"Once Upon A Time" scored another renewal from ABC before its sixth season concluded last May. Viewers can expect to see more of their favorite characters who have been confirmed to reprise their roles in the fantasy series. Unfortunately, not everyone will be joining the gang for the next chapter of the program. So, here's a rundown of who's returning and leaving the show.
Who's coming back? Who's saying goodbye?
The long-running fantasy series has yet to be given a final date for the release of season seven. But based on its previous runs, the show will likely return with a whole new installment in September.
The characters of Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle, and Colin O’Donoghue have been confirmed to return alongside Andrew J. West and Alison Fernandez who were recently promoted to series regulars.
Jennifer Morrison, who announced her departure from Storybrooke, will appear in the opening episode of "Once Upon A Time" Season 7 before her role as Emma Swan will finally bow out from the ABC series. In an interview with Deadline, the 35-year-old actress explained that she has been trying to transition from acting to directing, but said that she has yet to explore the latter because of her network schedules fully.
She added that it was about time for her to decide on what she would like to do after acting for over a decade.
Morrison thought she also needs some time for herself, her family and friends. Her departure in "Once Upon A Time" would also allow her to do other creative things.
Aside from Morrison, viewers will no longer see Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White/Mary Margaret, Josh Dallas as Prince Charming/David, Rebecca Mader as Wicked Witch/Zelena, Emilie de Ravin as Belle, and Jared Gilmore as Henry Mills.
But despite their absence, the "Once Upon A Time" showrunners are not ruling out the possibility for any of these actors to return in the series. In fact, they even guaranteed that viewers would know what happened to these characters before they left the scene.
What to expect in 'OUAT' Season 7?
Aside from bringing back some of our favorite characters, the ABC series will also hire new faces for the upcoming season.
The new fairytale characters will join the team as they continue their fight against evil. Henry is expected to step up after her mother's exit, but unlike Morrison, the leader will likely explore the world outside Storybrooke for the development of his arc.
