Marc Guggenheim says one former Arrow star could make a surprising return in Season 6 if he so desires, even though the character the actor plays is dead, In an interview at San Diego Comic Con, Guggenheim shares that while Malcolm Merlyn may have blown up into a million pieces on Lian Yu, there's always a home for John Barrowman on The CW's series, and it's up to the actor if he wants to return:
That's up to John. We told John when we called him to tell him about the events of the finale, every single person on all the shows has come back in some shape or form. We've got flashbacks, we've got time travel, we've got parallel universes. Goodbye is never goodbye. He has an open invitation to return to the show any time he wants.
Marc Guggenheim speaks the truth there, as Arrow has not shied away from opportunities that bring back former cast members in the months and years following their character's death. With multiple worlds and multiple doppelgängers, perhaps Earth-2 or Earth-3 has a Malcolm Merlyn with a story worth bringing to Arrow? Better yet, maybe there's a doppelgänger that goes by M.M. and is terrible at archery but loves coffee, and it's actually just Tom Cavanagh in a Barrowman mask? Of course, that kind of silliness works better on The Flash than Arrow, but considering what a humorous character John Barrowman is in real life, it might be interesting to give him a cameo where he appears as a Merlyn who embodies the actor's personality.
While that would be some great fan service to the many fans of John Barrowman, it does seem like a waste to grab the actor back and not do something related to the life of Malcolm Merlyn that was built up over the years. Marc Guggenheim did mention flashbacks and time travel in his interview, so there's definitely an open door for Barrowman to step back into that exact role should he want to do so. As for Barrowman, who first broke the news to fans about Merlyn's fate, his Instagram response indicated he was down to return if needed:
With responses like that, Arrow fans will have to keep an eye out for John Barrowman when the show returns for Season 6 October 12th at 9 p.m. ET on The CW. As teases of the show's new main villain and news regarding a book to explain Season 5's finale are hitting the web, fans are reminded they can simply bookmark our fall premiere guide to remember the premiere date of Arrow and all other shows coming soon. For shows premiering in the here and now and down the road, visit our summer premiere guide.
