Arrow’ Season 5: Deathstroke? Stephen Amell Teases Return Of Season 1 Villain

Stephen Amell has been busy today… torturing Arrow fans. With hype for Arrow Season 5’s Oct. 5 premiere heating up, Amell teased fans with a photo of an old friend: Deathstroke.

The photo comes after a series of tweets from Amell about a mystery guest appearance in Arrow’s 100th episode, Season 5 episode 8, which also happens to be the week of DC TV’s four-way crossover event with Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl and The Flash.

The first of the tweets was posted on Saturday. It was a picture of Amell posing next to a large green blob with a question mark and ‘100’ written in the background. The caption read ‘Mystery Guest.’ The second tweet, a photo of Amell and co-star David Ramsey with another green blob, was posted this afternoon. The image of Amell and Deathstroke followed shortly after.

Manu Bennett played Slade Wilson in Arrow Season 1 and in one episode of Season 3. The man behind the mask above (if there is anyone behind the costume) remains a mystery. We can’t rule out the possibility Arrow may see someone other than Slade Wilson rock Deathstroke's gear. With alternate universes and and worlds, we could also see a completely different Deathstroke altogether. In a flash-forward to 2031 last season, the Legends met Grant Wilson, Slade Wilson’s son. He took his father’s name and lead an uprising in Star City.

Arrow producers have repeatedly described Season 5 as going back to its roots and revisiting aspects of Season 1. Once allies, Deathstroke has sought revenge on Oliver Queen ever since the death of Shado on Lian Yu years ago. On a Mirakuru rampage, Slade came to Star City with an army to make Oliver’s life a living hell. He’s responsible for the death of Moira Queen. As far as we know at the moment, Manu Bennett’s Slade Wilson is still locked up in the ARGUS prison on Lian Yu.

There's always the possibility Deathstroke could somehow have ties to Prometheus, the most intimidating villain confirmed for Season 5. Executive Producer Wendy Mericle spoke with TV Guide during San Diego Comic-Con in July and revealed Prometheus has one goal: revenge. She described him as “somebody Oliver unwittingly created in Season 1 when he was a killer in a hood… this guy is going to be collateral damage who lost someone to the hood and has spent the last several years training and plotting for revenge. He will be a true dark mirror to Oliver Queen."

The photo could always be a celebration of how far Arrow has come, however, it can’t be a coincidence the Deathstroke image was posted so shortly after a mystery character was revealed. Not to mention, the 100th episode also marks the return of Robert Queen and Black Canary.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!