From the moment she first appeared on our screens, Felicity Smoak has forever changed the Arrow landscape. She brought light and humor to a world that was drowning in darkness, opening up our central hero in a way that none of knew was possible.
Which is why it’s difficult to imagine Arrow wrapping its series without her.
So exactly how does Arrow plan to address Felicity’s absence?
“Felicity is acknowledged,” executive producer Marc Guggenheim told us at Comic-Con. “There’s a moment…it’s scripted…a very sort of Felicity centered moment in the season premiere.”
Other shows have had to deal with the loss of prominent characters, and some of them haven’t dealt with it in the best way. Some choose to ignore that the character is still out there in the world — just, not their specific world. For Arrow, Guggenheim acknowledged that it’s important to understand that, while Felicity won’t be present on the show, she’s still very much a part of it.
“The main thing is we don’t deny the existence of the character,” he said. “We’re constantly referencing Felicity, Felicity is super important.”
Watch our interview with Marc Guggenheim, where he previews the final season of Arrow.
Arrow returns Oct. 15 on The CW.