The Arrow season 5 finale cliffhanger left the fate of every major character but Oliver Queen up for grabs. While it is unlikely that Arrow has killed off everyone from Thea Queen to Dinah Drake, the possibility is there. One death that happened before the cliffhanger has been confirmed however. In a video post over on his Facebook page, John Barrowman AKA Malcolm Merlyn has confirmed that he is leaving Arrow after the dramatic finale.
Arrow Season 5 Finale Recap: Oliver and Chase Battle Back Where it All Began>>> In the Arrow season 5 finale, Malcolm evidently died in an explosion sacrificing himself in place of his daughter, Thea. Since the death happened off-screen, the door was open for Malcolm to survive — Felicity even hinted as much when comforting Thea. Barrowman has slammed that door shut, however. In his Facebook video, Barrowman said, “By now you know that Malcolm Merlyn is no more. I know they’ve done it off-camera but I’m here to tell you I won’t be back next season.”
Barrowman continued by thanking the fans and expressing how much he has enjoyed playing the character. “I am very sad to be leaving the Arrowverse,” he concluded. “I love playing Malcolm Merlyn and that’s it really. As sad as it may be I understand how shows must change and also how characters must change and develop but that doesn’t mean I’m not very sad and upset about it.”
Barrowman has been with the series since nearly the beginning. He first appeared in episode 4 of season 1 as an unnamed villainous character only to later be revealed as the father of Tommy Merlyn. Since season 1 where he was the central villain, Barrowman continued playing the role as a recurring character in season 2 and then a series regular in seasons 3 and 4. For the past year, Barrowman has been a series regular across all of The CW’s superhero shows, putting in appearances on Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash and of course Arrow.
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Barrowman’s message answers one of the big mysteries from the Arrow season 5 finale and sends off one of the show’s big characters. Yet given how Arrow works, just because Malcolm has died doesn’t mean he will remain that way or that we will never see the character again. Malcolm sacrificing himself for Thea was a great end to the character but with flashbacks and multiple Earths, it might not be the last time we’ve see Mr. Merlyn.
But what do you think? Is “Lian Yu” really the end of Malcolm? Are you surprised the show really killed him off? Was it time for him to go?
Arrow will return for season 6 in Fall 2017 on Thursdays 9/8c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Arrow Facebook page!
(Image courtesy of The CW, video courtesy of Facebook / John Barrowman)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
