Katie Cassidy, known for her role as Laurel Lance/Black Canary in ‘Arrow’, has finally opened up about her unexpected exit from the show during its fourth season. While her departure sparked backlash from fans, Cassidy now looks back on it with mixed emotions.
While on the Inside Of You Podcast, she shared the behind-the-scenes details of her firing. The actress for the first time opened up about the moment she sensed something was wrong and how she coped with the situation.
Katie Cassidy Believes Behind-The-Scenes Politics Led To The Decision To Lauren’s Killing In ‘Arrow’
When ‘Arrow’ season 4 began with the mystery of “Who’s in the grave?” fans were left speculating which major character would meet their end. Cassidy, at the time, was not overly concerned. However, as the season progressed and the big reveal neared, she started feeling uneasy. Moreover, as we all know, her intuition proved to be right.
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The show’s showrunners, Marc Guggenheim and Wendy Mericle, sent an email to the cast informing them that they would soon be filming a crucial death scene. The moment Cassidy saw the email, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “For whatever reason, my stomach just dropped,” she recalled. She immediately texted Guggenheim and asked, “I’m fired, aren’t I?”
The response confirmed her worst fears. Guggenheim responded, “Wow, you’re really intuitive. I’ll call you tomorrow.” The next day, Cassidy was officially told that her character, Laurel Lance, was the one in the grave. “Marc said, ‘Listen, unfortunately, I have to tell you you’re the one that’s in the grave.’” Hearing those words was a shock to Cassidy.
She admitted that at first, she was “angry and emotional.” Laurel had been a major part of ‘Arrow’ since its pilot episode. Additionally, her transformation into Black Canary was loved by fans despite some initial criticism. So, to see her journey cut short was painful. She also hinted at there being “bigger issues” behind the decision, suggesting that politics within the network may have played a role. However, she chose not to elaborate further.
Katie Cassidy On Her Future In Arrowverse
After getting the news, Katie Cassidy had what she called one “anger moment” on the call with the producers. “I just have to say I feel like I’ve always been given the short end of the stick,” she recalled telling the producers of ‘Arrow’. She took this decision very hard as after keeping the call she broke down in tears.
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Despite her heartbreak, she still had to attend New York Comic Con. “I had to sit there and pretend like I didn’t know,” she said, recalling how difficult that moment was. Cassidy’s co-star Stephen Amell, who played Oliver Queen, reached out to her immediately after hearing the news. “He called me and was like, ‘I’m so sorry. I don’t want it to be you.’”
Fortunately, Cassidy’s time in the Arrowverse wasn’t entirely over. She later returned in ‘The Flash’ as Black Siren, an alternate-universe version of Laurel from Earth-X. While it was a different take on the character, fans were thrilled to have her back. Not long after her guest appearances Marc Guggenheim called her and admitted that the show may have made a mistake in killing Laurel off.
Cassidy was then asked to return as Earth-2’s version of Laurel Lance. Looking back, she now appreciates the way the writers handled her storyline. “Quite frankly, them killing me off took every other series regular and sent these other characters spiraling in different directions,” Cassidy reflected. “It’s storytelling, and I don’t take it personally. I think they did a great job in writing for me, quite frankly, and I got a lot to play with. So for that, I’m grateful,” she added.
