John Barrowman’s Malcolm Merlyn Won’t Return to the Arrowverse Next Season

Malcolm Merlyn, played by John Barrowman, has been a key player in the Arrowverse from the beginning. The actor signed a deal last year to be a series regular across all three shows; Wentworth Miller and Katie Cassidy signed similar deals.

Barrowman was the big bad of Arrow‘s first season, popped up a couple times in the second season, and was a series regular in seasons three and four. This season, he was a member of the Legion of Doom on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and he even appeared in the Flash/Supergirl musical crossover.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Barrowman confirmed to fans at Planet Comic-Con (via Heroic Hollywood) that he won’t be returning to the Arrowverse next season. It’s unclear why Merlyn won’t be back, but fans are already speculating.

For starters, Merlyn is appearing in the Arrow season finale. Producer Wendy Mericle previously teased that the character plays a “huge” role, and there’s going to be a big “series moment” for him. What if Merlyn is killed off (for real this time) in the finale? That would be a big deal, and it would provide some closure to Merlyn’s story. (Then again, few characters on this show actually stay dead, so….)

Are you disappointed by Barrowman’s exit from the Arrowverse?