'We'd love to have her.'
Could Emily Bett Rickards return to Arrow?
During a CW press call on Thursday, Mark Pedowitz, the president of the network, left open the possibility of Rickards returning to the series on which she starred as Felicity Smoak for seven seasons.
"Emily has been terrific on the show and we believe [showrunner] Beth Schwartz did a good job wrapping up Felicity's storyline last year," Pedowitz said of the season seven finale, which aired earlier this month.
"If Beth can find a way to bring her back that makes sense and Emily's available, we'd love to have her," he continued. "Otherwise I'm pleased with how they said goodbye to the character."
When ET's Leanne Aguilera caught up with Schwartz, she likewise seemed open to welcoming Rickards, 27, back to Arrow for its eighth and final season.
"I hope there is a way that can happen," Schwartz said. "She’s welcome to come back whenever she wants."
On Monday's season finale, Felicity and Oliver (Stephen Amell) left superhero life behind to start a family, before Oliver was forced to leave in order to save the multiverse. In the future storyline, however, Felicity said goodbye to her now-grown children, Mia and William, to go "where there is no return" and potentially reunite with Oliver somewhere in the multiverse. "I'm ready," she said.
Rickards, who became a series regular after appearing as a guest star in Arrow's third episode, revealed that she'd be leaving the show in March, with a collage of photos and a heartfelt poem to fans.
"I will keep her in my heart for always, and I hope that you can too," she wrote of her character. "Because she would not be alive if it weren’t for all of you."
During ET's chat with Schwartz, she emphasized wanting to give Felicity "a major sendoff" for her final episode.
"It’s definitely an emotional ending and it is a lot to process," Schwartz said. "I just think they’ve been such a great and passionate fandom, and I just hope it will honor this character that everyone loves, that everyone has been watching for the past seven years."
Reporting by Philiana Ng.
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