Arrow took a surprising swing in Season 4 to kill off a major character like Katie Cassidy’s Black Canary, though it wasn’t long before word suggested Laurel might have a presence in Season 5. The most recent 2017 premiere promo seemed overwhelmingly to spoil that presence, though producers take it further to suggest a Black Canary is “always going to be there.”

You’re warned of spoilers for the upcoming Arrow 2017 premiere, but “Who Are You?” isn’t a question we’ll need to ask of Laurel’s surprise return, especially after the most recent teaser implied the Earth-2 “Black Siren” had assumed the image of her doppelganger. Speaking with TVLine, executive producer Marc Guggenheim pointed out that he had no direct hand in the promo, though the reveal would start a “very specific game plan on our part that we hope to see come to fruition”

Fellow EP Wendy Mericle took things a step further to suggest that Arrow will “always” have a Black Canary in one form or another:

Look, it’s hard to do a show about Green Arrow without having a Black Canary. I don’t know if it will happen this season or when, but… we are going to be true to origins in the DC universe, and she’s always going to be there.

We’ll see what long game Arrow is playing with Laurel Lance by the January 25 return, but will Katie Cassidy remain aboard for long? What other Black Canary might the show feature in future seasons?

Check Out 100 TV Facts You May Not Know!

More From