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He’s back! Sean Maguire’s Robin Hood returning to ‘OUAT’
Just when we thought “Once Upon a Time” had finally laid Robin Hood (Sean Maguire) to rest with its touching tribute in the Season 6 premiere, Entertainment Weekly announced that Maguire would be returning to the show for a short arc.
The news that Maguire would be back in any capacity might be shocking for fans of the show, especially considering the lackluster opinion Maguire shared about the way Robin was killed off.
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“I felt like it was an abrupt end,” Maguire told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. “I didn’t feel the character had any development this year and wasn’t really written for. That was disappointing for people who liked Robin Hood and liked him and Regina (Lana Parrilla) together.”
He went on to say that he didn’t expect to return to “Once Upon a Time” any time soon, which we took as a sign that any apparent bad blood between the actor and the show was set in stone. However, it appears whatever fence was broken between the two camps has mended in record time, since we can expect to see Maguire back in Storybrooke for multiple episodes this year.
“We’re thrilled to have Sean back for this story arc and are excited for the audience to see what we have planned, which in the wake of his character’s heartbreaking demise, is something we hope is unexpected and surprising,” say showrunners Adam Horowtiz and Eddy Kitsis.
Maguire wasn’t exactly wrong in voicing his irritation that Robin Hood fell by the wayside in Season 5, which is why it was so disappointing to see him killed off after being ignored all year. Perhaps this is “Once Upon a Time’s” attempt to do the character justice one last time before sending him off for good?
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Kitsis and Horowitz would not reveal how Maguire will return to Storybrooke, but they have confirmed that Robin will not be returning from the dead.
“I’d say dead is dead,” Eddy Kitsis says of Robin’s unlikely resurrection. “We’ve had loss on this show, we’ve had people come back. We’re not going to the Underworld this year, so I can tell you that a lot of this year is about Regina dealing with loss and moving on because I think Regina has the most unfair luck of anybody, but that’s kind of what makes her Regina.”
The fact that Robin won’t be returning to “Once Upon a Time” alive leaves the option open for ghostly visits, dream sequences and flashbacks, which we’re sure fans Regina and Robin will appreciate.
“Once Upon a Time” airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.