When "Arrow" was first aired back in 2012, DC fans were surprised yet delighted to find that the CW brought in a superhero show with dark in gritty elements. Those the have been fans of the comics remember Oliver Queen AKA "The Green Arrow" having more levity, but fans have grown to love the TV incarnation of DC's archer, portrayed brilliantly by actor "Stephen Amell."

Over the past seasons, things have shifted from the realistic to the fantastical, with later seasons adding in the mystical. The shift of tone could be due to the fact that Arrow has opened its universe to other superheroes and villains, and brought forth the most successful TV universe of this generation. But showrunners seems to feel that they should be going back to basics.

The upcoming season of Arrow will feature flashback of Oliver Queen's dealings in Russia before he returned to Starling City. And according to Cinema Blend, it looks like showrunners of Arrow want to go back to basics. Executive producer Wendy Mericle recently explained how the Russian mafia has influenced the realism and grittiness of the fight scenes in the upcoming season 5 of Arrow.

She further explained that the staff of Arrow watched David Cronenberg's film, "Eastern Promises," and that Mericle also watched documentaries about the Bratva and their operations within the Russian prison system. Mericle also pointed out that the upcoming season will be dealing with the Bratva which is a messed-up yet interesting institution. She also joked that she might get shot for her statements.

In a report by TVLine, Wendy Mericle revealed that the production team for Arrow did great research on the violent and brutal nature of the Bratva, and how they portrayed it in the upcoming episode as accurate as possible. Mericle also alluded back to her joke of being called out by the real Bratva, but she then stated that if that ever happens, she'd know that they got things right.