Stephen Amell’s Oliver Queen is going to find himself running the gauntlet of villains in the upcoming seventh season of The CW’s Arrow, having been locked up in the Slabside Supermax Prison at the conclusion of season six, his secret identity as the Green Arrow now exposed to the world.
The story arc draws inspiration from Green Arrow: Escape from Super Max, an unproduced DC movie written by David S. Goyer and Justin Marks back in 2008, and Arrow director James Bamford has been chatting to CBR about how the premise will shape the seventh season.
“We’re investigating completely different dynamics within the mythology of the show and that is within Supermax,” states Bamford. “There’s a whole world, as you know, within a prison community and we’ll see how long he lasts inside there and what and who he encounters while he’s in there. It’s left open to multiple possibilities, as far as characters that could arise.”
“What I’ve said to the other folks is, ‘What if Batman got put in prison and, for instance, the Joker was right next door?’ The possibilities are endless,” Bamford continues. “I can’t say exactly who or what’s in there, but it’s a pretty dark, horrible, evil place. We want the audience to not only feel what it’s like to be confined in such a destitute place. I want [you] to feel what he feels, so you’ll get the grit.”
SEE ALSO: Arrow season 7 will “push the limits” of network television in terms of grittiness
“In the shocking season six finale of Arrow, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) not only reveals himself to Star City as The Green Arrow, but he’s also arrested and sent to prison. Cast and producers of The CW/Warner Bros. Television’s hit DC series elaborated on what’s in store for Oliver at Slabside Maximum Security Prison.”
“Now that Oliver’s behind bars, he will come face to face with many of his former enemies, including Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), Derek Sampson (Cody Runnels) and Danny “Brick” Brickwell (Vinnie Jones). With all three held in Slabside, Oliver will be forced to confront these and other villains he locked up while wearing the hood.”
Arrow season 7 is set to premiere on October 15th.