Though Katie Cassidy appeared in each season of Arrow as some variation of Laurel Lance, her time on the present hit a serious pace bump in Season 4. That was when Earth-1 Laurel, i.e. the character Cassidy had been enjoying because the DC TV present started, was killed by Damien Darhk. Final yr, Arrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim shared his remorse over killing off Laurel, and now Cassidy has mirrored on how she realized this unlucky information, in addition to being knowledgeable that she’d be coming again as Black Siren, a.okay.a. the Earth-2 Laurel.
How Katie Cassidy Realized Laurel Lance Was Being Killed Off
Katie Cassidy opened up about this era of her skilled life whereas on Inside You with Michael Rosenbaum, telling the title host that she “needed to eat humble pie” after they killed her off Arrow. As Cassidy recalled, it began when she and the remainder of the principle solid acquired an e mail saying that showrunners Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle needed to fulfill with everybody for lunch individually to do “a bit of catch up” on what could be occurring for the subsequent few seasons. This didn’t sit properly with the actress, as she defined:
For no matter purpose, my abdomen simply dropped, and I instantly textual content Marc Guggenheim, who I am keen on… I used to be like, ‘Marc, I simply bought this e mail that we’re purported to have lunch, and I’ve a sick feeling in my abdomen. Please don’t make me wait the weekend. Please, can we get on a name tomorrow?’ He mentioned, ‘Wow, you’re actually intuitive. I’ll name you tomorrow.’
This name occurred whereas Katie Cassidy was in New York to attend New York Comedian-Con with the remainder of Arrow’s solid. It had been arrange within the Arrow Season 4 premiere that one of many present’s principal characters was in a grave, and Guggenheim broke the information to Cassidy that it was Laurel on this name, which additionally included fellow co-creators Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg. The actress was “offended at first,” after which had this to say concerning why she thinks she was chosen:
I feel it was a few issues. I’ve theories. I feel it was political. It’s quite a bit. Regardless, I’m an expert, and I used to be identical to, ‘Okay, I simply should say I really feel like I’ve all the time been given the quick finish of the stick, and I’ve to go.’ I hung up and I didn’t yell, I simply cried as a result of I used to be mentioned. Stephen known as me instantly and was like, ‘I’m so sorry it’s you. I don’t need it to be you.’ I labored actually laborious on that present and that character, and I cherished it.
Whereas that marked the tip of Earth-1’s Laurel Lance journey within the Arrowverse (minus flashbacks, dream sequences and visions), it thankfully wasn’t the tip for Katie Cassidy on Arrow. We have now The Flash to thank for her return in Season 5 and sticking round for the remainder of the present’s run.
How Katie Cassidy Realized She’d Come Again As Black Siren
The Flash launched the Arrowverse’s multiverse, and within the Season 2 episode “Invincible,” viewers met Black Siren, who was allied with Zoom on the time and had the metahuman potential to sonic scream, versus utilizing a tool like Earth-1 Laurel did. Right here’s how Katie Cassidy recalled being invited over to the Scarlet Speedster’s present:
I bought a name like two weeks after from Andrew Kreisberg, who’s nice. He known as and was like, ‘Hey, I simply needed to seek out out, would you wish to come on Flash and be your doppelgänger and play Black Siren?’ And I used to be like, ‘Sure! Oh my gosh, that is so nice!. Sure, that is so cool! I’d love that!’ So mainly I got here again on Flash, performed the alternative of Laurel.
Evidently that one-off look on The Flash was the precise name, as a result of “Invincible” hit sufficient with followers that Marc Guggenheim determined that it was price bringing Cassidy again to Arrow to maintain enjoying the Earth-2 Laurel. Within the actress’ phrases:
I positively had the help of the followers as a result of that Flash episode I went on, scores, I suppose, had been nice, and Arrow’s, sadly, after they killed me, I suppose their scores went down a bit of. I’m unsure, however I did get a name after Flash aired from Marc Guggenheim that mentioned, ‘Will you come again as a collection common? I feel we might have made an enormous mistake.’
Katie Cassidy recurred as Black Siren for 4 episodes in Arrow Season 5, after which she was restored to her collection common standing in Season 6. Whereas the character began off as a extra easy villain, she slowly redeemed herself and have become an ally to Workforce Arrow. Cassidy was additionally going to star within the Inexperienced Arrow and the Canaries spinoff that Arrow’s penultimate episode arrange, with Katherine McNamara and Juliana Harkavy additionally on board to reprise Mia Smoak and Dinah Drake, respectively. Nonetheless, by early 2021, The CW handed on the spinoff.
Luckily, you possibly can nonetheless revisit Katie Cassidy’s years on Arrow by streaming the collection with a Netflix subscription. Subsequent up, the actress is main the psychological thriller Nanny-Cam, which is filming in New Jersey.