Team Arrow has looked very different in Arrow Season 5 thanks Thea and Diggle leaving the vigilante life behind in the Season 4 finale. Diggle ultimately resumed his role as Spartan, but Thea only slipped back into her Speedy suit briefly to rescue Oliver. Now, it looks like Thea will soon be motivated to don the red leather once more. Actress Willa Holland had this to say about Thea's return to Speedy:
The crossover photos have leaked out...You see that I put my costume back on after 8 episodes of not wearing it. I have a feeling she's going to be periodically putting it back on whenever it's necessary.
Willa Holland's reveal about Thea's upcoming return to the vigilante life should come as both very good and very bad news for Speedy fans. Thea will evidently be motivated to take up the bow once more for the crossover, but she won't be back on Team Arrow on a permanent basis. She may be more of a reserve member to be called upon in times of emergency rather than for nightly patrols.
Given what we know of the big superhero crossover so far, it makes sense that the events will inspire Thea to resume her role as Speedy. An alien invasion is an all-hands-on-deck type of situation, and the newbies of Team Arrow might not be ready just yet to function as actual assets to Oliver in the battle against the Dominators. Can Wild Dog, Ragman, and Artemis hold their own against Star City street thugs? Sure. They might not be quite as ready for aliens bent on their destruction. Take a look at Thea back in the field in the crossover:
Thea has more experience and a more intense training background than any of the newbies. We can bet that Oliver will be pretty glad to have her back once the Dominators arrive. We'll have to wait and see how much of a role Thea will have as Speedy in the massive 4-part crossover. Set photos indicate that she'll be back in her Speedy suit as soon as The Flash's episode, so her big epiphany that she's needed back in the field will actually happen before the Arrow episode airs. The cast of heroes slated to appear in the crossover will include characters from Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow in addition to The Flash and Arrow, however. So many people on screen could mean that Thea might not get too much time in the spotlight in the crossover event.
Willa Holland teased her forthcoming return to Speedy during an appearance at the Heroes & Villains Fan Fest in Atlanta (via ComicBook.com), and the timing couldn't be better. The big crossover kicks off next week. We'll see Thea as Speedy sooner rather than later.
The superhero crossover starts with Supergirl on Monday, November 28 at 8 p.m. ET and comes to an end after Legends of Tomorrow on Thursday, December 1 at 8 p.m ET. You can catch Arrow in its regular time on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
