“People aren’t lining up to offer us jobs”: The Under-Appreciated Stephen Amell Superhero Movie That Exists Because of an Arrowverse Curse

SUMMARY

• Stephen Amell found worldwide fame and critical acclaim for his portrayal in the CW show Arrow.
• Although the series was much-loved, it had its fair share of bad moments which fans hated.
• However, Amell revealed that although he didn't have a say, fans always blamed him for everything that went wrong on Arrow!

When you are working on one of the best TV shows of all time, there are going to be some consequences that you need to be prepared for. Veteran actor Stephen Amell, who worked on the CW show Arrow, knows this all too well.

Stephen Amell in a still from Arrow | Credits: DC Entertainment

Since he portrayed the role of the lead character Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, Stephen Amell became the face of the CW show. Although he liked the spotlight, there were a number of things that were beyond his control. Fans, however, knew only one person to blame.

Fans always blamed Stephen Amell for everything that went wrong

Arrow ran for a whopping 8 seasons and it’s not possible that the creators did not mess up a single episode (unless you worked on Breaking Bad). Naturally, the show had its good moments and its fair share of bad moments.

Fans always blamed Amell for everything | Credits: DC Entertainment

Since Stephen Amell was in the lead role, he had knowingly or unknowingly become the face of the CW show. When things were good, the world praised Amell but when they were bad, the world knew who to blame.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the veteran star revealed that oftentimes, things were beyond his control. It wasn’t like he was given the authority to make changes in the script or anything. Well, when things turned sour, the people directly blamed Stephen Amell for it.

People always ask me, ‘Why did you decide to do it this way?’. People aren’t lining up to offer us jobs, necessarily. I’ve loved working on Arrow, but there’s also been a few times where I felt like I’ve represented the project but I wasn’t as in control or didn’t have certain says in things that ultimately.

He further continued,

If things go well it reflects on me, and if they go poorly it reflects poorly on me even if I’m not necessarily in charge. 

Arrow ended in 2020 and Stephen Amell breathed a sigh of relief. The actor had done enough for the CW show and he didn’t want to be held responsible for things beyond his control.

That’s when Amell decided to work on his own project. A project that he initiated with trusted people who wouldn’t undermine him. This sci-fi 2019 film became one of Stephen Amell’s most underrated films of all time.

That’s when Stephen Amell decided to create his own project

With fellow star Robbie Amell and director Jeff Chan, Amell released a short film titled Code 8. The actor needed funding for the feature-length film (which is how Whiplash was made, by the way) and created a funding page for the same.

A still from Code 8 (2019) | Credits: XYZ Films

Several people pledged to donate the $2.4 million required for the film. Jeff Chan, Stephen Amell, and Robbie Amell decided to join hands and create a full-length feature film titled Code 8.

In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Arrow star further continued that the idea was that he wanted to be his own boss.

So the idea of working on a project where it was me, it was [director] Jeff [Chan], it was Rob, and that was it. We were the bosses.

The film was given a limited theatrical release and although it wasn’t a commercial success, it became one of Stephen Amell’s most underrated gems which many people aren’t aware of even today.

Code 8 currently stands at a rating of 6.1/10 on IMDb and a whopping 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

Written by Visarg Acharya

Articles Published: 2662

Visarg Acharya, Associate Content Writer, has been heavily involved in movies, series, and history. Having an experience of 2 years in the field of content writing, Visarg is a seasoned writer. Having a degree in Physics, Visarg Acharya has published a dissertation alongside a plethora of poems and short stories along the way.