‘Arrow’ Season 8: Stephen Amell Misses Felicity Actress Emily Bett Rickards

“Arrow” Season 8 will feature plenty of returning cast members, but one major star will be missing. Felicity was written out of the show in the spring season finale, and actress Emily Bett Rickards will not return. Her absence is definitely felt by her co-stars.

“It’s really tough doing the show without Emily being there because she was probably one of if not my best friend on set,” Green Arrow actor Stephen Amell told Extra. “And I was sad to go back to do the eighth season without her being there. I like what we’re doing, but I’d be lying if I said that it didn’t feel like something was missing without her there.”

Wild Dog actor Rick Gonzalez called the actress “a light” and the whole cast agreed that she is missed.

Felicity was written out of both timelines in the “Arrow” Season 7 finale. She went into hiding before baby Mia was born in the present day. In the future, she went through a portal where she was warned that she wouldn’t be able to return.

As soon as Amell started work on the final season of “Arrow,” he felt the actress’ absence. “I texted her when I was on the plane to Vancouver last week. I texted her that I was sad. The show feels different, in no small part because Em Bett’s not with us this year,” Amell told Entertainment Tonight.

Amell added that he was proud of the actress, who had been on the CW show since Season 1. Bett Rickards is currently appearing in an Off-Broadway show called “Reborning.”

The Oliver Queen actor was clear throughout San Diego Comic-Con that he didn’t want Bett Rickards to leave the show. “There’s no way to sugarcoat this. In a perfect world, she is still on the show. It sucks that she’s not,” Amell told Whedonopolis.

However, that doesn’t mean he wants Felicity to return. “Me personally, I actually kind of hope she doesn’t come back because I love goodbyes. I love finite goodbyes. That being said, if she wants to, that’d be cool,” he added.

The final season of “Arrow” premieres Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 9 p.m. EDT on The CW.