Can I just tell you how excited I am?

It’s been a long journey for Katie Cassidy to don the Black Canary suit on Arrow, which she will finally do in tonight’s midseason premiere after a three-year wait. "I was definitely disappointed, because it was something that I was really looking forward to, Cassidy says of learning it would take Laurel a bit of time to become the Black Canary.

But she also totally agreed with the reason why the producers have held off. I think it makes complete sense. You can't just overnight become a superhero. It took Oliver five years on the Island and everything he went through.

But now, after hitting rock bottom in season two and the death of her sister Sara (Caity Lotz), the Canary, Laurel is ready to take over the responsibilities that come with the black leather jacket. Except she'll be doing it with a new costume, which was unveiled back in November, prompting a fandom freakout.

Cassidy, who has her own fashion blog, Tomboy KC, tells E! News how she helped to create the Black Canary’s look.

It was so cool. I love the creative process. Not just being an actor and here is the dialogue and saying the lines Cassidy says of working with the wardrobe department. I like collaborating with people and having an opinion and getting to put my touch on it. So when it came to the costume, I suggested a couple of things. I give credit to our insanely talented hair (Paul Edward) makeup, (Danielle Fowler) and wardrobe (Maya Mani) team for creating the look. I just made a few suggestions.

Some of her tweaks? Some lace and fishnet (Because the Black Canary wore fishnets; Cassidy explains) fabric added throughout the costume, including the bodysuit underneath the jacket and the fingerless gloves.

So it’s a bit more feminine, because the suit itself it’s sexy, but it is a bit modern. And I love it. That’s what I wanted, she tells us. So I was like, Let’s see where we can put a little bit of feminine touches. Because it’s a very strong suit, how can we make this a little bit more feminine?

And Cassidy reveals she was even more involved when it came to the Black Canary’s hair and make-up. Arrow tested out five looks, the first of which they let me do whatever I wanted.

I wanted a dark red lip and dark red nail color. I like the fact that it’s dark; I also think it’s more feminine. And I want the nail to match the lip, she says, adding that she asked them not to black out her eyes, which almost all of the other heroes on the show do.

As for Laurel’s sleeker, platinum blonde wig, Cassidy explains, I begged them, Please don’t make me wear a curly blonde wig Because the Canary had that and I just wanted Laurel to be more sharp and modern. Sexy, but smart. Just strong.

And while the producers originally didn’t go for her preferred look, Cassidy says, We went in and pled our case, and were like, Look, it’s a masculine outfit. This face and hair make it a bit more feminine. It’s pretty, I thought it looked the best. So Marc [Guggenheim], Andrew [Kreisberg] and Greg [Berlanti] decided to go with it, which was great.

As for the other essential part of the Black Canary’s overall look, the infamous Canary Cry, Cassidy teases Laurel definitely has one, but what form it comes out in, I’m not going to say.

Arrow airs tonight at 8 p.m. on the CW.

Credit: eprotoeu.mtiny.com/

Stills from next week’s episode of Arrow, titled Midnight City, have been added to our gallery! Right now we only have them in MQ, but will be replace with their HQ versions as soon as possible!

GALLERY LINKs:
– Arrow > Season 3 > Episode Stills > 3×11 – Midnight City

It’s all about good news for Katie Cassidy these days.

Just as CBR News was sitting down with the actress to take about Laurel Lance’s long-awaited transformation from crusading D.A. into the full-blown superhero Black Canary (assuming the role from her late sister Sara), even more glad tidings came Cassidy’s way as she learned that “Arrow” had just been renewed for a fourth season.

To say Cassidy was in an upbeat mood was an understatement, especially after having the thrilling prospect of becoming TV’s incarnation of comics superstar Black Canary — first dangled before her by the producers when she first entertained the notion of joining the series two and a half seasons ago — finally came to pass, as she reveals in her chat with CBR.

CBR News: Congratulations on the renewal! What does it mean to you to know that this cool job of yours is going to keep going?
Katie Cassidy: I love it! I mean, we have such a wonderful cast and such a wonderful group of people — honestly, you become a family. I’m so happy and grateful and lucky to be working with everyone.

Speaking of the family, tell me what it means for your character to be without Oliver this season.
On January 21, you will see Laurel in the suit and becoming Black Canary — but just because she suited up doesn’t necessarily mean she’s good, first of all. But it’s part of her journey. In Season Three, she goes from avenging her sister’s death, to honoring to her sister, to basically becoming her sister, but her own version of it. And she really steps up to the plate, I think. Now that Oliver’s gone, [she] takes the reins and is like, “I got this.” She’s a strong woman, and I think she’s going to kick some butt.

Your costume’s been a long time coming, From the beginning of the series, everybody wondered if, when, how? So what did it mean for you to finally get to this point?
Yeah, I mean, it’s truly an honor. When I originally sat down and met with Greg [Berlanti] and Mark [Guggenheim] and Andrew [Kreisberg], they pitched me the characters attached to the show. And they had said Black Canary, and I was, like, over the moon. I wanted to do something action-packed. I thought that was great. And then it’s television — anything can happen. But Season Two, obviously, they brought my sister back, and she was the Canary. It was disappointing at first, but they explained to me, and it really made sense.

I’m actually happy that it worked out this way because they were like, “You can’t just come become a hero overnight. You have to earn it.” Oliver was on an island for five years. Laurel can’t just all of a sudden wake up one day, put on the suit and turn into the Black Canary. She has to earn it. I feel as though Season Two, she really hit rock bottom, and the writers really wrote for me, which I totally appreciate. She’s earning it. She’s training. She’s fighting. She’s following her heart, and she’s going out there on the streets. She’s doing what she believes in.

Credit: comicbookresources.com
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andyouloveher88: what’s coming up for Arrow when we come off winter hiatus?
The moment we’ve all been waiting for finally comes to fruition…Laurel suits up as the Black Canary! “On January 21, you will see me as the Black Canary!” Katie Cassidy tells us. “Plus, fans are going to be really surprised when Laurel finds out who killed her sister and the way she responds to it is now what you’d expect. And when her father hears that the Black Canary has returned, she’s kind of stuck. She doesn’t know if she should share that with her father or not so she ends up going to Nyssa to ask for advice. The final episodes of this season are just so jaw-dropping and awesome.”