Arrow season 8 is out now on digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD - and ahead of the release, Screen Rant had the opportunity to speak to stars Katie Cassidy (Laurel Lance), Katherine McNamara (Mia Queen), and Juliana Harkavy (Black Canary). Arrow can undoubtedly be considered one of the most successful superhero TV shows of all time; although the writers and showrunners initially operated under a "no capes" rule, it became the foundation for the entire Arrowverse.
Arrow season 8 marked the end of Oliver Queen's story, as he sacrificed himself to save the Multiverse in the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event. Ahead of the home release, Screen Rant had the opportunity to speak to stars Katie Cassidy, Katherine McNamara, and Juliana Harkavy. They'll hopefully be suiting up again in an upcoming spinoff, Green Arrow and the Canaries, although there's no news yet on whether the network has picked that up.
First of all, a huge thanks to all of you for agreeing to do this interview. I'm a huge fan of Arrow, so I'm quite delighted to be here. Thank you so much.
Juliana Harkavy: We're delighted to be here with you.
Katherine McNamara: Yeah, thank you.
How are you guys all doing with the quarantine at the minute?
Katherine McNamara: Oh, just trying to stay motivated and productive, and find ways to creatively feel as though I've accomplished something every day.
Juliana Harkavy: I'm trying to be OK with not doing - not accomplishing, to just be really still for a minute. It's hard to do, it's really hard to do, and you do need to find ways to be active. But I don't know, I feel like I'm thriving in quarantine, does that sound wrong to say? I was built for the hermit life.
Katie Cassidy: It's not too difficult for me either, but what I do find challenging is - a part of my routine is I wake up, and I drive to my trainer, and I train, and then I drive back. And that drive there, and then training with him, and then driving back, it's just something that's very therapeutic for me. So I'm definitely missing that. I find it harder to just, like, go into my living room and work out, but I've done it. But, yeah, I just think being creative, and I'm also kind of learning things, and I started taking the Master Class in writing and reading books. Yeah, just trying to stay positive.
So, congratulations on the final season of Arrow. I was wondering, have you heard any news about the Green Arrow and the Canaries spinoff at all?
Katherine McNamara: We have no idea. You know, with how topsy-turvy the world is right now, everything's in a holding pattern. Life, Green Arrow, we're just waiting.
Thanks for that. We've got a few questions for each one of you, really about your roles. Some of you have been playing these parts for quite a few years now, they've really become popular with fans. So - we'll start out with a couple of questions for Katie. When you were first hired to play Laurel, did you ever expect to become a superhero?
Katie Cassidy: Yes. I had a meeting with Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim and a couple other producers, and they said to me, your character in the comics is a superhero. We plan on you evolving into a superhero at some point - maybe season 1, maybe season 2. Of course, I was a little disappointed, just because they didn't tell me it was coming, they did not tell me my sister was coming and she was gonna be the Black Canary first. I was kinda like, "**** when does my turn come?" But I'm actually really grateful - Katie has become one of my best friends. She was so great, and added such a cool layer to the story.
Laurel has been one of the most fascinating characters, just because we've seen two different versions of her. Why do you think Oliver didn't bring back old Laurel, and return this one to her own dimension?
Katie Cassidy: I think the original Laurel wouldn't have wanted that. I think she wants what's best for the universe, and if she saw the redemption of Black Siren and what she's capable of doing for the good of this universe, she would say she's on board with this. We need heroes, and I think Black Siren has more history and depth, and gone through more, and can be more of a force than the original Laurel. So I think that's why.
Thanks. I'll just move on to Katherine if that's OK. So, it's been real fun getting to know Mia over these last two seasons. What would you say was the highlight of this so far?
Katherine McNamara: It's so difficult to say, because all of it really has been a highlight. I think having the character come full-circle and finally getting to work with Stephen [Amell], because Oliver has been such a missing piece in Mia's life. It's really the thing that drives most of her story through season 7 and into season 8, it's feeling that hole in her heart and soul, that she needs her father. And then finally she's face to face with him, and you have these two characters that are so similar, and yet so emotionally unavailable, and yet somehow have to figure out how to deal with the biggest emotional issue that both of them have ever faced.
It's interesting to watch Mia's coming into her own as a history and comparing it to Oliver season 1, and so you have this character who's extremely flawed and extremely unavailable and brooding, and watch her open up, get vulnerable, and find her own way. And then particularly too, we saw that in the penultimate episode that Mia has two sets of memories, and two timelines that she is dealing with, and it's another set of skills that further complicates things.
So I am never in want for something to do - character-wise, that is! So as an actress it's been such a fun challenge to experiment and see what aspects of Mia come to the surface.
What do you think she's going to find the most difficult now she's 'woken up' to her old life but in a new reality?
Katherine McNamara: I think the most difficult thing for Mia now - in any timeline - is living up to the shadow of her father. In the original timeline, she spent her life resenting her father. Now, in the new timeline, she spent her life looking up to him and knowing, no matter what I do, it' never going to be enough to honor his legacy. And now that she has both lifetimes at her back, and both sets of memories, both sets of skills - she has the fighter and the person with actual social skills now! And she's able to blend the two, and maybe, even though she doesn't feel like she's ready - she wanted more time with her father - maybe now she is ready to take on the mantle and to take on Star City, and to be the next Green Arrow.
What was it like getting suited up as Green Arrow?
Katherine McNamara: One of the most magical experiences of my career, honestly. The folks that make the super-suits are so skilled at what they do; their breadth of knowledge in creating new things, and their meticulous precision in making it is amazing. I got to sit at the fittings, as they make this suit, to fit your body.
The most ironic thing; the first time I wore my suit was during the crossover, and everybody was on set. We had a couple of Supermen, and Green Arrow, Flash, and Black Canary, and everybody. I'm getting all excited and stuff, and I realize this is Stephen's death scene. So my first time wearing my suit, I'm on Cloud Nine getting excited and having to bawl my eyes out! It's just the kind of irony you get on these shows; you're having the time of your life, covered in blood, sobbing your eyes out.
What a contrast! OK, I'll move on to Juliana for now. So - I've loved Black Canary's arc throughout Arrow, it's been a real highlight. What would you say was your favorite part so far?
Juliana Harkavy: I guess my favorite part was the end, because I got to see it all for what it was, see the entire journey for what it was. And it was incredible. It was, like, the greatest honor of my life by far to play this character, and to be on Arrow, and I'm so grateful we had this opportunity to continue it.
The history between Black Canary and Laurel is absolutely fascinating. How do you think things are going to play out with those two going forward?
Juliana Harkavy: Oh, they're gonna get married.
Katie Cassidy: Is that a proposal?
Katherine McNamara: Can I officiate?
Katie Cassidy: I think the two of them have a really special bond. I feel like they're gonna continue growing closer, you know, almost like a sisterhood.
Who do you think brought Black Canary to 2040? Any theories?
Juliana Harkavy: I feel like Mr. Terrific has to be involved somehow, he's so smart. He got into the computer system, was like, 'Girl, you need a break!' I mean, she just woke up in 2040, no idea how.
Katherine McNamara: That would be interesting to learn.
Juliana Harkavy: Exactly. That's all the stuff that's so rich, there's so many questions, and I think it's brilliant of our writers to do that. Now we have endless content, and literally years of blank space to fill.
Thank you so much for this interview today, and hopefully it won't be long before we hear news about Green Arrow & the Canaries.
Arrow: The Eighth & Final Season is now available to own on Digital, Blu-ray & DVD.