Many Arrow fans will remember how in summer 2015, Stephen Amell was wrapped up in a feud with professional wrestler Cody Rhodes, a.k.a. Stardust. That culminated in a showdown between the two at that year's Summer Slam, with Amell and his partner Nevill against Rhodes and his partner King Barrett. Despite the match, their rivalry hasn't died down in the year since, and back in July, it was announced that Rhodes would be coming to Amell's turf by guest-starring as a villain in Episode 3 of Arrow Season 5. Now we've finally learned exactly who he'll play: a drug dealer terrorizing the streets of Star City.
Arrow Season 5's third episode, titled "A Matter of Trust," will see Oliver Queen going up against a new drug dealer named Garret Runnels. However, it won't just be Green Arrow fighting Runnels. One of the new Team Arrow members will fight him first and lose...badly. Here's the full episode description:
WWE STAR CODY RHODES BRINGS THE SMACKDOWN TO STAR CITY --- Now that Oliver (Stephen Amell) has his new team, they are ready to hit the streets but Oliver doesn't feel they are ready. Headstrong Wild Dog (guest star Rick Gonzalez) defies the Green Arrow's orders and sets out on his own after a new drug dealer, Garret Runnels (guest star Cody Rhodes), who is terrorizing Star City. Runnels proves more powerful than Wild Dog and it is up to the Green Arrow to go head to head with Runnels to save his teammate.
It definitely sucks that another drug dealer is hanging around Star City, yet we can't help but chuckle at this character's name. For those who don't know, Cody Rhodes is his stage/ring name, while his actual full name is Cody Garrett Runnels. So if you want, think of Rhodes as playing a fictional version of himself in Arrow; someone who didn't join the pro-wrestling world and instead decided to sell drugs and fight a guy who shoots arrows.
Name amusement aside, even though Garrett Runnels isn't one of the colorful super villains hailing from the DC Comics lore, it sounds like he won't be any slouch either. When he first hits the scene, one of Oliver's newest recruits, Jack Wheeler, a.k.a. Wild Dog, will ignore Oliver and try to take down the drug dealer himself. That obviously doesn't go well, leaving Oliver to fix the situation. Unfortunately for him, despite his years of vigilante experience, Runnels won't be easy for him to defeat either, as evidenced by the moment above that was shown during one of the earlier Arrow Season 5 trailers. Maybe this is when Oliver will be forced to call in back up from the other new recruits, i.e. Curtis Holt, a.k.a. Mr. Terrific, and Evelyn Sharp, a.k.a. Artemis.
Arrow Season 5 premieres next Wednesday, October 5, at 8 p.m. EST on The CW. Click here to also find out which of your favorite shows have already returned or are premiering in the near future.
