Overview

• Katie Cassidy was unexpectedly informed of her character's death on Arrow shortly before attending New York Comic-Con in 2015, leaving her shocked and emotional.
• Cassidy expressed frustration and sadness over the decision but maintained professionalism, later describing the experience as a moment of personal growth.
• She believes her firing may have been influenced by political factors, though no specific details have been confirmed.
• Following significant fan backlash to her character's death, Cassidy returned to the Arrowverse as an alternate version of Laurel Lance and eventually became a series regular again.
• Marc Guggenheim, Arrow's showrunner, confirmed in 2023 that the decision to kill off Laurel Lance involved multiple decision-makers rather than a single person.