Vixen Goes Live in Trailer for the Next Episode of 'Arrow'

Mari McCabe, also known as Vixen, is coming to Star City. In live action.

Vixen star Megalyn Echikunwoke will reprise her role of Mari McCabe in a guest spot in “Taken,” the next episode of Arrow on the CW. The trailer aired after this week’s episode, “Code of Silence,” and shows Echikunwoke in a slightly different costume than seen in the cartoon.

Though most of the episode will deal with the repercussions of Damien Darhk kidnapping Oliver Queen’s son William after “Code of Silence,” Team Arrow will call upon the assistance of Vixen. How will she help? That’s the point of tuning in, I reckon.

A little bit of background, here: Last summer, the DC Arrowverse expanded with Vixen, an animated mini-series released on CW Seed, the digital platform of the CW. The show starred Megalyn Echikunwoke as Mari McCabe, a Detroit woman who investigates the murder of her parents in Africa and gains the power to mimic animal abilities, becoming the superheroine Vixen. Mari teams up with the Flash and Green Arrow, voiced by Grant Gustin and Stephen Amell, respectively, who teach her how to be a superhero while stopping a plot that threatens her city.

Mari coming to Arrow is awesome, not only because I said months ago it would be amazing if Echikunwoke played Mari in live-action, though I guessed she’d be a great fit for Legends of Tomorrow. It rocks just because of how huge the Arrowverse has become. Plus, there’s the diversity win. You can count on one hand how many black female superheroes there are in an era where superheroes dominate pop culture. More characters like Vixen aren’t just welcome, they’re absolutely necessary.

This season, both Arrow and The Flash are loaded with crossovers, and that’s not including the annual two-parter. Matt Ryan reprised his John Constantine role in Arrow, and Grant Gustin will be the Flash in an upcoming episode of Supergirl on CBS.

Arrow airs Wednesdays on the CW.