Casting Breakdown For The Green Arrow Show Reveals Black Canary And More Will Appear

[Brendon Connelly]

Reading this casting breakdown for Arrow, the new CW pilot for a TV vehicle for the Green Arrow comic book character, I realised I didn't really know who any of them are. None of the names were familiar at all.

So I asked Rich, and he spotted the alias in the mix. Here she is:

DINAH ?LAUREL? LANCE 28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1% following the death of her younger sister Sara. A sister, who as luck would have it, just so happened to have died aboard Oliver?s yacht.

That, Rich told me, is Black Canary.

I know Black Canary. A bit. I just didn't recognise her without her costume on, so to speak.

Here are the other characters, as per The TV Addict:

TOMMY MERLYN 28 years old and devil-smooth, Tommy is a trustafarian like Oliver, a spectacularly rich young man whose life revolves around parties, clubs, liquor and lots of anonymous sex. Unlike Oliver, he can?t seem to understand his former best friend?s sudden change of lifestyle and direction.

MOIRA QUEEN 48 years old, a beautiful woman, Oliver?s mother Moira is a very wealthy woman who is not used to being shaken. Having remarried during the five years that former husband Robert and Oliver were both presumed dead, Moira has had free rein over the Queen billions. Not surprisingly, she?s deeply interested in learning whether or not Robert will also return unexpectedly, to ruin her present marriage and go over the books with a fine-tooth comb.

JOHN DIGGLE 35 years old, African-American, Diggle is really, really big, a former military man who served with the Army Rangers in Afghanistan, and has been a bodyguard for hire for the last four years. Hired by Moira to be Oliver?s chauffeur and protector, Diggle soon finds he is trapped in a battle of wits, as Oliver repeatedly eludes his protection. But in fact, Diggle?s primary conflict is one of loyalty ? he has to show that he?s working for Oliver, not Moira, before Oliver will give him a smidgen of trust.

THEA QUEEN 17 years old (suggest 17-22 years), Oliver?s Lolita-esque sister, Thea was a 12 year old girl when he went on his infamous yachting voyage ? but now she?s a celebutante who?s testing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Thea loved her big brother with all her heart, and is delighted to have him back in her life ? but she?s spreading her wings, and is unprepared for Oliver to become the Bad Cop in the family, restricting her access to boys and drugs.

And, for the record, here's the description of Oliver Queen himself:

A 27 year old reformed bad boy, who after having spent five years shipwrecked on a tiny, brutally dangerous island in the South China Sea returns to town a different man. Or to be more specific, a tortured, thoughtful master of the bow with a ferocious determination to make a difference.

Let your inner casting agent go wild.

[Monetta]

It sounds more 90210 than Smallville. Like the CW wanted to a new superhero show, but without all that silly superhero-ness.

[Drew Melbourne]

It sounds more 90210 than Smallville. Like the CW wanted to a new superhero show, but without all that silly superhero-ness.

I honestly think it's for the best. Green Arrow has never had the most fleshed out supporting cast. Giving him a family and grounding the narrative in human relationships is going to ultimately make for a better show.

I didn't have a vision for what a Green Arrow TV show would be until reading this but "Robinson Crusoe Returns" is a decent hook for a character and elevates this beyond "Generic Superhero Show."

[Timberoo]

So does Dinah hate the Oliver and blame him for the death of her sister, thereby starting her crusade against "the 1%"?

[Static-Pulse]

So does Dinah hate the Oliver and blame him for the death of her sister, thereby starting her crusade against "the 1%"?

Probably, but I'm sure she loves Green Arrow for fighting for the 99%. Cutting edge drama there, I'll tell you what.

[Timberoo]

Probably, but I'm sure she loves Green Arrow for fighting for the 99%. Cutting edge drama there, I'll tell you what.

and Tommy likes to hit on her all the time, and she's repulsed by him

[darkspark]

So Merlyn starts out as Ollie's former BFF and then his antithesis becoming a bow and arrow using villain i'm guessing. Also Merlyn is a lame villain period.

[Jay Kay]

Okay, this has potential to be a fairly strong take on Ollie and his world.

It could also suck massive donkey balls.

I'm going to have hope for it, though.

[ampersand]

DINAH ?LAUREL? LANCE 28 years old, smart sexy, Laurel is a legal aid attorney determined to use her life as a one-woman war against the 1%

aaaaaand I'm out.

[Lars Jensen]

So Merlyn starts out as Ollie's former BFF and then his antithesis becoming a bow and arrow using villain i'm guessing. Also Merlyn is a lame villain period.

Yeah, I'm guessing Tommy Merlyn = Merlyn .

Oh, and I hope they'll bring in Slingshot at some point. I thought he was awesome when he first appeared. (Please don't hate me.)