Fan-Art Imagines Paul Wesley As The DCEU's Green Arrow

While some might argue that Charlie Hunnam is 'destined' for the role of Green Arrow in the DCEU, fans of other actors, such as Paul Wesley, have begun to show support for the actor using gorgeous Justice League themed fan-art depicting said actor as the aforementioned character. As of now it's still unknown whether or not the character will even appear in the DCEU, but given the CW's Arrow's mistreatment of Oliver Queen, many fans are clamoring for a more accurate, true to source, depiction of the Emerald Archer.

Below you'll find the work of artist spider.monkey23, an artist well known in the comic book-related fan-art community. 

The image, featuring actor Paul Wesley, was posted to Instagram by user dc.comics.world with the following capation: 

Paul Wesley as The DCEU’s Green Arrow

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Current Age: 34 ; Height: 5’11”

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Simply put, Green Arrow is the last character who should be even remotely perceivable as emotionless, and that is the CW Arrow’s greatest failure in regard to character portrayal. While it’s true that Oliver, at times, has been in places far darker than even Bruce Wayne (i.e. Green Arrow: Year One, Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters, etc.) it’s also widely accepted that even at these points Oliver giving people the cold shoulder is something he tries to actively avoid. Obviously after experiences as traumatic as the ones faced on Starfish Island, a version of Oliver with PTSD or similar symptoms isn’t an outlandish idea but Oliver is one to learn from his history and to push forward to put a smile on not only his face but the faces of those around him, this is one of many areas where Arrow has failed.
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Green Arrow is one of the few emotionally grounded and emotionally relatable characters DC has, if not the most emotionally relatable, and I feel as if the actor chosen needs to both reflect that, as well as be able to "act that".  

I’ll be honest, as someone who’s read nearly every Green Arrow comic book it took me a long time to find an ideal choice for Oliver Queen and, while I considered fan-favorite Charlie Hunnam, I concluded that while he might be a good visual fit for Queen, something about his acting just didn’t strike my as stoic enough; and, he’s openly said he isn’t interested in playing the character. 

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My own choice for Queen would have been Vampire Diaries actor Paul Wesley, whose time as Stefan Salvatore (on Vampire Diaries) has not only proven the actors depth and ability as an actor, but spoken to how much complexity Wesley is able to bring to a character though mere facial expression. 

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As aforementioned Wesley’s role as Stefan has – in my eyes – proved just how perfect a fit he would have been for the role of Oliver Queen. While I understand why some people may be skeptical about watching a show like The Vampire Diaries due to stigmas created by franchises like Twilight I’d wholeheartedly recommend the show even if Wesley’s performance was the only watchable part about it (that’s how powerful his performance is, and there are plenty more reasons to watch). Not only does Wesley’s time as the “ripper” (an unhinged, unemotional vampire) version of his character Stefan more than proves he can deliver the cold, unattached lack of emotion that comes with playing a man suffering the equivalent to PTSD (Oliver), but his time as “normal” Stefan proves just how good of a down to Earth, rationale character he can play. And, most importantly, Wesley is able to deliver a feeling of having lived through a multitude of events, something evidenced merely by the emotions his face delivers. He looks worn, weathered, and his eyes seem to convey a sense of having lived more than anything else; it's one of the reasons they cast him on The Vampire Diaries and more than certainly one of the reasons he'd be suited to fit a world-weary Oliver Queen. (If you're struggling to understand what I mean his cast-mates have more aptly described it as an "old soul feeling", further stating that "you just know that he's lived").