It’s not just the fans who will miss “Arrow.”
CW superhero star, Stephen Amell, got emotional while talking about the news that the show will end after its upcoming eighth season.
In a Facebook Live stream, the 37-year-old, who plays lead character Oliver Queen on the show, explained he decided to walk away from the role because his life is no longer centered in Vancouver, where the show is shot, since he became a husband and father.
“I approached [producer] Greg Berlanti and said that I thought both personally and professionally that at the end of my commitment this coming season, it would be the best for me to move on,” he said.
Besides his heart being in Los Angeles, where his family lives, Amell also said it felt like the right time to end the show.
“I’ve always been a fan of television shows that not only don’t overstay their welcome, but end in a manner that really packs a punch,” he said. “It had always been my hope that we would know when we were going to finish this journey and not limp to the finish line, so to speak.”
Finally, a tearful Amell thanked his wife Cassandra, 5-year-old daughter Maverick –“for putting up with really stupid hours” – and the show’s producers, crew, cast and fans.
“This feels strange and it’s certainly not the end, but it is the beginning of the end,” he said. “This show has given me a platform that extends so far beyond my ability to appear on your television 23 times a year.”
Not much was expected of “Arrow” when it premiered on the CW in the fall of 2012. But the show quickly became a success for the network, giving birth to a slew of spin-offs dubbed the Arrowverse over the last seven seasons, including “The Flash,” “Supergirl” and “Legends of Tomorrow.”