John Diggle is the second of three Green Arrow’s that we know of. Oliver is obviously the first and the third is Diggle's son, John Diggle Jr, who becomes Green Arrow in the year 2046 if the future we saw on Legends turns out to be true. This all begs the question, how long will John Diggle stay Green Arrow?
Entertainment Weekly published an interview with Stephen Amell right after Season 6 episode 2, "Tribute," and the actor revealed Diggle’s Green Arrow stint is not just a gimmick. It’s going to last quite a few episodes and the effects may be permanent.
“He’s out. He’s totally out. We have an instance where he has to hop back in, but it’s not in the capacity that people would expect him to. It’s in an episode called ‘Reversal.’ He does have to hop back in, but other than the occasional visit, he’s out,” Amell said. “If he suits back up again, it doesn’t mean that all of a sudden it goes back to the status quo.”
The past five seasons of Arrow, something terrible and devastating has happened to the city by the finale. It’s clear Green Arrow can’t save the city by himself and take on the full burden. Amell said Oliver now considers the identity of Green Arrow to be the team, and hopes that this new strategy will result in Star City being in a good place come season’s end.
“I give it to him expecting him to be able to handle it. I like the idea that I give it to him because the city needs a Green Arrow, right? The Green Arrow can be more than one person. The Green Arrow is a symbol and his team is a symbol," Amell said.
"The fact that we are pushing Star City in the right direction is something that is important to me because I don’t want the city to get destroyed every year, because then what’s the point of what we’re doing? We’re a team of vigilantes that are the definition of insanity, because we’re just doing things over and over again and hoping for a different result. Obviously I don’t know what’s going on with Diggle, but I give it up and there’s not a lot of angst."
Hey @david_ramsey —
— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) October 20, 2017
You’re up.
Prometheus questioned Oliver’s ability to do the Green Arrow suit justice because of his willingness to kill. That’s why Oliver said he thinks Dig can be a better Green Arrow and Amell added he applauds the writers for following through with that internal struggle.
“We had a story line last year where in the aftermath of Oliver being tortured by Chase — the big torture, making him reveal his animal instincts and that he enjoyed killing at one point — [and] the producers and I had a lot of back and forth after that about how long that should affect him, because in one iteration, he just jumped right back on the horse. I was like, “Well, if we don’t follow the through line of that affecting him, then what was the point?” So I like that he’s given the mantle to Diggle and that’s been the show since then. That, to me, is really cool."
Photos posted to social media from the Crisis on Earth-X crossover do indicate Oliver will suit up as Green Arrow at least a few more times. While Stephen Amell didn’t say exactly how long Diggle will have his turn, it doesn’t seem likely Oliver will give up being Green Arrow for the entire season.
How long until Oliver returns as Green Arrow? Sound off in the comments below.
