Board Thread:Fanon: Season 8 & Beyond/@comment-33386384-20180529020450/@comment-33386384-20180704194243

LINEUP CHANGES? Once Upon a Time's new showrunner, Lady Rapunzel, has given a brief explanation of how special guest star billing will work out in the eighth season: all former series regulars (from the parent series and the spin-off) and renowned actors, such as Kathy Bates (Queen of Hearts) and Ted Danson (King of Hearts), will be credited with the "Special Guest Starring" billing. Although the spin-off was mentioned, series' showrunner, Lady Rapunzel, says that none of the characters from Once Upon a Time in Wonderland were confirmed to appear in the new season as of yet.

At the beginning of the new season, Meghan Ory (Red Riding Hood/Ruby) was promoted from "guest star" to "special guest star" with her brief appearance at Granny's Diner.

So far, the special guest stars who have already appeared and are confirmed are Lana Parrilla (Evil Queen/Regina Mills/Roni), Jennifer Morrison (Emma Swan), Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard), Meghan Ory (Red Riding Hood/Ruby), Robert Carlyle (Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold/Weaver), Emilie de Ravin (Belle/Belle French), Michael Raymond-James (Neal Cassidy), Kathy Bates (Queen of Hearts), Ted Danson (King of Hearts), and possibly more actors as the season continues.

Also, former co-star Suzy Joachim was recently promoted to guest starring capacity, possibly marking greater importance for the character who made her first appearance in the Season Seven episode "Secret Garden".

Parrilla, Morrison, Goodwin, Dallas and Ory are all set to appear in a recurring arc in Season Eight, but series' showrunner doesn't rule out new appearances from the rest of the special guest stars, including former regulars, Carlyle and De Ravin.

Lady Rapunzel also teases that former series regulars and guest stars from the show's past will be returning, but has not given any details yet. Teri Reeves (Dorothy Gale) and Jamie Chung (Mulan) were recently confirmed to appear in Zelena's (Rebecca Mader) centric episode, "The Wicked Witch Is Dead".

"I can confirm that we will be seeing familiar faces, both series regulars and guest stars, will be returning in season 8," the showrunner teases.

'Once Upon a Time' airs Fridays in 2018. The season's second episode's premiere date is still TBD.