In the pilot episode of Arrow, The CW’s spiritual successor to Smallville, there’s a nice fan-pleasing aside where the returned Oliver Queen affectionately refers to his little sister Thea (Willa Holland) as “Speedy”, a reference to Green Arrow’s Robin-like Sixties sidekick, a role first filled by Roy Harper, who later became the Titan and Outsider Arsenal, and then Mia Dearden – who had a live action debut in Smallville Season 9’s ‘Crossfire’ and ‘Disciple’.
It’s unlikely that anyone in this self-aware age would seriously call themselves Speedy, but it’s certainly raised a few questions about where Thea Queen’s character arc is heading, especially as her *highlight for mild spoiler* substance abuse echoes Roy Harper’s own battle to control his addiction in the comics.
“There’s a little hint there,” Holland admitted in an CW video interview. “I’ve been talking to the show’s writers and they’ve been saying that they have a lot of things in store for me, to say the least.
“That’s all I know, but [the hint] is definitely there.”
Arrow is coming to Sky One in October.