Before 'Arrow' hit the small screen and became one of television's most popular superhero shows, you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody who hadn't read DC Comics and knew who the heroic Green Arrow was. Now, he's a household name, played by Stephen Amell, and one of the most popular characters to come from DC's world.

Michael Emerson will join 'Arrow' in its sixth seasonMichael Emerson will join 'Arrow' in its sixth season

Six seasons deep, The CW has enjoyed varying amounts of success when it comes to critical reception to their stories. Seasons 1-2 for example were seen as brilliant displays of what magic can be done with a world such as this one, but seasons 3 and 4 were less well-received. Season 5 looked to be heading in the right direction once more and so, when it comes to the upcoming sixth season, there's a lot of high expectations.

Earlier this year at San Diego Comic Con, those expectations were brought up another notch when it was revealed veteran actor Michael Emerson would be joining the series in a mysterious, villainous role. He'll be seen in season 6 alongside the show's other new Big Bad, Ricardo Diaz, aka Richard Dragon (Kirk Acevedo).

Up until this point, not much has been said about who Emerson will be taking on or how he's getting on filming the show. Now, that's all changed.

The show's co-showrunner and producer Wendy Mericle is clearly a fan of the actor, and told TV Line of his performance: "He is a dream to work with, and I think he’s doing an amazing job. We’ve seen some dailies of some of his episodes and he’s just fantastic. He’s a really understated, subtle actor, and that brings a different energy on set. It’s great."

She went on to tease of his role: "This character that we’re having [Michael] play is somewhat similar to people has has played in the past. But we had many conversations with him about how to make it different, and what elements we could bring to the character to change it up."

It's undeniable that through 'Arrow's past, part of why the show has been so strong is down to its incredible roster of villains. All those who have plagued Star City and beyond, and proved to be a challenge for Team Arrow have been characters played by stellar actors, such as Manu Bennett's brilliant take on fan favourite DC character Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke.

Emerson will undoubtedly give a fantastic performance of his own and so, we cannot wait to see what he's been given to work with.

More: Stephen Amell Wants "Funnier" Arrow In Season 6

'Arrow' season 6 premieres on The CW on Thursday, October 12 in the US, and will come to the UK shortly thereafter on Sky1.