Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 has unfurled with a vastly different structure than its first season, with enough new characters that you’d forgive the absence of Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter. The Legends will have next week’s crossover to keep occupied, but new details shed light on when, and how Hunter will re-enter the picture.

Where Season 2 hasn’t made very much of Hunter’s absence after the initial premiere, CinemaBlend spoke to Maisie Richardson-Sellers to learn when the former Waverider captain would resurface. More than when, it also seems we’ll be dealing with a very different Rip Hunter:

He does come back, just not necessarily the Rip that we remember. That’s sort of what is a big part of the second half of the season.

We may not see Rip at all in 2016, as even after next week’s crossover, winter finale “The Chicago Way” teases the introduction of the Legion of Doom, moreso than Rip’s return:

LEGION OF DOOM — When a new Time Aberration is discovered by the Legends, they find themselves headed to 1927 Chicago. The Legends quickly realize that they have been set up by Eobard Thawne (guest star Matt Letscher), Damien Darhk (guest star Neal McDonough) and the newest member of the Legion of Doom, Malcolm Merlyn (guest start John Barrowman). While everyone is trying to help fix what they think is the mission, Jax (Franz Drameh) encourages a reluctant Stein (Victor Garber) to share his secret with the other Legends. Stein is taken captive and Sara (Caity Lotz) must make the tough choice of either stopping the Legion of Doom or saving Stein. Meanwhile, Rory (Dominic Purcell) gets an unexpected visitor and is not sure how to handle it.

We’d guess that “unexpected visitor” is Wentworth Miller’s Leonard Snart, but what condition should we expect Rip in by the time Arthur Darvill returns?