Arrow’s Katie Cassidy Furious Over ‘Political’ Character Death: Inside the Drama!

Katie Cassidy shared her memories of discovering her character’s exit from Arrow and speculated about the motivations behind the decision.

Cassidy portrayed Laurel Lance (Black Canary) on the CW’s superhero series for its initial four seasons. In 2016, the show wrote out her character, and she was informed just a few days prior to the event.

“Swallowing that bitter pill was tough when they decided to write me off,” Cassidy mentioned during her appearance on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast. “It hit me really hard.”

Cassidy expressed that she felt “sad” and was “shocked” upon learning about her character’s impending death. At the start of that season, Arrow had hinted at an important character’s death, but Cassidy hadn’t anticipated it would be hers.

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While heading to a comic convention in New York City, she received an email from the show’s producers requesting a meeting. Sensing something significant, Cassidy asked them outright what the meeting was about. She then had to maintain composure throughout the convention weekend, pretending she was unaware of who was going to be killed off.

“Initially, I was upset,” Cassidy revealed about her reaction to the news. “I felt a mix of emotions because I was both saddened and frustrated due to the joy the role had brought me.”

Discussing the reasons behind her character’s exit, Cassidy said, “There were several factors. I have my theories. I believe it involved some politics. It’s complicated.”

“I felt like I was always dealt the worst hand, and it was time to leave,” she told the producers, adding, “I didn’t raise my voice. I just cried because it was so upsetting.”

Cassidy mentioned her sadness stemmed from “the effort I put into that show and how much I cherished that character.”

Nevertheless, Cassidy’s journey in the Arrowverse continued; she was later invited to guest star on The Flash as Black Siren.

“When they offered me the role, I was like, ‘Absolutely!’” Cassidy recounted her conversation with producer Marc Guggenheim.

Her re-entry into the Arrowverse proved successful as it led to an expanded role and a return to Arrow, a move she attributes to fan support.

“The support from fans was incredible, especially after that episode of The Flash… it seems the ratings were good, and perhaps the ratings for Arrow dipped a bit after my departure, I’m not quite sure,” Cassidy explained.

Guggenheim eventually invited her back as a series regular, admitting, “I think we may have made a mistake.”

“And then I returned, better and happier than ever,” she concluded.