Emily Bett Rickards has announced she is leaving Arrow this season. The actress, who plays Felicity Smoak in the series, broke the news on her Instagram.
She wrote a beautiful poem remembering all the things her character has been through and shared with fans and accompanied it with images of Felicity from the show for her announcement. Naturally, fans were shocked about the unexpected news.
"Felicity and I are a very tight two, but after one through seven, we will be saying goodbye to you," she wrote.
"I thank you all for the time we've shared, the elevators we have climbed, the monsters we have faced and scared, and the burgers we have dined, I will keep her in my heart for always, and I hope that you can too, because she would not be alive if it weren't for all of you," she concluded. Check her Instagram post below.
Stephen Amell reacted to the news by sharing a still from Rickards' debut as Felicity in the third episode of the first season. He didn't add any caption, but it was still enough to make fans all the more heartbroken.
Arrow is currently on its penultimate run. Its final season airing next year will only be 10 episodes. People hoped that she will be there til the end, but it looks like this may not be the case.
Her exit will be addressed at the end of the season, Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz revealed to TV Line. She revealed that they "kinda knew" what Rickards had in mind as they worked on the Season 7 finale.
"[A]lthough we're heartbroken to see both Emily and Felicity leave the show, we're completely supportive of Emily and her future endeavors. She will always have a family at Arrow," Schwartz and Arrowverse EP Greg Berlanti said in a joint statement.
While fans seem to be holding out hope that she reprises the role in another DC show like The Flash or in future crossovers, her statement suggests that she might be done with the character for good.
With how much Felicity's role on Arrow has grown, it will be weird to not see her in the final season. After all, there are reports that Oliver Queen might meet his demise. It's sad to think the love of his life won't be there.
Arrow airs every Monday on The CW.
Also Read: Could Jared Leto Be Teasing His Return As The Joker In DC's Birds of Prey?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
DC