Arrow Bosses Tease Felicity-Oliver Romance, New Issues in Season 3

Arrow may have left off on a happy note, but that won't last very long!

Though Season 2 ended with Team Arrow taking out Deathstroke (Manu Bennett), Season 3 will very quickly set a new tone as the team is put through the ringer. "So much of Season 3 is about the price of victory," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told fans during the show's Comic-Con panel on Friday.

Read on to find out what else is in store for the residents of Starling City in Season 3:

Arrow's Andrew Kreisberg teases new love tnterests, villains and surprising returns

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree: After leaving Starling City with Malcolm (John Barrowman), it sounds like Thea (Willa Holland) has been training with her villainous father. "Thea is going through something pretty crazy right now," Holland said, noting that she's been hitting the gym in preparation for her storyline this season. "She's definitely made a big change. The Thea that you saw in Season 1 and Season 2 is not the girl that's coming back in Season 3." Meanwhile, executive producer Marc Guggenheim promised that the show will reveal, via flashback, what happened after Thea and Malcolm left in the limo.

Will Team Arrow be down a man? Now that Diggle (David Ramsey) is going to be a father, he may be stepping back from Team Arrow — but possibly not by choice, as the trailer below makes it clear that Dig's continued contributions to the team will be a topic of contention between Dig and Ollie (Stephen Amell). "Does he stay with the team? Does he leave?" Ramsey says. "The stakes have gotten a lot higher."

A new sheriff in town: Quentin Lance (Paul Blackthorne) is no longer just a detective! He'll be stepping up as the new police captain in Season 3. Could his new position afford him a visit to Central City? Kreisberg reminded fans that there's a big Arrow and The Flash crossover coming in Episode 8 of both shows.

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First date: Ever since it was revealed that Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Oliver will go on a date in the Season 3 premiere, fans have been salivating for scoop on what that will entail. "They go for Italian," Guggenheim deadpanned. Executive producer Greg Berlanti promised that they'll deal with the feelings directly this season, noting that he believes they do have true feelings for each other. Unfortunately, Roy Palmer (Brandon Routh) has his eye on Felicity. "You got to do the love triangle," Guggenheim joked. Bonus scoop: The title of Felicity's backstory episode is called "Oracle."

Sidekick time: Roy (Colton Haynes) may bring out more of the Oliver Queen that fans know from the comics, but "there are unresolved issues for Roy," Amell warned, pointing out that it likely won't be long before they'll be faced with new issues, especially once they discover that Thea is basically Malcolm's new partner. Added Barroman, "He's going to do for the emotional side to try to control Thea."

Arrow returns for its third season on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 8/7c on The CW.

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