Will Oliver Queen Assemble A New Team Of Heroes In Season 6 Of 'Arrow'?

The Season 5 finale of Arrow shocked everyone with a crazy ending. Not only did the series finally bring Oliver Queen's long-standing feud with Adrian Chase to a close, but the finale was packed with other shocking revelations, and they could have a lasting impact on the show.

Note: Spoilers for the Arrow season 5 finale ahead.

First off, Malcolm Merlyn did something we never expected: when Thea stepped on a land mine, he quickly moved her and placed his own foot on the trap. Ultimately that spelled Merlyn's doom, but we sorta already knew John Barrowman wouldn't be returning for Season 6. So death was already on the table for his character.

Nevertheless, Merlyn's last moments on Arrow amounted to him finally doing something redeemable in his daughter's eyes. Merlyn had to die to redeem himself, but at least he did something before the end.

Is the cast of Arrow receiving a shakeup in season 6?

Aside from Merlyn's shocking departure, a few other characters may be leaving #Arrow as well. The finale also offered a seeming end for the majority of Team Arrow. After the Oliver-Adrian feud made its way out to open waters, the rest of Oliver's team was left on Lian Yu. With the island rigged to detonate in case of Adrian's death, Team Arrow was seemingly without a way off the island. We didn't actually see them die, but after Adrian killed himself the island ignited in flames, presumably killing Team Arrow at the same time.

So if they have been killed off, what will Oliver do now?

There's a plethora of possibilities that fit in the context of Season 6 as we know it. Either Oliver could start his solo career as #GreenArrow, similar to his comic counterpart. Or perhaps Oliver will take a break from the superhero game altogether. Then again, the death of his friends will probably lead Oliver to embracing his vigilante career even more. If that's the case, then Oliver would be in need of a new team. Who he'd recruit is a mystery but there are a few potential candidates who could very well become members of the new Team Arrow. With that in mind, here are the five likeliest candidates to join Team Arrow in light of the latest team's untimely demise.

1. Roy Harper / Arsenal

The most logical candidate for Oliver to reach out to is Roy Harper. He may be hesitant to join Queen's crusade yet again, but after learning a heartless villain like Prometheus killed Thea, Roy might have second thoughts about rejoining the vigilante game. If so, a revival of the Arsenal character would be worth seeing. That said, there is something preventing Arsenal / Roy Harper from making a comeback.

The thing is that the actor Colton Haynes didn't want to return. That may still be the case, but if Arrow does get a shakeup in Season 6, Colton Haynes may be recruited to reprise his role as Roy Harper. That return would require a very enticing deal, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility just yet.

2. Rory Regan / Ragman

Rory, being one of Oliver's previous allies, could also be recruited for the newest iteration of Team Arrow. He originally left the team on his own terms, with his magic rags supposedly rendered useless. We shouldn't count Rory out just yet. His last meeting with the team left his character arc open-ended, leading us to believe he could be in place to return.

3. Alena / Helix

Alena (Kacey Rohl) is another potential candidate. She might be a controversial pick, but Oliver's team needs someone in charge of technical support in the same way Felicity functioned as a member of Team Arrow. That said, Oliver may decide to recruit Alena despite her affiliations to Helix.

Alena might not be too keen on leaving Helix to join Oliver's crusade, but after learning that Felicity became the victim of another villain's endgame, her motivations could align with Oliver's. In which case Alena could function as the new Felicity for Team Arrow. A slim possibility, sure, but not impossible.

4. Vigilante

One of the better picks to join Oliver's new team is Vigilante. He's had a somewhat checkered past with Oliver / Green Arrow, trying to kill both of them, but his intentions have been partially altruistic. Vigilante hasn't had much dialogue during his time on Arrow but his words so far have made it clear that he's trying to protect Star City. With that known, Oliver could attempt to persuade Vigilante into joining his team. The semi-skilled Vigilante would make a useful addition.

5. Mari McCabe / Vixen

Another good choice to join Team Arrow is Vixen. Not the Vixen from Legends Of Tomorrow but Mari McCabe's Vixen, who appeared briefly on Arrow in Season 4. She'd be a strong addition, with her totem giving her powers equal to that of a metahuman. Only thing is, Oliver would need to convince Vixen to leave Detroit.

How likely is that? Anyone's guess. But at this moment, any heroic vigilante should be considered as a potential candidate. And there are none more capable than Vixen so why shouldn't she be recruited as the next member of Team Arrow?

What if Team Arrow survived?

Aside from these vigilante potentially joining Oliver Queen's team of heroes, we still don't know if the original Team Arrow survived. If they did, then we can probably rule out Oliver recruiting any of these vigilantes for his team. Although, it seems like Vigilante's open plot thread from Season 5 will be touched on again. So unless he's deemed an antagonist in Season 6, there's a good chance he'll become a member of Team Arrow, regardless of whether or not the original team survived the explosion on Lian Yu.