off about some of the characters we’ve seen in the flash forwards. It would be a way to keep this part of the franchise going, but you can also argue that there is still a entire Arrowverse’s worth of stories featuring familiar characters. Batwoman is already premiering this fall, and there is another show in Legends of Tomorrow that is not even on the fall schedule, but is premiering at midseason.

Arrow season 8 will premiere on The CW when we get around to this fall; Note that we already have news on the premiere episode title! In a post on Twitter, executive producer Beth Schwartz confirmed that the first episode back carries with it the title of “Starling City.” That’s a clear throwback to the earlier days of the series, when Oliver’s place of residence had those extra four letters attached to its name. It’s since transformed over to Star City, which is more of a clear reflection of what it is in the comics.

What does this title mean? It’s a suggestion that in some way, we’re looking back towards the past before navigating towards the future. (Also worth noting: Former showrunner Marc Guggenheim is co-writing the premiere with current showrunner Beth Schwartz.)

What do you think about Katherine McNamara getting this promotion?

Also, what do you think about the Arrow season 8 premiere title? Be sure to share in the comments, and come back soon for some other news. (Photo: The CW.)