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Back in 2012, the TV show Arrow premiered on The CW. Based on the DC Comic's hero of the same name, the show was a bit of an experiment. It was a superhero show, but it was done in the format of a CW soap opera. Many fans have had problems with the show. However, it was immensely popular for some time.
Arrow wasn't the only show in its "universe". The Flash would premiere in 2014, Supergirl would premiere in 2015, and since then other shows such as Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman have come and gone. Many of the characters on these shows would appear in the others in crossover episodes. These crossovers were some of the most anticipated events in all of television during this time.
Emily Bett Rickards's character of Felicity was one of the biggest crossover characters, showing up on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. However, after the seventh season of Arrow, Emily would quit playing the character of Felicity. Many wondered why she left the show, and if she had any problems with her co-stars.
Everything To Know About Emily Bett Rickards's Time On Arrow
Emily was born and raised in Canada. She told Overmind Magazine that she performed in music and theater for years before becoming a full-time actress. She struggled for a while in finding jobs, although she did once appear in a Nickelback video.
She finally made it when she was cast as Felicity Smoak in Arrow back in 2012. She was originally designated to be in one episode as a nod to the comic book character, but her performance was so well received by the other actors, studio executives, and testing audiences that she was signed on for the first two seasons. Emily also starred in the forgotten Arrow: Blood Rush miniseries that featured some of the other actors on the show.
Felicity was easily one of the most beloved characters on the show. A large part of this was due to Emily's acting. Her chemistry with Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen was seen by many reviewers as one of the best parts of the show, which eventually resulted in their on-screen relationship. Her role as Felicity would nab Emily some big award nominations, including "Best Supporting Actress" at the Teen Choice Awards.
Perhaps more impressive, Felicity Smoak was placed at number 15 on The Hollywood Reporter's 50 Favorite Female Characters list back in 2016.
Due to her importance, Felicity would appear on nearly all the Arrowverse shows. She first showed up in the Season 1 episode of The Flash titled "Going Rogue". From there, she showed up in other episodes of The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl.
The Arrowverse is currently wrapping up with season 9 of The Flash. Many fans believe that the show isn't doing a great job at concluding things, despite arguably being the best Arrowverse show.
Why Did Emily Bett Rickards Leave Arrow?
While the Arrowverse is just now wrapping things up, Emily's time on the show ended years ago. Her final major appearance as Felicity was all the way back in 2019, the penultimate season of Arrow. She showed up again for the series finale, but that was just a minor cameo in the form of a flashback.
Many fans were confused. The show was extremely popular, and she seemed to enjoy playing Felicity. Why would she abruptly quit?
Emily posted on her Instagram back in 2020 that she would not be back for the final season. She spoke with Collider not too long after the announcement to clarify her thoughts and give fans peace of mind about her departure. In that interview, she said that she felt "like Felicity has done her time". She acknowledged that fans might disagree with that sentiment, but that it was essentially inevitable.
While some fans believed that there was some behind-the-scenes drama, it does appear that Emily left the show for more superficial reasons. Colton Haynes sort of lied when asked why he left Arrow, however, so some fans were a bit skeptical. Were there secretly hard feelings between the Arrowverse actors?
This Is How Emily Bett Rickards Feels About Her Arrowverse Co-Stars
Stephen Amell's Oliver Queen character was the original center of the Arrowverse. While Grant Gustin's Flash has taken that title over, there would be no Arrowverse without Amell's portrayal of the Green Arrow character. Oliver Queen was also very important to Emily's Felicity, as the two of them would eventually marry on the show.
Stephen and Emily appeared to have a great relationship behind-the-scenes, so much so that fans believed the two had been dating for some time. Of course, this has never been the case as Stephen is married to Cassandra Jean Amell. Stephen told Larry King back in 2016 that Emily was her best friend. When she left the show, Stephen posted a very emotional Instagram post dedicated to their friendship. She didn't leave a comment on the post, but she did leave a like.
It's hard to tell exactly where their relationship is now. However, it can't be too bad, as the two are set to attended Michigan's Motor City Comic Con along with the rest of the main Arrow cast.
Emily also had a fantastic relationship with John Diggle's actor David Ramsay. After she left the show, David told Digital Spy that "no one" wanted to do the show without Emily. This was after her character arc was concluded, and the show was entering its multiverse story. A character like Felicity wasn't needed for that story, but it's clear her presence was missing regardless.
Emily also seemed to have a good friendship with Colton Haynes. He played Roy Harper, also known as the vigilante Red Arrow. The Flash himself Grant Gustin auditioned for Roy Harper but lost it to Colton. He and Emily were believed to be dating for years before Colton officially came out of the closet back in 2020.
As mentioned earlier, Colton left the show prematurely like Emily. However, they've remained close, as Colton gave a very personal thank you to Emily in his 2022 book Miss Memory Lane.
Overall, Emily seemed to enjoy her time in the Arrowverse. While she never really felt her feelings known about her appearances on the other shows like The Flash, she probably enjoyed them just as much as she enjoyed working on Arrow.
Emily recently told ET Canada that she's open to returning as Felicity again in the future. There's a strong possibility Stephen Amell might return to play Green Arrow one day, too.
