Producer Marc Guggenheim has revealed that one Arrow series finale scene involving Oliver and his father was originally a part of season 1. Arrow premiered on The CW in 2012 and played a huge role in establishing the superhero genre as TV fans know it today. Though it wrapped its eight-season run earlier this year, it leaves behind the Arrowverse, currently composed of four other series. Arrow's success also helped make The CW what it is, with crossover events giving the network a boost in viewership each year. Arrow and its hero, Oliver Queen, played an even bigger role than usual in this year's crossover, Crisis on Infinite Earths.
This is because the Green Arrow sacrificed himself during the event, fueling the heroes to continue on and defeat the Anti-Monitor. As Oliver was already dead by the time of the Arrow series finale, the episode was different from the sort of final episodes audiences have come to expect. It saw characters gathering for Oliver's funeral, many of whom were brought back to life due to his death and subsequent timeline change. One scene also saw Oliver revisiting his final moments with his father, an idea that was actually reused from the season 1 finale.
On Twitter, Arrow producer Marc Guggenheim shared a cut scene that was originally slated to open the season 1 finale of the show. Though it never made it to screen in that episode, a version of it did make it into act 2 of the series finale. Oliver's sacrifice led to his mother, Moira, coming back from the dead, but his father, Robert, did not. This makes sense, as Robert's death for his son is what led Oliver to become the Green Arrow. Check out the original script for the season 1 scene below:
Though the Arrow series finale marked the end of an era, there's still a possibility some characters from the show appear on The CW next season. A spinoff, Green Arrow and the Canaries is still in contention for a pickup after airing its first episode as a backdoor pilot this season. The potential series would follow Oliver and Felicity Smoak's daughter, Mia Queen, in the year 2040. There, she would be joined by Earth-2 Laurel Lance/Black Siren, as well as Dinah Drake/Black Canary. Though Oliver's death eradicated crime in present-day Star City, it still exists in 2040. Fans will likely find out about a season 1 pickup for Green Arrow and the Canaries in May.
As a couple of months have passed since Crisis on Infinite Earths and Arrow's series finale, fans have had time to dissect both in great detail. Recently, Guggenheim has begun revealing extra details and behind-the-scenes tidbits from both. It's especially interesting to hear about a cut Arrow scene being re-purposed in this way, and fans are likely happy they ended up getting to see it. With this context, the emotional scene from Arrow's series finale packs an even bigger punch.
Source: Marc Guggenheim