We know Merlyn will play a role in the final episodes of Arrow’s fifth season, so death isn’t entirely off of the table.
This naturally raises questions about where the Arrow-verse will take The Dark Archer going forward.
After all, the character has basically been living on borrowed time ever since he survived an arrow through the heart during The Undertaking at the climax of Arrow’s Season 1 finale back in 2013.
At this point, it remains unclear whether or not Barrowman’s comments are a thinly veiled admission that Merlyn will die at the end of this season, or if he will simply take some time away from the series before potentially returning.