Arrowverse producer Marc Guggenheim explains why the Green Arrow had to die in Crisis on Infinite Earths. The CW crossover aired this past December and January, uniting all of the network's DC shows for an unprecedented event. Though past crossovers have focused solely on the Arrowverse and its characters, Crisis brought the entire DC world into the fold. Actors from past properties made appearances, as did characters from Titans, Stargirl, and Lucifer. The DC Extended Universe's Flash, Ezra Miller, even popped by for a fun cameo. Due to the events of Crisis, the characters of the Arrowverse now believe their Earth, Earth-Prime is the only one remaining. However, in reality there are other Earths as well, where the other shows and films in the world of DC exist.
One of Crisis on Infinite Earths' most shocking moments involved the death of leading Arrow character Oliver Queen. Though it was heavily foreshadowed he would die during the event, many assumed it would happen at the end of the crossover. Instead, he sacrificed himself to save billions near the beginning. Oliver then became the Spectre, before once again sacrificing himself. Guggenheim has spoken before about the two deaths helping to keep viewers surprised, since they already assumed one was coming. Now, the producer has offered more information about the reasoning for the Green Arrow's death.
Appearing on Literary Joe's Inner Child Podcast, Guggenheim explained he always believed Oliver should die and revealed why he felt that way:
I from the jump was always advocating for Oliver to die. And the reason for that is that if you look at who Oliver Queen is as a person, we meet him in the pilot, he's this spoiled kind of jerk before he gets marooned on Lian Yu, but even when he comes back from those five years in hell, he's basically the equivalent of a [inaudible] killer, especially in that first season. I always felt that the amount of blood he has on his hands has to ultimately be repaid with his own blood. It never really occurred to me that his story should end any other way.
This reveal is interesting and makes a lot of sense when looking at Oliver's character arc. He spends a large part of the series feeling guilty for the lives he took, even when the killing was justified or done to save others. Oliver made some progress in forgiving himself for the blood he shed, especially in Arrow season 1, through his relationship with his wife, Felicity, and others. However, even at the end of the series, he still struggles with it. Sad as it is, it's logical that Oliver would feel the only way to truly atone for the people he killed would be to sacrifice himself. It also explains why he's so at peace with the decision leading into Crisis.
Guggenheim's reveal also illustrates the way sacrifice is built into the hero's journey. It's an idea that's been shown often in the Arrowverse, with heroes like Supergirl, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow's Sara Lance all losing close family members. All three have also died or come close to dying for the cause. In fact, Barry Allen's death was also foreshadowed leading up to Crisis. Ultimately, Guggenheim's comments about the Green Arrow's death lend more clarity to the reasoning behind it and may help some viewers still disappointed by the decision.