'Once Upon A Time'
Actress Jennifer Morrison and creator and executive producer Adam Horowitz, on the new series "Once Upon A Time" speak during a panel sesssion at the ABC Summer TCA Press Tour in Beverly Hills , California August 7, 2011. Reuters/Fred Prouser

A reboot is always a hard sell for any producer, especially when the characters they have to cut have been on air for a long time and are loved by fans. When the producers announced that a new set of cast members will be joining “Once Upon A Time” season 7, some fans questioned whether the new additions will act as a replacement to the veterans.

Among those who will not be returning this year are Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan), Josh Dallas (David Nolan) and Ginnifer Goodwin (Mary Margaret Blanchard). These characters and their stories have been the main focus of the show so far.

Morrison is set to return for just one episode, which indicates that her character will be killed off. The other characters will still be alive in the fantasy world, but fans will only get to hear what’s happening with their lives and will not get to see them.

When viewers heard the news about the show going for a reboot, it was a hard pill to swallow. But the need for a change is understandable after six years. Later, the possibility of Emma’s death was again difficult to digest. Then the casting announcement for a new group of actors led to some voicing their concerns online.

The fans wanted to keep the veteran actors on the show, and a few suggested the producers could have negotiated with them to stay. The fans were worried about their favourite characters being “replaced.” However, that is not what the showrunners are planning.

Replying to a statement about the new additions in “Once Upon A Time” season 7, Adam Horowitz confirmed that the actors cast this year are all playing new characters from Disney and are not a “replacement” of the veteran characters.

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