ARROW: New Details on “Refocused” Season 5, Villain, Cody Rhodes, Olicity’s Future and More

The Heroes & Villains FanFest took place this weekend, and the cast of Arrow were in attendance. There, they offer some new details on what to expect from the show’s fifth season. How will this season return the series to its roots? Will Diggle get a new mask? Which wrestler-turned-actor will guest star? And what is the status of the Olicity relationship? All that and more is discussed below.

Series star Stephen Amell says that season five will be a return to Arrow‘s roots, saying that the main villain “…is a direct result of things that Oliver has done in Star City [and] calls back to a lot of things that happened in the first season of the show.” As a result, this season will see a return to the show’s initial focus: Oliver Queen’s mission to protect Star City. “It really grounds the show and really focuses on its core value, which is the battle to save Star City. The first two episodes refocuses us on what the core mission of the show should be, and that to me is very exciting.” Amell also reaffirms that this season’s flashbacks will be set in Russia.

Last year, Amell spawned a rivalry with WWE wrestler Cody “Stardust” Rhodes. This resulted in a SummerSlam match, where Amell and his partner Neville emerged victorious. Now, with Rhodes no longer at WWE, the rivalry is heading into Arrow. It was announced on Saturday that Rhodes will guest star in episode three of season five. Regarding his unnamed role, Rhodes simply says, “You can probably expect Stephen and I to get into another fight.”

Last season, Diggle finally got his ~~costume~~ identity concealment in the form of a helmet/mask, courtesy of STAR Labs. He then adopted the alias Spartan. However, I think we can all agree that Diggle’s mask was one of Arrow‘s lower points last season, as it looked like a cheap knockoff of the Magneto helmet. So, it’s good news to hear confirmation that Diggle is getting a new mask next season. This upgrade comes courtesy of The Flash‘s Cisco Ramon.

Quentin Lance actor Paul Blackthorne says that new girlfriend Donna Smoak will serve as the character’s “rock” next season, following Laurel’s tragic (and unneeded) death. Blackthorne adds that life without Laurel is “unimaginable” and reaffirms Quentin’s desire to resurrect her, one way or another.

And finally, what’s up with Olicity next season? The couple broke up last season, but will the relationship be restored this year? David Ramsey sounds confident that it will, saying that next season will feature “Mayhem, death, love… Oliver and Felicity breaking up and getting back together.” However, Amell is less certain. He hopes that Oliver and Felicity will maintain a positive, happy relationship, but it doesn’t have to be a romantic one. “I think that it’s important to remember that relationships on the show don’t have to be only defined by romance. Oliver and Felicity could have a wonderful, fulfilling, dynamic relationship and not be together, right?” So, we’ll have to wait and see here.

For more on Arrow, including Ramsey’s hopes for The CW’s four-show crossover and Willa Holland’s wishes for Thea’s future, head over to TV Line.

Arrow returns on Wednesday, October 5th at 8 PM EST on The CW.