For certain Arrow fans, there will always be a debate about how the show has handled Katie Cassidy's characters over the years (among some others, perhaps). Everything was coming up black roses in the Season 7 finale, however, with Earth-2's Laurel Lance returning to Team Arrow to face Emiko, only now having switched from Black Siren to Black Canary, the initial persona adopted by Earth-1's Laurel. Looks like we're getting more from Cassidy's revised Black Canary in Season 8, too.
Executive producer and former showrunner Marc Guggenheim confused some fans over the weekend with a tweet showcasing a newly revised outfit for Katie Cassidy in Season 8. Guggenheim initially stated the concept art he shared was meant for Black Siren, even though the actual image very clearly states that it's of Black Canary. (As if that mask and weapon choice didn't give it away already.) Check out how he corrected himself...or did he?
The easiest assumption to make here is that Marc Guggenheim has been so used to referring to Katie Cassidy as Black Siren that he botched that first tweet. The concept image was likely meant to get shared with fans at San Diego Comic-Con, with timing issues keeping it from going public at the event. Given how hectic SDCC is, especially for the various panelists getting shuffled around, Guggenheim probably just had a slip of the thumb.
But then, because this is Arrow, where informational subterfuge is part of the war games, that actually could be a shot of Black Siren's new costume, which is just meant to call back to Black Canary's. The name on the concept art easily could have been doctored, too.
Of course, Katie Cassidy once again reverting back to the role of Black Siren wouldn't do much to explain why she ends up in a vigilante group in 2040 known as the "Canary Network," and not the "Siren Network." Sometimes you just have to let logic take the wheel, even for a franchise that is frugal with its embrace of logic.
To speak of the new look itself, the suit adds some striking yellow accents, which manage to bring to mind one of Black Canary's comic outfits, but without mimicking it at all. It looks more like a tactical police suit than a super-character's get-up, but at least it's sensible enough for battle and isn't all about showing off as much skin as possible. (Melissa Benoist is extremely pleased that Supergirl's titular heroine no longer wears a skirt.)
All that said, I'm pretty sure back when Black Siren was first introduced on Arrow (after debuting on The Flash, she would have laughed out loud at the thought of one day wearing that suit. She was pretty harsh, guys.
How will Laurel Lance's return to the Black Canary persona be affected by the season premiere, titled "Starling City," which could possibly mess with Arrow's timelines? Will her and Dinah Drake's relationship in the present and/or the future be affected by the upcoming "Crisis on Infinite Earths" mega-crossover event?
The Hilarious Black Canary Accident That Never Made It In To Arrow's Blooper Reels
Arrow will be spending its final season in style, and Black Canary is only part of the fun. It was previously announced that former stars Colin Donnell and Josh Segarra will be back to reprise the roles of Tommy Merlyn and Adrian "Prometheus" Chase in quite different ways. At San Diego Comic-Con, it was revealed that Susanna Thompson will be returning in the Season 8 premiere as Oliver's mother Moira Queen, who hasn't been seen since Season 5's finale.
While fans will be waiting a lot longer to find out whether or not Emily Bett Rickards will make a return to Arrow as Felicity, we can at least look forward to almost certainly watching Katie Cassidy kick some more ass as Black Canary in Season 8.
Joining a fall season that is already stacked with big shows, Arrow's final season will kick off on The CW on Tuesday, October 15, at 9:00 p.m. ET.
