Critics React to Early "Arrow" Preview, Ray Palmer

Earlier today, various entertainment bloggers saw a sneak peak at the third season premiere of "Arrow" - here's what they had to say (including the introduction of Brandon Routh as Ray Palmer aka the Atom). Beware of minor spoilers!

Hello gorgeous! What an entrance Brandon Routh’s new character makes and if the first entrance doesn’t make your jaw drop, his second entrance will.  Let’s just say there is a good reason he catches Felicity’s attention every time she runs into him — that man is full of mystery and he speaks Felicity’s language.  That’s right:  he may just be her hacking-dream-come-true type of guy. Even Oliver’s jaw may have hit the floor meeting him.  So keep a close eye on Oliver’s reaction when he meets Brandon’s character.  It’s worth it.  Not sure who was more stunned meeting Brandon: Oliver or Felicity.  Like I said, Brandon knows how to make an entrance. (P.S. If you were a CHUCK fan, you are going to love Brandon’s new role on ARROW.) - SEAT42F

Brandon Routh makes his entrance not at Queen Consolidated, but at a location that may make you think of his previous gig, Chuck. Also, his interaction with Felicity? It doesn’t go as expected. - TVLine

I think anything is possible. My instinct is that if Ray Palmer’s going to shrink, he’ll probably shrink on another show,” Marc Guggenheim told us. “With The Flash in existence, there’s no real compelling reason for us to do super powers on Arrow. We can bring characters to Flash to have super powers. We have plans for Ray that don’t involve shrinking, but our plans for Ray are actually really cool. - Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim to Green Arrow TV

We know that Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) will make a play for Queen Consolidated, but the way he goes about it is very questionable–and shockingly involves Felicity. Also, would it surprise you that Arrow and Scandal have something in common this season? Once you see Felicity’s new job, you’ll understand. - Entertainment Weekly

I think anything is possible. My instinct is that if Ray Palmer’s going to shrink, he’ll probably shrink on another show,” Marc Guggenheim told us. “With The Flash in existence, there’s no real compelling reason for us to do super powers on Arrow. We can bring characters to Flash to have super powers. We have plans for Ray that don’t involve shrinking, but our plans for Ray are actually really cool. - Executive Producer Marc Guggenheim to Green Arrow TV

The writers wanted to bring in a character Arrow hadn't seen yet and was closer to the writers' voices than say, a "taciturn" Oliver or the "man of few words" Diggle. "One thing we haven't seen is someone who can play at Felicity's level in terms of banter. We would always say we write her as if she came in from a different show, but the problem is, she doesn't have anyone else to talk like that [with]," Guggenheim said. "You can't write West Wing-y banter with Felicity because banter requires two people." That's where Ray Palmer comes in. "Ray is a joy to write for because his banter with Felicity is a lot of fun. It's a quality of the show we've never seen before," he added. "Ray's either an interesting departure or an interesting twist." - The Hollywood Reporter