Stephen Amell confirms 'Arrow' will end with Season 8

March 7 (UPI) -- Stephen Amell said Season 8 of Arrow will be the DC superhero drama's last.

The final 10 episodes will begin airing on The CW this fall.

"Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can't be a vigilante forever," Amell tweeted Wednesday.

"There's so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you."

The comic-book adaptation co-stars David Ramsey, Emily Bett Rickards, Echo Kellum, Katie Cassidy, Rick Gonzalez, Juliana Harkavy, Colton Haynes, Kirk Acevedo and Sea Shimooka.

"This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we've made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of Arrow in mind," series executive producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz said in a joint statement to Variety.

They added: "We're heartened by the fact that Arrow has birthed an entire universe of shows that will continue on for many years to come. We're excited about crafting a conclusion that honors the show, its characters and its legacy and are grateful to all the writers, producers, actors, and -- more importantly -- the incredible crew that has sustained us and the show for over seven years."

Amell also posted an emotional, 8-minute video on Facebook, thanking the cast, crew and fans for their hard work and support.

He also revealed that he had told the producers at the end of Season 6 that he wanted to "move on" from the show when his commitment was up the following season. They ultimately agreed what would be best is for Amell to return for an abbreviated season that would be the show's last.

"I've always been a fan of television shows that not only don't overstay their welcome, but end in a manner that really packs a punch," he said. "And, so, it had always been my hope that we were going to finish this journey and not limp to the finish line."