It was a sad day for Arrow fans when the CW announced intentions to cancel the superhero series with an abbreviated eighth season.
Executive producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz issued a statement, saying, "This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we've made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of 'Arrow' in mind."
The Green Arrow himself, Stephen Amell, explained one of the reasons that led to the sudden cancellation in an emotional live feed on Facebook.
The 37-year-old held back his tears and explained:
"A large part of this decision is because I'm now a father and a husband and a lot of my life and interests don't really reside in Vancouver anymore and thinking that's the best thing for me personally and professionally."
Amell said the decision was mutual between the producers and execs from Warner Bros. and the CW, but the Canadian-born actor had already approached Berlanti about stepping down from his role earlier during Arrow's sixth season in May 2018.
"I approached Greg Berlanti and said that I thought both personally and professionally that at the end of my commitment this coming season, it would be the best for me to move on."
He is also a firm believer in leaving while the show is at its peak.
"I've always been a fan of television shows that not only don't overstay their welcome but end in a manner that really packs a punch."
Arrow co-stars also took to social media in expressing their gratitude for the countless number of fans supporting the show.
David Ramsey, who played John Diggle, has been with the show since the pilot in October 2012. He called his entire Arrow experience as an "awesome ride!" in his Twitter post.
Juliana Harkavy, who played Dinah Drake / Black Canary, called Arrow "the greatest adventure of my lifel" and posted a couple of cast photos on her Instagram that perfectly captured the rapport she had with her fellow cast mates.
Series regular Colton Haynes, who joined the second half of the first season as Roy Harper, a.k.a. Arsenal, also thanked fans.
Colin Donnell called playing Tommy Merlyn in the show a "professional highlight."
Though his character died in season one, Tommy was brought back to life via a series of flashbacks in season three and appeared as an evil Earth-X version of the character in the Crisis on Earth-X crossover event in 2017.
Donnell shared his response after hearing the news.
Although his stint in the Arrow-verse didn't begin until season five, Rick Gonzalez showed his appreciation and promised fans that everyone involved with the show will do their best to deliver in the final ten episodes.
Even though all good things come to an end, it's still a difficult to accept. Echo Kellum, who plays Curtis Holt, credited the Arrow for making "so many of my dreams come true."
The biggest takeaway for Madison McLaughlin, a.k.a. Evelyn Sharp, was the fact that she and her crew created a family on set.
Recent Arrow addition Ben Lewis as Oliver's son William also expressed his gratitude.
Katerhine McNamara joined the cast as Oliver and Felicity's daughter, Mia Smoak, in season seven.
Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz thanked the cast, crew, and writers for an amazing seven years.
Amell ended his heartfelt goodbye on an optimistic note about the character's legacy.
"Because the entity of Oliver Queen character and the mythos and the iconography of Green Arrow has always been something that's bigger than me or any other actor that's playing him or voicing him."
"There's always been something more to it."
No premiere date for the eighth season has been set at this time, according to PEOPLE.
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