Arrow is a few episodes in now and seems to be a hit with most fans, but there are still a few people who don't like the fact that the show portrays Oliver Queen as a ruthless murderer. Now as most Green Arrow fans should know, Queen has killed without hesitation in the pages of his comic books a few times but it certainly wouldn't be considered to be a staple of the character by any means - particularly in his later incarnations. So why the decision to have our protagonist in Arrow use lethal force so freely? In an interview with SFX Stephen Amell explains, and name-checks a few very popular tv favorites to help get his point across..
SFX: Was there much behind-the-scenes deliberation over Oliver’s decision to kill in order to accomplish his goals? It’s a bold direction in which to take a longstanding superhero.
Stephen Amell: “The central character of all the great shows on television, and I don’t list these names to draw comparisons, but as an example – Tony Soprano, Walter White, Don Draper – these are all incredibly flawed people that do regrettable things, terrible things, unforgivable things. But as long as they’re pursuing an overall goal, and as long as they engage the audience, that’s why those shows resonate. I’ve always wanted to play somebody who was unflinching, who set up for something and followed through with it. That’s why we have to kill people on the show, because he’s trying to clean up the city. To think that there wouldn't be collateral damage, that would be farcical.”
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