When you’re a masked vigilante fighting crime, you’re bound to make enemies along the way, and Oliver Queen has been getting his fair share of antagonism over Arrow’s run. Originally just fighting normal criminals, the past three seasons have seen him go up against adversaries from the comics like Merlyn, Deathstroke, Ra’s al Ghul and more. Fans will naturally see more comic book villains showing up in Season 4, and now there’s an update concerning future appearances from two villains who could not be more different: Onomatopoeia and Harley Quinn.
At last weekend’s Long Beach Comics Expo, executive producer Marc Guggenheim told a fan that he would be “stunned” if Onomatopoeia, an assassin that likes to make sound effects, didn’t show up before the series finished. According to Comic Book Resources, he said that it is all about finding the right story for the villain.
On the flip side, there’s Harley Quinn, who had the briefest of cameos in the Season 2 episode “Suicide Squad.” When asked if the show would ever fully use her, Guggenheim stated that with Gotham on Fox and her starring in 2016’s Suicide Squad, it’s unlikely she'll be coming back.
Interestingly enough, Onomatopoeia was originally supposed to appear in Season 1, but the production team changed their minds, and the villain was replaced by Mr. Blank, played by J. August Richards in “Home Invasion.” Guggenheim admitted earlier in the panel that Green Arrow doesn’t have a big rogues gallery, so if there’s a chance to bring in a bad guy that the Emerald Archer has faced off against on several notable occasions, the series would be wise to use him or her, whether it’s as a recurring foe or a one-time adversary.
As for Harley, her popularity is growing exponentially. She is currently starring in her own comic book, she has a plethora of merchandise bearing her image, and as mentioned before, she will make her big screen debut in David Ayer's Suicide Squad film. She’s going to be seen a lot by both comic book fans and the general audience over the next several years, so not including her on Arrow isn’t a huge loss. Now that they’ve included Ra’s al Ghul, one of Batman’s biggest nemeses, it might be wise anyway for the show to start moving away from the Caped Crusader’s lineup of villains. However, Guggenheim did say that the series may do another “wink and a nod” to her at some point, so fans should keep a look out in future seasons.
Arrow will return from its current hiatus on Wednesday, March 18, on The CW,
