Wendy Mericle Talks Malcom Merlyn's Pivotal Role in 'Arrow' Season 5 Finale

As we get closer to the Season 5 finale of Arrow, more interesting details are being revealed by producers of the series. The latest tidbit comes from executive producer, Wendy Mericle.

In an interview with CBR, Mericle shared some insight into the last few episodes of Season 5, including the return of John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn. Here are Mericle's comments in full:

"He’s going to be a huge factor leading up to the finale. This season is all about legacy, and when Malcolm comes into the story, it’s really rooted as much by necessity from Oliver’s point of view as it is about what Malcolm means to him and what Malcolm means to Thea. It’s a great story, because it’s going to have a lot of action but it’s also going to have this kind of emotional undercurrent that is going to lead to a really big, huge series moment for him. I think it’s a great story to tell, and it’s great stuff for John [Barrowman] to play.”

Malcom Merlyn has been preoccupied with his adventures on DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, bringing him away from the current plot of #Arrow, but it looks like he's going to reenter the fold before the season closes out. EP Wendy Mericle points out that Malcolm is going to be a "huge factor leading up to the finale," so he's definitely going factor into the eventual defeat of Prometheus.

What will Malcolm do when he shows up?

Malcom is, after all, a former head of the League Of Assassins, so he may have some insight for Oliver on how to bring Prometheus to his knees. This information could be hugely beneficial, as Prometheus was trained by another member of the league: Talia al Ghul.

However, Malcolm and Oliver didn't leave things on the best terms the last time they met, so it's possible we could see Malcolm assist Prometheus and Talia in their mission of revenge against Oliver Queen. Oliver did cut off Malcolm's hand, so he's probably not for Team Oliver at the moment.

Regardless, we'll have to wait until Malcolm Merlyn reappears on Arrow to determine what his true intentions are. He may decide to help Oliver take down Prometheus or Malcolm could join with Prometheus to exact his revenge on Oliver.

(Source: CBR)