Arrow may be finished, but the Arrowverse continues to roll along on the CW. The seventh season of The Flash will be bringing back a familiar face.
David Ramsey will reprise his role as John Diggle (formerly Spartan) for the Flash’s coming season, which has fans wondering if he’ll also be bringing Green Lantern into the Arrowverse.
Shining bright
Arrow’s final scene had Diggle moving his family to Metropolis when a meteor crashed in front of him. Investigating the site, Diggle found a box and opened it to show an object glowing a bright green.
Fans had naturally jumped to the idea that, at long last, the Arrowverse will be bringing in Green Lantern. The hero has been a DC icon for decades as a member of an intergalactic police corps.
Every Lantern is chosen for the ability to overcome fear and can use a ring that allows them to create solid constructs of anything they can imagine.
For years, fans have speculated that Diggle would become the Arrowverse Green Lantern. It was pushed when an episode revealed that Diggle’s adoptive father is General Stewart.
In the comics, John Stewart was a marine chosen to be Earth’s newest Green Lantern when the first, Hal Jordan, had to take a leave of absence. Stewart continues in the role today.
The Stewart Lantern became famous for being used in the hit Justice League animated series. The character was ignored in favor of Hal Jordan in 2011’s flop Green Lantern film. Yet, Diggle becoming Lantern remains a popular theory.
Diggle’s destiny
The Arrowverse has dropped hints about Green Lantern before. “Easter Eggs” have included Coast City (where the character operated from) and Ferris Aircraft (where Hal Jordan worked).
In the Crisis on Infinite Earths’ event, Diggle met the Flash (John Wesley Shipp) of another universe who remarked, “you’re not wearing the ring.”
Speaking to TV Line about the Flash’s upcoming season, executive producer Eric Wallace shared that Diggle would appear and dropped hints that indicate something has changed with the character.
When we last saw Diggle, he had a situation at the end of Arrow that he needed to deal with. So he arrives to help Team Flash in the back half of the season carrying the weight of that ‘problem.’ And the question is: How can he help Team Flash when he’s got something even bigger on his mind? And that’s what the story is.”
This teases Diggle could indeed be Green Lantern, but it’s possible Wallace is also covering for Diggle getting into another situation.
There had been plans for Diggle to appear on the Superman & Lois series, but those were dropped.
Flash future
Diggle’s appearance is set to shake up the Flash, which has already seen some changes.
Like many productions, the sixth season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns. Instead of the planned finale, the season ended with Barry (Grant Gustin) trying to rescue his wife, Iris (Candice Patton) from a “mirror dimension” and facing the evil Mirror Mistress (Efrat Dor).
Barry will also be attempting to rebuild the damaged Speed Force and discover new speed abilities.
Ramsey has been mostly quiet since Arrow ended but has turned to directing episodes of Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.
Whether Diggle’s return means a Green Lantern spin-off or a different direction, the former Spartan will be an exciting addition for the Flash.
The Flash season 7 premieres on the CW on March 4.