Spoilers for the Arrow Season 3 finale “My Name Is Oliver Queen” are ahead! Check out one of our other articles if you don't want to be spoiled.
Oliver Queen and Team Arrow were mostly successful in defeating Ra’s al Ghul last night on the Arrow Season 3 finale, but it didn’t come without a cost. After being lied to by his best friend, Diggle put his friendship/bromance with Oliver on hold, and it’s doubtful their relationship will ever be the same. Fortunately, Diggle still seems open to fighting crime, which led to Oliver suggesting that he start wearing a mask to protect his identity. It will be awhile until we see what’s next for Diggle, but is it possible that Diggle may end up becoming Arrow’s Green Lantern, an idea that’s been circulating for awhile now?
For those of you who have been out of the loop, earlier this year, there was speculation online about whether Diggle would eventually become the ring-slinging hero, more specifically the DC TV universe’s version of John Stewart. Actor David Ramsey admitted that it had been discussed in the writer’s room, but nothing went beyond that. Not long after, executive producer Marc Guggenheim stated that plans for Diggle don’t involve a power ring. Of course, plans can always change, and Diggle will definitely be moving closer to dressing like your average superhero. Today, Ramsey confirmed to Comicbook.com that the Arrow team is working on a mask or some either type of concealment for Season 4, so Diggle won’t be keeping his face exposed when fighting the bad guys anymore. However, does this mean that this is the first step towards Diggle eventually becoming Green Lantern on Arrow? Due to the aforementioned information, it's unlikely.
For one thing, Diggle’s going to be busy in Season 4 dealing with H.I.V.E., the super villain organization who hired Deadshot to kill his brother Andy before the series started. Instead of making him a superhero, the show is going to put him through the wringer emotionally by facing the people who took his brother way from him for an unknown reason, so big character developing moments are coming.
Another big problem is that so far Arrow or The Flash haven’t delved into the world of aliens, which is key to the Green Lantern mythos. Obviously that could be remedied in future seasons (especially if Supergirl ends up being a part of this universe), but until that happens, we can’t have that green ring choosing Diggle for his ability to overcome fear. Fortunately, The Flash dropped a Hal Jordan Easter Egg during this week’s episode (the Ferris Air test pilot that disappeared), so it’s possible there are some Green Lantern goodies on the way.
Most importantly, the writers (as well as most of the fans) should realize that Diggle’s appeal isn’t that he has the potential to become a superhero, but because he serves as the everyman of Arrow. Among all these costumed and superpowered crimefighters and villains, Diggle has always been the normal guy who is dealing with these unusual situations in as normal a way as possible. He’s not putting on a leather costume or using trick arrows, he’s just wearing normal clothing and shooting criminals with a standard handgun. If you give him powers or make him extraordinary in any way, you take away part of what makes him special. Diggle has proven himself a valued member of the show through his badass attitude, impressive combat skills and being the voice of reason in Team Arrow. These are his biggest talents.
Even though the Arrow folks haven’t revealed yet what will happen with Diggle or the rest of the team for Season 4, it’s safe to say that big things are in store for Team Arrow’s second-oldest member. And hey, there’s always the possibility that if Arrow may change course one of these days and give him a power ring if it works with the story they’re telling. For now, though, we should expect Diggle to remain grounded amidst all these superhero antics.
