EXCLUSIVE: One of the highest-profile young lead roles this pilot season has gone to Stephen Amell. In a potential star-making turn, Amell has been cast in the title role of the CW drama pilot Arrow. In the Warner Bros TV-produced project, described as a modern retelling of the story of DC Comics character Green Arrow, he will play the vigilante superhero who fights crime using archery, martial arts and technology under his secret identity as Oliver Queen, a wealthy playboy and billionaire industrialist-turned-outspoken politician in Star City. David Nutter is directing the pilot, written/executive produced by Andrew Kreisberg, Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim. Amell is a familiar face at the CW, where he has done arcs on The Vampire Diaries and 90210. He most recently recurred on HBO’s Hung and ABC’s Private Practice and was one of the finalists to replace Andy Whitfield as the lead on Spartacus. Amell is the second actor to portray the Green Arrow on the CW; Justin Hartley played the character on the Smallville for several seasons. Like Nina Dobrev, the breakout star of the CW’s Vampire Diaries, Amell hails from Canada. He is repped by SMS, Leverage and Canada’s Gary Goddard Agency.