Arrow's Stephen Amell: 'It's Time for Oliver to Have Another Relationship' 

‘s Oliver Queen said this week, just as ex-fiancee Felicity owes it to herself to find out if what she has with Detective Malone is “real,” he owes it to himself to “embrace whatever is next” for him when not wearing a vigilante’s hood.

Meaning, new romance soon may be in Oliver’s sights as well.

Arrow‘s Dolph Lundgren Looks Ready to Break Oliver — Plus, a New Team Photo

“I don’t know if he’s ready to move on, but it’s time for Oliver to have another relationship,” Stephen Amell said on Wednesday during TVLine’s visit to the CW series’ Vancouver set.

In addition to mirroring Felicity’s own path, Amell says that if Oliver starts dating around again, it’d help restore the “playboy” mantle he technically lost years ago, along with his “billionaire” billing.

“Earlier this year I was speaking with [showrunner] Wendy Mericle, and I was like, ‘Look, there’s two things that we’re no longer allowed to write about Oliver: We’re no longer allowed to call him a billionaire, because … he lost his family fortune. And we’re currently not allowed to say ‘playboy’ — he’s dated one woman since Season 2, and he had a fling with Isabel Rochev (played by Summer Glau). That’s it.’

“If you’d like him to be a playboy, then by all means, start writing him like one,” Amell recalled saying, “and then we can do it.”

RELATEDArrow Casts Talia al Ghul With Andromeda’s Lexa Doig

Perhaps to such an end, viewers may have already met the next woman to strike a spark with Mayor Handsome — and “Human Target” Christopher Chance deserves some props for playing wingman, while wearing Oliver’s face.

“I’ve had a couple of scenes with Carly [Pope], who’s doing a great job as [reporter] Susan Williams,” Amell said. “I do think that there will be some exploration of a certain element of romance between the two of them, and I hope that people enjoy it, because I’ve found it to be really dynamic so far.” (

What do you think of Oliver, like Felicity, seeking out a new relationship — and should it be with Susan?

If you like TVLine, you\'ll LOVE our weekly newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Using females characters as pawn is the new normal for this show. This new relationship of hers was never about her. It all happened off screen so that he can move on in present day. She didn’t even get to tell him. He found out from a man he met 3 seconds ago. And of course the whole fandom predicted this mess months ago when Carly Pope was first casted. Your first instinct shouldn’t scream “love interest” when they announce a female casting. Yet…

I am not interested in Oliver having a love interest or Felicity having a love interest because at the end of the day you can till see that they have so much chemistry just when they are talking to each other but it would be interesting to see how Felicity would act to see Oliver with that Susan Williams plus Felicity doesn’t like her.

Stephen & Emily’s acting is the first thing that made this relationship appealing to viewers. If the writing doesn’t support it, it’s just… there. Like great potential wasted on overused tropes and contrived drama.

I don’t feel like we ever really saw Oliver ‘the playboy’ after the island.

Even in season 1 when he had relatively short term relationships with Helena and Mckenna, he had significant feelings for them both and wanted his relationships with them to last.

Isabel is literally the only one night stand he’s had since returning from the island, so if they’re going to write the new Mayor as a ‘playboy’, it’ll be the first time we’ve ever really seen it, which could be…interesting.

Oliver Queen and Louis Litt – Carly Pope’s romantic prospects on TV are diverse, to say the least.

Bvaaaah. I don’t mind Oliver not being with Felicity right now, but do we really have to literally watch them both enter meaningless rebounds at the same time? What is it with CW and boring filler love interests? I don’t know if anything trumps Alex for Thea last year, but Felicity’s… what’shisname? certainly might. And, of course, Amell has to push this. I remember how he ”loved” the Baby Mama story line last year – which was literally the worst thing to happen with this show (ok, that’s a tough competition with S4 flashbacks).

I agree that this year is better in a sense that there is no magic, the show seems more grounded indeed. The cinematography seems better, the directors are more suited for their respective episodes. And for a lot of reviewers that seems enough. But character-wise this year has no heart. Team Arrow has to have heart. It did that in the beginnings with just Oliver, Dig and Felicity. My personal fave was when Roy joined them in S2. Even last year with Thea, Felicity, Diggle, Oliver and Laurel. Gooood, I’d never thought I’d miss Laurel. But I do. Artemis just doesn’t really have a place on the show screen-time wise, Curtis isn’t really entertaining anymore, Wild Dog is very close to being obnoxious. I might have a soft spot for Rory, but that’s it. And now let’s add more meaningless f*ck buddies to both leads of this show, because there aren’t enough people on the show yet. Sigh.

Also, I’ve lost track: Is Oliver still technically married to Nyssa? Or did they officially undo that at some point?

Good question. I don’t recall an official split but it didn’t seem to be an issue while being engaged to Felicity.

Stephen said somewhere that it wasn’t a real wedding because it was a League wedding performed by some priestess woman.

exactly. it wasn’t a legal/official wedding. it’s a league of assassins pretend wedding.

How do you define the word “technically”? Because even getting married outside the U.S. (say India) isn’t recognized by the U.S. unless you do the proper paperwork. So do you think the U.S. would recognize a marriage from a assassin cult in Nanda Parbat aka Tibet? Do you think after being forced to get married Oliver and Nyssa went and did the official American paperwork to be “technically” married?

I thought it was stated in the show when Nyssa disbanded the League of Assassins, that also made their “marriage” null and void.

Yes, he’s married to Nyssa, but only according to the customs and traditions of the League. Which supposedly no longer exists, but of course it does in some way.

I love olicity with all of my heart , but i would love to see Oliver trying to date, it’s not fair that Felicity can have a boyfriedn after giving up on their relationship way to quickly while Oliver has to cry in the corner because he loves her still. In fact, Even Emily think its to soon for a boyfriend. I just don’t understend the point. I hope they actually point it out the fact that she iS. LYING by choice to Malone and that’s the reason she broke up with OLiver and yet she’s doing the same thing, at least Oliver didn’t have a choice

Lying to her boyfriend who she’s not sure about anything is not the same as Oliver lying to his future wife about having a kid. It’s so weird how people seem to match the two and they’re not the same thing.

That’s silly. They all lie about their superheroing, to AVOID GOING TO PRISON. Oliver lied to his family, Tommy, Diggle initially, Felicity initially, McKenna, Laurel, Quentin, Isabel, and others. Felicity lied to her mom…so did Oliver. They all lied to Ray, and Roy, and Walter. If they go around telling everybody they date that they’re part of Team Arrow, they’ll go to prison.

Cual es el problema? acaso Felicity no está con otro y lo hizo rapidisimo? que sufra un poco ella, por no saber perdonar y amar. Que sienta lo que se puede perder cuando algo tan importante se puede perder por pensar en ella misma.

Primera vez que encuentro en esta pagina a alguien que sepa Español!!

Olicity worked because Stephen and Emily have great chemistry together. Make it end game, b/c it will be anyway, and then we get back to the other story lines.

Who said they wanted him be a playboy billionaire again? That guy was a douche bag! I’ve never believed Oliver cared about any woman the way he cares about Felicity. I don’t think you spend as much time and effort tying his hero journey and regaining his humanity to his relationship with Felicity as these writers have and then just end it. These new “romances” are just a blip to reuniting a much loved and much hated relationship. You can’t look at anything Arrow related now without seeing people talking about this relationship. Love it or hate it people are talking and speculating about Olicity.

Oliver and Felicity works! I don’t know why he didn’t continue to pursue her and I don’t think any other women for him will work. I also don’t know why Felicity was pushed to begin another relationship. If they were together, the crime fighting would be paramount.

Ella me parece que queria provar un clavo saca otro clavo hasta que no pasa en realidad, en verdad hay que recordar de una conversación que tuvo ella con la madre que ella se desconocía en la temporada 4 cuando estaba Ray

lol the pushed Felicity into a pointless relationship so Oliver didn’t look like a dick for moving on. It’s all orchestrated to make people feel sorry for him, even after he lied to her and was the one who broke their relationship in the first place. I can’t believe more people aren’t seeing how much they’re throwing Felicity under the bus for this.

Let me guess. Talia. And she’ll call him “beloved” Bat-Arrow flies again!

I say they let Huntress out of jail and she and Olly can have some fun fighting crime and otherwise.

Even though I liked the Felicity relationship at first…in retrospect I think Helena was his most interesting love interest.

Haha, no thanks. I spent 4 seasons watching Oliver and Felicity (ups and downs and bad story choices included) and I’m invested in their relationship. I don’t want to see either of them with other people in the FIFTH season, especially not Oliver. Why they are insisting on regressing him to his season 1 sleep with anything state, I’ll never understand.

He’s going to bang the reporter and Tina in present day and maybe Talia in flashbacks. IMO Steve wants to prove he can have sexual chemistry with someone other than EBR.

This is the 2nd time you’ve responded to my comment today. Do you get a kick out of speaking like this to Olicity shippers? I get it, ok? Oliver’s gonna sleep with other people. Thanks for telling me what I already knew and dislike greatly. Good job.

I feel exactly the same as you. The show pushing their separate romantic relationship with other people is sooooo hard to watch, like water torture or nail on the chalkboard.

So people complain when Oliciry are together and they complain when they aren’t? I personally like Carly Pope and have since Popular. Lol.

You realize that’s two different groups of people, right?

Define “people”. I want consistent and smart story-telling. I don’t want the writers to go out of their way to step on characters for the sake of drama, especially not female characters. The ones who complained when they were in a stable adult relationship in the first half of season 4 had nothing to complain about except the fact that their comic canon ship died before it begun.

I commented earlier and it didn’t go through. Let me try again. Going back to playboy ways and killing again for no particular reason or explanation is not good. Furthermore it’s character regression. Feels like the character is killing now for the sake of being cool as well.. If they didn’t want to say “playboy or billionaire” they could have just stopped using it or added “Former” without destroying what the character has become over the last few seasons. I’ve lost trust in this show. And won’t be watching again.

I think they explained that he was killing again because he feels if he had killed Dark when he had the chance, Laurel would still be alive, and he doesn’t want to make that mistake again. Not sure about the playboy thing.

I’m not talking about killing bigbads. Just that there’s no point in killing the small crooks or whatever.

I hope they don’t completely abandon Olicity. They have awesome chemistry. After the second half of last season I am fine with them being great friends and taking some time before they find their way back to each other. I love the entire show and I would really like to see Oliver become a true hero this season. I really don’t know what to expect but I hope they don’t ruin all the best things about the show. The ratings have really declined and I would like for it to continue another 5 seasons.

I am completely turned off by what the show is doing to olicity… giving felicity a boyfriend to justify oliver sleeping or trying with other woman is disgusting if you ask me… olicity is beautiful, put them together and then concentrate on the action so everyone is happy… i cant blame oliver for trying to move on though because at the end of the day, felicity is the one putting roadblocks to the relationship (for no good reason if you ask me) not him… i hope with her constantly lying to detective not important here, she will get to understand oliver’s position and will want to get back together with him

I totally called it that Carly Pope would be playing Oliver’s rebound girl. However, it bothers me that Reporter Susan’s professional deceitfulness wouldn’t make her a risky choice. Like, is he really dumb enough to think that she wouldn’t investigate his flimsy excuses to go on Arrow adventures, or would he be thinking that she might become an ally who could cover his butt in the media? I mean, it’s obvious to me that she flirted with Oliver to try to get dirt on the Mayor (dimples aside). It’s fair to say that Oliver hasn’t been a playboy since he landed on the island, because he has been emotionally attached to all of his (onscreen) lovers (even Isobel, to an extent). If they want to revert him back to playboy mode, they better find a string of women who are too dumb or self-absorbed to ask questions. Side note, wasn’t he with both Sarah and Felicity in season 3? It still doesn’t make him a playboy, but it was definitely more than one.

The problem with the this show is that the woman are there for a loveline. Why couldn’t he just try to find his way as Oliver without being in a relationship? Doesn’t he have enough on his plate? He barely manages to keep two separate identities and now he wants to bring a 3rd element where he can’t tell the person what he is doing? This show has gone off its rocker.

Date, have more of a life with fun and light, but that mouthbreathing juvenile “playboy”? Gods no.

I really loved Human Target as Oliver Queen. He had that charisma the character lost last season. I also loved how he put the corporate dude on his place. I hope to see Oliver Queen being edgy again as himself.

As for the romance, I’ve noticed that episodes 5 of each season is usually relationship episode, either end it or build it.

Season two episode 5 is League of Assassins, Sara meets Oliver again and he tells her between him and Laurel everything is over and their share longing emotional look. So Arrow and Canary relationship starts and Laurel is officially out of the picture. This is something only retrospectively can be seen though.

So I think now they are doing the same thing. Olicity is officially over, Oliver wants to move on. Susan Williams is not the best choice, because she is an enemy figure, but probably she will be the Isobel parallel.

Really not care one way or the other whether Oliver has a new love interest. Just want Felicity to be gone.

I have no interest in seeing Oliver with anyone but Felicity. The show doesn’t need romance, but Oliver and Felicity together was something special. A temporary breakup is fine, but unless they are endgame, I would rather the show forget about romance for either of them. Why couldn’t their relationship just have receded to the background and just pop up once in a while, like Diggle’s romance with his wife, rather than being ripped apart?

I agree. Oliver & Felicity are stronger together as a couple & in love than being “just teammates”. I rolled my eyes so hard when both Stephen and Emily said the dynamics was so good right now being separated (& trying soooo hard to sell that nonsense), coz they couldn’t be further from the truth!! (& I’d like to believe that they personally secretly don’t believe it either!)

If the ultimate goal of “Arrow” writers is to bring Oliver ad Felicity back together (and their oft-repeated praise for Stephen and Emily’s “chemistry” points in that direction,) new romantic partners for each of them is an almost obligatory step in that direction – that’s how couples on TV work. Get together, break up, date other people, realize no one else will ever be the same for you, get back together. Employing that formula in an action series is a tricky balance for “Arrow” writers.

Id say at this point anything is better then MORE Olicity. Felicity and Oliver just don’t have a good dynamic or chemistry as a couple. They are not fun to watch.. and are really cringy. The show runners of Arrow have already wasted waaaay to much time on that relaintionship. It was a mistake to even let happen in the 1st place and this show is still stumbling from it.

As a whole.. the only people who want Oliver and Felicity together are shippers.

And most of those shippers don’t care about anyting on the show other then Olicity

So ya.. its good to see Oliver back in playboy mode again… S5 is slowly making him ‘cool’ again.

That’s right , because Arrow really needs is more relationship drama.. This show became less about superhero action and more about Tumblr bait..Seriously, who gives a damn about whether Oliver and Felicity can move on ? All i know is quite a few fans who’ve had enough of it doesn’t, including me … Wake Up

The best relationship that Oliver Queen could have would be with the inside of a coffin.

Oliver has never been a playboy. Amell can’t play the “playboy.” And character regression is hard to justify, especially this season where all they’ve done is regress Oliver and then drop developing his character altogether. (Don’t even get me started about introducing 15 new characters and developing none of them, plus breaking up the team and giving none of them anything to do).

Oliver is much more likeable because he no longer is a playboy. Don’t make him one again. Let’s keep going with his advancing maturity, wanting hope and valuing life. Being loyal to Felicity makes for good character development.

HTGAWM Recap: Mother Flogger — Plus: Luna Lauren Vélez Talks Wild But \'Not So Crazy\' Fan Theories

Arrow\'s Stephen Amell: \'It\'s Time for Oliver to Have Another Relationship\'

Trump vs. Clinton: Who Should You Vote For? Let Seth Meyers Help Decide

Notorious Boss Talks Sarah\'s Killer Reveal, What\'s Next for Jake and Julia

1Criminal Minds, Blindspot, SVU Pulled Opposite World Series Game 797

2Longmire End Date Set: Netflix Renews Drama for Sixth and Final Season83

3Beyoncé, Dixie Chicks Perform at 2016 CMA Awards — Watch and Weigh…75

4Trump vs. Clinton: Who Should You Vote For? Let Seth Meyers Help…68

Rachel Bloom Leads Star-Studded, NSFW \'You\'ve Got…

Tom Clancy\'s Jack Ryan Casts Limitless Actress…

Notorious Boss Talks Sarah\'s Killer Reveal…

Divorce\'s Sarah Jessica Parker on Her Return to…

Arrow\'s Stephen Amell: \'It\'s Time for Oliver to…

HTGAWM Recap: Mother Flogger — Plus: Luna Lauren…