With The CW’s ARROW knocking it out of the park this season, one gripe that fans still have is that ‘The Arrow’ doesn’t wear a mask of any sort. Well, consider that issue officially resolved, as EW is reporting that December will see Oliver Queen donning a mask. Not just that, there’s also some images of said mask…

ARROW’s executive producer Andrew Kreisberg said, “Conceptually, it was something we wanted to do because Oliver himself is evolving as the Arrow – from vigilante to hero, sort of from Arrow to Green Arrow – and we wanted to see that progression in his costume as well. As Oliver is embracing being a hero, being a hero means stepping out of the dark and being more of a symbol, so he has to take steps to conceal his identity more.”

Kreisberg added, “It’s going to allow the Arrow to interact with people who don’t know his identity in a much more organic way than having him constantly keep his head down.”

The mask is set to debut in the 11th December (in the US) episode of the show, and it appears that there will be logic behind it. “He doesn’t just put on a mask,” said Kreisberg. “It’s actually a big plot point in an episode, and there really is a story behind not only the need for the mask but also who provides him with it. It’s going to be a little bit of a surprise, and once they see how the mask comes into creation, I think people will be really excited about it.”

Absolutely awesome news!

Oh, and we’re going out on a limb and saying right now that Barry Allen gives Oliver the mask, as he’ll have worked out his secret identity. You heard it here first.

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