‘Arrow’ EP teases season two: A new big bad, makeovers and more

Oliver (Stephen Amell) may have played the part of a vigilante in season one, but when Arrow returns this fall he’ll take on a new role: hero.

“You’ll see exactly why it’s necessary for Oliver to be a hero,” explains exec producer Marc Guggenheim. “It’s all in response to what happened in the season finale.”

Guggenheim says he wants the second season—which will pick up five months after the destruction filled finale—to feel like a sequel. In other words, expect to see a slew of new characters and a new look for Oliver’s lair.

“The stuff to look forward to the most is all the new toys we’re going to put on the table,” teases the EP. Among those toys will be a new, menacing big bad for Arrow to face-off against.

“Our goal was to come up with someone who was as good an antagonist for Oliver as Malcolm was without being a Malcolm Merlyn clone,” says Guggenheim. “This is someone who is going about things in a very different way than Malcolm did and is perhaps even more deadly as a result.”

As for the changes in store for the gang’s hideaway? Well, let’s just say Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) takes it upon herself to do some high-tech redecorating.

“[The lair] was in desperate need of some repair,” says the exec producer, who explains that the space was damaged by the earthquake in the Glades. Felicity won’t just be relegated to renovating however. Guggenheim says everyone’s favorite IT girl will do something that she has “never done before and has never been expected to do” in the first episode.

Meanwhile, Oliver will still be tangled up with Laurel (Katie Cassidy)…maybe.

Says Guggenheim: “When we last saw Oliver and Laurel they had that beautiful kiss. The big question mark that begins season two is, has Tommy’s death affected that relationship in any way?”

Fans will have to wait until the Oct. 9 premiere to find out, but those attending Comic-Con might be able to get an advanced look. Guggenheim says he’s hoping to show a sizzle reel based on the premiere and make “at least one really huge announcement” at the event. In the meantime, leave your predictions below.