For some heroes, costumes are a fluid thing. Regardless of how often they go back to the original, there is hardly a comic book character in existence who hasn’t had his or her duds changed at one time or another. Green Arrow and his television counterpart played by Stephen Amell on The CW’s Arrow is no exception. After wearing the same suede, all green getup throughout the first three seasons of the show, the character made a drastic change for season 4. That costume was short-lived, however, as it has been seen in many promos that Oliver Queen has made a few adjustments to his vigilante gear ahead of the season 5 premiere.
The season 4 suit offered a stylish change to the more monochromatic look the character had been rocking before. In addition to subtle color changes, the new suit offered distinct pieces to Green Arrow’s uniform that included a padded vest, shoulder pads, and gauntlets. While those elements made for a distinct new look, it was perhaps the decision to go sleeveless that was the most eye-catching part of Oliver’s costume. To his credit, Ollie stuck with it throughout what proved to be a challenging season – as much for the fans as for the character – but now it would seem the season 4 look has been retired for the time being.
There have been a handful of decent looks at the new – well, slightly altered costume, so it’s really no surprise what it looks like. But ahead of the season 5 premiere, Oliver Queen himself, Stephen Amell, took to Twitter to give fans a crisper, cleaner, and brighter look at Ollie’s new fully-sleeved uniform that would make its live-action premiere in ‘Legacy.’
It’s good to be back.#ArrowSeason5
Tonight. pic.twitter.com/GNWLJbwLSh— Stephen Amell (@StephenAmell) October 5, 2016
The new costume is really more of an upgrade than a radical redesign. It takes all of the same enhanced elements from the season 4 costume and combines it with the look from the first season. The result is a more classic feel that is in keeping with the season’s alleged efforts to get “back to basics” in terms of storytelling. As such, the altered look for Green Arrow serves as much as an aesthetic development as it is a thematic one. The new costume, then, is a visual reminder of what the series wants to return to in its super-powerless fifth season, while at the same time it signals that Arrow is still willing to push things forward and to make changes – small changes, but changes nonetheless – where they might be of some benefit.
It’s doubtful that the costume change will have much of an impact on the story in season 5, but with any luck, when Oliver crosses paths with Barry Allen during the upcoming CW DC TV crossover event, the Scarlet Speedster will have something to say about his buddy’s new duds.
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Arrow continues next Wednesday with ‘The Recruits’ @8pm on The CW.
