Over the past three seasons, Arrow has introduced a number of comic book goodies and baddies to the small screen, and yet only Deathstroke has displayed any super-powered abilities. At a Q&A last month, showrunner Marc Guggenheim even told reporters, “With ‘The Flash’ in existence, there’s no real compelling reason for us to do super powers on ‘Arrow.’ “ Thus indicating that Ray Palmer’s alter-ego, The Atom, would not be using his shrinking abilities on the show.

But that doesn’t mean that The Atom won’t show up in some capacity before season 3 is over. In fact, earlier this year while filming episode 6, Routh made some noise when he told fans he’d actually already seen concept drawings of The Atom’s costume. At the time, Routh wasn’t sure when exactly he’d get to suit up, but it looks like that moment is getting closer.

In a new tweet today for episode 11, titled “Midnight City,” Routh teased a picture of himself getting a plaster mold made of his face. In the past, having to sit for hours while this is done has meant someone is getting fitted for a mask. And so, just like Roy Harper and Laurel Lance before him, it’s possible Ray Palmer will soon be donning a superhero costume all his own.

Check out the tweet:

All in a day’s work… #RayPalmer #Arrow @CW_Arrow pic.twitter.com/w4yFNxOn2g

— Brandon Routh (@BrandonJRouth) November 4, 2014
Despite Arrow‘s showrunner indicating that there won’t be any superpowers on the series, it seems the writers do have ideas in mind for The Atom. Guggenheim also said at the Q&A: “We have plans for Ray that don’t involve shrinking, but our plans for Ray are actually really cool.” If the character descriptions for this season are any indication, then The Atom will turn out to “harbor a tragic past that is a catalyst for him becoming a tech-powered superhero.”

The Atom Ray Palmer DC Comics Brandon Routh Teases The Atom Coming To Arrow?

In the comics, Ray Palmer was a physicist specializing in matter compression, so being a tech-powered superhero isn’t too much of a stretch if the writers of Arrow are planning to keep his character more realistic. And Palmer asking Felicity to recover those blueprints two weeks ago from a hard drive only gives more credence to the idea that Palmer is interested in advanced weaponry. We’ve only just started to scratch the surface of this new mysterious character.

But what do you think, Screen Rant readers? Do you like the idea of The Atom based in tech and not otherworldly elements? Are you excited to see another costumed superhero make an appearance? Let us know in the comments.

Arrow airs Wednesdays @8pm on The CW. The Flash airs Tuesdays @8pm.