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TheArrowseries is undoubtedly one of the best superhero Television series that became the originator of the Arrowverse. It revolves around Oliver Queen, a billionaire playboy who assumes the vigilante persona to fight crime and corruption in the city.
While avid fans are well aware that Stephen Amell became the face of the DC Comics character Green Arrow there, many would be surprised to know that Justin Hartley, who portrayed the character inSmallville,was never consideredfor the role in the Arrowverse.
Smallville‘s Oliver Queen Actor, JustinHartleyWas Not Even an Option forArrow
Long beforeStephen Amellportrayed Oliver Queen/Green Arrow inthe Arrowseries, Justin Hartley was the one playing the role inSmallville. The latterwas introducedinSmallvilleSeason 6 as a recurring character who became a catalyst in Clark Kent (Tom Welling)fulfillinghis destiny.
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By the show’s last three seasons, he became a regular character, all thanks to the character’s influence and Hartley’s impeccable portrayal.
Given his popularity, many assumed that he would go on to play the lead role when the eight-season series was in active development. But things turned out to be different as the producers elected to go with a new face for the role.
Justin Hartley [ Credits: vagueonthehow/ Wikipedia Commons ]Veteran Marvel Comics and DC Comics writer Marc Guggenheim, who co-developed the Arrowverse originator series, reflected on why Justin Hartley was not an option for the role.According to theOttawa Citizen, the veteran writer addressed the same at an LA press gathering, stating,
“We wanted to chart ourowncourse, ourowndestiny.I don’t think we felt any desire or need to let the ground lie fallow, especially since this is such a different take.“
He justified the higher-up’s decision with examples of actors who portrayed the same superhero characters at different times.
“The audience these days is savvy enough to recognize there are different interpretations possible for any given character…Your love for Michael Keaton doesn’t affect your love for Christian Bale,and your love for Christian Baledoesn’t necessarily affect your love for Adam West.”
Things eventually went ahead inAmell’s favoras the show’s co-writer revealed how he snatched everyone’s hearts with his audition. For the unversed,Arrowfollows Queen who was presumed dead but returns five years later to his home, Starling City (later renamed Star City) to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante.
ArrowAttempted to Bring Justin Hartley’s Oliver Queen to the Show
While the actor was not an option to lead the show, thecurrent Arrowverse producer revealed that he attempted to get theSmallvilleactor for a cameo in the show. However, his years of efforts yielded no results as he revealed onFake Nerd Podcast,
“I’ll tell you, Justin is someone that I’ve been trying to get on Arrow for years.”
He also opened up about using Hartley’s costume in 2018’s Elseworlds crossover.
“I did send down the request, ‘Could we borrow the costume from the archives?’ They said yes, but they said yes with a lot of caveats, not the least of which is, ‘No one can wear it,’ and ‘You can’t get it dirty.'”
He continued,
“So we put it on a dummy, so thereby we satisfied that loophole, and as far as not getting it dirty,hopefullywhoever at the archives provided it to us never actually saw that episode.”
Initially, Hartley’s portrayal was planned for further appearances in new stories however the studio decided to explore the character’s arc from scratch instead of continuing the existing ones. That majorly led to Amell’s arc, which successfully established a shared universe.
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From the beginning, Amell’s Green Arrow presented a different take on the hero, distinguishing it from what was portrayed inSmallville. However, throughout its run, Queen’s mission evolved, leading him to undergo significant character development, contributing to the series’ success.
Arrowis available to stream on Prime Video.
Priya Sharma
Articles Published :1321
Priya Sharma, Senior Content Writer and Social Media Manager at FandomWire and Animated Times. Having graduated in Journalism and Mass Communication, she possesses extensive expertise in crafting engaging and informative content. She has written over 2000 articles across Animated Times and FandomWire on pop culture, showing her dedication to delivering diverse and trending content to readers across the world. Apart from pop culture, she is quite enthusiastic about the Hallyu culture and is exploring the world of anime, expanding the horizons of her knowledge.
