The photo teasing Oliver Queen's role in The Flash season 9 makes Stephen Amell's return even more confusing. On Instagram, David Ramsey, posted a photo taken during the filming of the upcoming episode that will bring Amell back to the Arrowverse. Featured in the image were Grant Gustin, Keiynan Lonsdale, Amell, and Ramsey, all in-costume as the Flash, Kid Flash, Green Arrow, and Spartan respectively.
The Flash season 9 photo comes on the heels of the announcement that Amell will be on hand for the ninth episode. And just as the image suggests, his return to the Arrowverse will coincide with guest appearances from other Arrowverse actors. For reasons that haven't been explained, Barry will cross paths with Oliver, Diggle, Wally West, and The Flash season 6's Bloodwork all in the span of one episode. Unsurprisingly, it's Oliver Queen whose return is getting the most attention. Not only is he the hero who started the Arrowverse in the first place, he's also dead.
What The Flash Season 9 Photo Reveals About Stephen Amell's Return
In spite of Oliver's death in "Crisis on Infinite Earths," the character coming back has never been considered an impossibility, especially since the show has plenty of ways of bringing him back. Curiously, the least exciting option - flashbacks - has already been ruled out. Barry can be seen wearing his gold boots, which he didn't have while Oliver was alive. Time travel, a common plot device on the show, doesn't feel like a likely explanation either, as Ramsey's beard is consistent with the Diggle has sported since Arrow ended. His appearance strengthens the notion that this story takes place in the present. If not, the furthest back it can go in the timeline is Arrow season 8, which is when Diggle began wearing the outfit seen in the photo.
Furthermore, it can be gleaned from the image that The Flash will be going with a more traditional Flash-Green Arrow team-up, as opposed to pairing up Barry up with Amell's Spectre. Since Oliver became the DC Comics supernatural powerhouse in the Crisis, it was assumed that The Flash could confirm that Oliver is still active as the Spectre in the post-Crisis timeline. But with Amell wearing his Green Arrow suit and holding a bow, it looks like his Spectre powers won't be in play.
How Can Stephen Amell Return As Green Arrow?
If The Flash isn't using a trip to the past, flashbacks, or Oliver's transformation into the Spectre to facilitate Amell's return, it's worth wondering which possible explanations remain in consideration. The Flash has avoided doppelgangers and alternate Earths since the Crisis (and may continue to do so in season 9), but Barry meeting a Green Arrow from another timeline shouldn't be ruled out together and may be the most sensible theory at this point. Alternatively, it may be that instead of Barry running into the past, it may be Oliver who's traveling in time. Somehow, Oliver may wind up in 2023.