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Those among you who were fans of Smallville may remember that when the Superman prequel series was in its final years, The CW was kicking around the idea of a Green Arrow spinoff. After all, if any superhero aside from Clark Kent to have appeared on the show captured the hearts of viewers, it was certainly Oliver Queen. Having been played by Justin Hartley in seasons 6-10, the impact felt by the first live action representation of the Emerald Archer was undeniable.

So, when Arrow was finally being realized  – and in a universe entirely separate from Smallville, to boot – some devotees were understandably skeptical. But, when you really thought about it, it’d be incredibly hard to launch a series accessible to new viewers when you’re tied down to years of continuity established by another series – especially when Smallville married off its own version of Oliver to Chloe Sullivan, thereby prohibiting any possible romance between him and Black Canary (or any other woman, for that matter). Plus, I’m pretty sure there was no way Allison Mack was going to play Chloe again after ten years of doing so.

As you know by now, Arrow proved to be such a hit that it birthed a shared universe of superhero awesomeness spanning throughout prime time, including the likes of The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. Not only that, but it’s hard to imagine living in a world in which Stephen Amell never got to play Oliver Queen. Sure, he’s a much different type of Green Arrow, but, to use a James Bond analogy, I’d say that if Hartley were to be the Sean Connery in this scenario, then Amell is most definitely Daniel Craig.

Recently, both actors expressed mutual appreciation for the other’s work, with Amell first praising Hartley’s current endeavor, This is Us. In turn, Hartley tipped his hood to the man he passed the torch to with this Tweet:

Thanks, man. So cool to hear you're watching and that you love @NBCThisisUs. Kicking ass all over the place on @CW_Arrow, btw. Love it!

— Justin Hartley (@justinhartley) July 2, 2017

Seeing such shared respect is definitely a cool thing. And despite Hartley being such a busy man, we hope that his rigorous shooting schedule will one day afford him a break so that he can play a one-shot villain on Arrow at the very least. Imagine the possibilities!