Emma Swan may be gone, but three long-standing characters look set to return for Once Upon a Time's seventh season, it seems.

Assuming that the show is renewed by ABC, Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), Regina (Lana Parrilla), and Rumplestiltskin (Robert Carlyle) will continue to play pivotal roles in the story, says Deadline.

O'Donoghue had one year left on his contract, having joined in season two, but Parrilla and Carlyle's contracts would have run out at the end of the current sixth season.

ABC

Hook's return would be particularly interesting, given that the departing Emma is his love interest.

Jennifer Morrison announced earlier this week her intention not to stay on, later citing personal reasons in various interviews.

"It's a gruelling schedule," she previously said (via TVLine). "I don't know if everybody realises that we work 16 to 18 hours a day, and being in Vancouver for the show meant flying every weekend trying to barely see my friends and family every once in a while. For six years, I was on average taking 100 flights a year.

ABC

"As much as I love the show, I ultimately had to do what was right for me, and I need to be home."

Emma and Hook (warning: US-pace spoilers ahead) married at the end of the most recent episode – the musical one – but a dark storm engulfed Storybrooke setting up a dramatic battle in the two-part season finale.

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