Emily Bett Rickards has booked her next project after announcing that she is leaving Arrow. The actress, who played Felicity Smoak in The CW superhero show for seven seasons, announced on social media last March 31 that she won't be in the cast of the final season run for 2019-2020.
Instead, Rickards is heading to Broadway in New York now that she will not be filming any new episodes for Arrow. The actress will be starring in the play Reborning, which will be running in the summer.
Rickards proudly announced her new project on Instagram. Reborning is a one-act play about an artist who makes dolls for customers with different needs. The theme of Reborning revolves around mental health, and it is treated as a dark comedy. This is a big change for Rickards whose Arrow character was portrayed as bubbly, awkward and sweet.
Meanwhile, it's not yet clear how Arrow season 7 will handle Rickards departure. Star Stephen Amell confirmed in a post on Instagram that they have started filming Rickards' final episode in the series this week.
"On the first day of our last episode together, I'd like everyone to know how deeply I appreciate the past seven years," Amell wrote in the post. "We wouldn't be here without you. I love you. And I cannot wait to see what you do next."
Rickards was originally cast as a semi-regular on Arrow. As Felicity, she was the assistant of the billionaire/superhero Oliver Queen and harbored a crush on her boss. The character instantly became a fan favorite. Later, Felicity marries Oliver and becomes the stepmother of his son. She also developed her powers and ability as the superhero Overwatch.
Arrow executive producers Greg Berlanti and Beth Schwartz also released a statement to confirm Rickards' departure from the show. They said that they are heartbroken she will not be part of the final season, but they will still be supportive of her next projects.
The CW renewed Arrow for season 8 in early March, as per E! News. Though it will be back in the network's line up this fall, the show's episode count has been cut to 10 instead of the usual 22.
Berlanti said that this was the hardest decision to make, but it is for the best of everyone working in the series. It's also for the fans who deserve to see a conclusion to the story of Oliver Queen and his friends.
