[Spoiler] Confirms Departure from ARROW After Explosive Season Finale

Last night, The CW aired the season five finale of Arrow, and boy was it a doozy. The episode – which was set entirely on Lian Yu – saw the return of many fan-favorite characters, from Deathstroke to Talia al Ghul to Black Siren. Oliver Queen’s conflict with Adrian Chase finally came to an end with an insane cliffhanger, leaving you waiting at the edge of your seat for season six. Elsewhere, Oliver’s flashback storyline finally concluded, coming full circle with the opening of season one.

One of the most shocking elements from the Arrow finale was the apparent death of a long-time character. The character’s actor confirmed the death on social media, and they will not be returning to the show next season.

[Warning: The Following Contains ***MAJOR SPOILERS*** From the Arrow Season 5 Finale.]

[Seriously, Stop Reading Now if You Haven’t Seen the Episode.]

In the Arrow finale, Malcolm Merlyn sacrificed himself to save Thea from a landmine on the island. It’s safe to assume that explosion also took out Digger Harkness, aka Captain Boomerang. When the mine went off, we only saw the explosion in the background and not a body. So, viewers began asking – is Merlyn really dead?

In the following Facebook video message, actor John Barrowman confirms that, yes, Merlyn is dead. Thus, the character won’t be returning to Arrow or any of the other DC shows next season. Barrowman goes on to thank fans for the support over the past five years.

Considering how the Arrowverse frequently brings back dead characters one way or another (flashbacks, Multiverse, time travel…the list goes on), it’s understandable to be skeptical over this latest casualty. While Merlyn may be dead for real, there’s a variety of ways for him to reappear in the future, assuming the creative team wants to.

But if this really is the end for Merlyn, then it concludes quite the character arc. From the big bad of Arrow‘s first season to the occasional ally to even a member of the Legion of Doom, Merlyn has consistently played a key role in the Arrowverse. He will surely be missed.

While Merlyn’s death has been confirmed, there’s still the question of who else bit the dust in the finale, considering the explosive cliffhanger. We’ll find out for sure next fall on The CW. Stay tuned for more news as we have it.