Arrow’s season five finale featured several character returns as a part of its trip to Lian Yu. One of the most exciting was Manu Bennett as Slade Wilson/Deathstroke.

Bennett will be back in the season six premiere and a two episode arc focusing on Wilson.

With the DC Extended Universe planning to use Deathstroke in The Batman, Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim had to get permission to bring the character back.

He explained those discussions with DC to Collider.

“We went through a period where DC said, ‘We’ve got plans for Deathstroke that don’t include Arrow,’” he said. “That changed at the end of this year because…we knew we were going to Lian Yu and we had to see Slade Wilson, so I went to DC and said, ‘Listen, I know you guys have plans for him and…that’s all cool, but you’ve got to give us this one because we can’t go to Lian Yu and not see Slade Wilson.’”

Guggenheim decided to go for broke and push for a little more Deathstroke.

“As part of those conversations we also were like ‘and he’ll also need to be in the season premiere of season six because that ties into…our plans, and it would be really great if we could tell…a Slade Wilson-centric story,” he continued.

Wilson first appeared in season one to help Oliver survive on Lian Yu. He turned evil after taking Mirakuru and was the big bad of season two. After he defeated Wilson, Oliver put him in the ARGUS prison on Lian Yu, where remained until Oliver needed his help in the season five finale.

Producers have already announced that Slade’s son will show up in season six and be played by Liam Hall. According to EW, “Joe Wilson has followed in his father’s footsteps by joining the secret Australian military agency, A.S.I.S. After years of brutal combat, Joe now finds himself in a remote Kasnian prison under the alias, Kane Wolfman, fighting for his life.”

“We’re doing a cool two-parter, episodes five and six this year and the flashbacks will be from Slade’s perspective and it’s very much a Slade/Oliver two hander,” said Guggenheim. “It’s always great having Manu on the show, and, again, it’s like, we just have to operate…within the requirements of DC.”

The sixth season of Arrow premieres Thursday, Oct. 12 at 9pm on The CW.

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Source: Screen Rant, Entertainment Weekly