Stephen Amell’s work in Arrow has always been highly regarded. His contribution to the Arrowverse was one that many sought out to be both entertaining and impactful. A key feature of working on shows and movies is the connections that get built not just with the cast and crew but also with the audiences. So much so that because Arrow and Supernatural were being filmed on nearby sets, Amell developed a great friendship with Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles.
If bonds outside of his own show can be so strong, then there is no need for it to be imagined how deep the bonds of every one of Arrow were. Seeing the care Amell had for his cast and crew, his death sequence should have held value beyond any other, regardless of it being part of a major crossover or not. However, that was not the case.
Stephen Amell was Left Disappointed by Arrowverse Crossovers
During an interview with Michael Rosenbaum for his podcast, Inside of You, Stephen Amell talked about his departure from Arrow and the Arrowverse crossovers. When asked about whether or not he enjoyed filming the crossover episodes, he had a very candid and simple answer. He did not.
They come out great. The fans love them. I always think of what we leave on the table because we try and shoot something really extraordinary, and with this amazing scope, within the confines of our typical schedule. It’s never made any sense to me.
The reason for his dismay was the fact that although the crossover episodes do very well for the audiences, the filming experience is far from convenient. All the actors aren’t available at all times and the schedule goes all over the place.
It seems grandiose but it is a mess to shoot one story spread across 5 different shows and sets. It becomes important to shoot significant scenes within the tight confines, but that is always far from the case.
Oliver Queen’s Death Wasn’t Satisfactory
When so many shows come together for a crossover that is so spread out, the schedule of every other person becomes a horrid mess. People from one show are pulled to another, spoiling their own work in the process. At the same time, there may be a scene that is significant to one series but means nothing to another.
This is a scene with me from Arrow, that’s taking place on Supergirl with a Supergirl crew with demands on both Grant and Caity Lotz who are on Flash and Legends who are on a different schedule than the crossover because they’re shooting different shit and they’re trying to pull them so they don’t, Flash and Legends, mess up their day the next day. Meanwhile, the fucking Green Arrow is laying on a gurney trying to deliver his lines to something other than a f*cking tennis ball.
Such was the case for Oliver Queen’s death, which takes place during the Crisis of Infinite Earths crossover. The scene was important and should have been shot by everyone who meant anything to Stephen Amell and Oliver Queen. This included the cast and crew of Arrow alongside Grant Gustin and Caity Lotz. However, none of them were present for the moment.
It was instead filmed on the set of Supergirl and neither Lotz nor Gustin could stay for long so as to incorporate their own shows and schedules. The crew wasn’t his own and the most important scene for him was filmed in front of tennis balls instead.
