Once Upon a Cast Shake Up

Once Upon a Time has officially been renewed for Season 7. As I said in this blog post, Season 7 will feature a "reboot" of the series. What that looks like will only start to be known after tonight's finale. But we do know it will be moving forward without a significant number of current cast members.

Actress Jennifer Morrison, who has played Emma Swan since the pilot, announced Monday morning that she will not be returning for Season 7. She made this in advance of the show's official renewal notice on Thursday, but it seemed that someone was going to announce her departure anyway. She said she wanted to spend more time with her friends and family as well as pursue other projects, all of which are perfectly valid. Morrison did confirm she'll return for one episode of Season 7, though she doesn't know if it will be the premiere or some other episode.

After it was announced that Once would come back for a seventh season, Rebecca Mader (Zelena) posted a message to her Instagram announcing that she was leaving after season six. In it, Mader stated that her departure was not her choice but rather a "creative" decision. The same was the true later when Emile de Ravin (Belle) confirmed that she was leaving as well.

Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis, the co-creators, also confirmed that Josh Dallas (Prince Charming), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White), and Jared Gilmore (Henry Mills) will also not be regulars anymore either. Nothing has been said about whether they chose to leave or if it was a creative decision on the show's part. Based on everything I've heard from within the fandom, I believe Dallas and Goodwin opted not to renew their contracts. And if the speculation that Andrew J. West is playing an older Henry is correct, then Gilmore was mostly not asked back.

So is anyone coming back? Yes, the show has confirmed that Lana Parrilla (Regina Mills), Colin O'Donoghue (Captain Hook) and Robert Carlyle (Rumpelstiltskin) will be returning for Season 7. What that means and how the show will now appear is yet to be seen. I know many fans are not happy over this development and I'm not sure how much the General Audience knows yet. I do believe ABC is taking a gamble on the reboot but it could pay out for all we know, bringing new life to the show and new fans. Or it could alienate an already dwindling audience while displeasing a very passionate fanbase.

As I said, everything waits to be seen.

In the meantime, vote for which character you will miss the most.