Team Arrow has been gelling well this season now that almost every major character has a costume and a codename, but Season 4 of The CW's Arrow has been missing one of its fan-favorite characters. Sure, the vigilantes roll out into Star City each night decked out in their finest black, green, and red leather, but long-time fans remember that Thea (Willa Holland) wasn't the first hero to don the Red Hood. That honor fell to Roy Harper, aka Arsenal, played by Colton Haynes up until his departure from Star(ling) City last season.

It looks like fans will get to see Haynes again, though it remains to be seen whether or not he'll take on the mantle of Arsenal once again. Thea's been doing a fantastic job with that of late ... as long as she keeps her bloodlust in check. What's more interesting is just why Roy would be paying a visit to Star City after his dramatic exit - remember that he dressed up as the Arrow, faked his death, and was then tracked down by Thea before he rode off toward other fictional locales. So while it's great that we'll get to see Haynes once more, one wonders what this news means for Thea's new relationship, and if it has anything to do with the specter of the mysterious grave that's still looming over the show since its reveal in the Season 4 premiere.


Here's Haynes' reaction to the news:

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/ColtonLHaynes/status/667810569383079937[/EMBED_TWITTER]

For fewer emojis but just as much excitement, here's executive producer Marc Guggenheim's explanation (via TV Line):

“We are beyond thrilled that Colton will be returning to Arrow this season. It was always our intention to have him return following his departure last season, but it was a matter of finding the right storyline to pull it off. That opportunity presented itself in Episode 412, and we can’t wait for the fans to see this reunion.”

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Image via The CW

Obviously the showrunners are keeping any plot points close to the vest at this point, but as the season plays out I'm sure more opportunities to speculate will open up. Fans will have to wait until early 2016 to see Haynes' reunion with the cast, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.

If you haven't been keeping up with Arrow this season, or just need a bit of a refresher, make sure to check out our weekly recaps here. And for more of our ongoing coverage of Arrow and other CW shows, take a look at some of our recent stories below:



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