Once Upon a Time season 7 has many fans curious. D23 may have shared some information, but there are many more questions. San Diego Comic-Con 2017 was the chance to find out more about the future for Storybrooke and what fans can expect, with showrunners Adam Horowitz and Edward Katsis and stars Robert Carlyle, Colin O’Donoghue, and Lana Parrilla in Ballroom 20.

The panel opened with the season 6 gag reel, which is always a good way to start. At the end, Yvette Nicole Brown confirmed that Once Upon a Time season 6 would be available on DVD from August 15. The remaining original cast and showrunners took to the stage, before the new cast members joined them.

One of the things Katsis promises is that the happy endings from season 6 will not be ruined. This is something all fans worry about, especially since Emma isn’t coming back but Hook is sticking around. Season 7 will be a new journey and a new story. This isn’t anything new, but just more confirmation that the last six years haven’t been a waste of time.


Once Upon a Time Season 7 Premiere Date Announced>>>

Parrilla took the first questions for the actors, and shared that she enjoyed the chance to play the Evil Queen and Regina in season 6, with Episode 14 being her favorite. Her highlight has been how Regina has come to accept herself.

Likewise, Carlyle has enjoyed playing the opposite ends of the spectrum with Gold. The character has kept him on his toes.

O’Donoghue would love to explore more about Hook’s mom, including the relationship and her character. It is something overlooked in Once Upon a Time and the fans in Ballroom 20 certainly agreed. However, O’Donoghue has enjoyed exploring Hook’s complicated character and looks forward to the relationships still to come.

As for the future, Horowitz says that some of the past characters will appear in season 7. At the same time there will be new characters for fans to love. There will be several different storybooks and versions of characters. However, there will not be any new versions of Hook, the Evil Queen, or Rumple. It appears the original cast will stick to their original roles, and come into the new story when Grown Up Henry calls out for help.

After the opening scenes of OUaT season 7, it was time to introduce the new characters. Dania Ramirez was the first to take to the stage. She has already been confirmed as the new Cinderella, and Lucy’s mom. Ramirez shared that as a huge fan of the show, playing Cinderella is her own fairy tale. When she did audition for the show, she had no idea that it was for the part of Cinderella.

Andrew J. West and Gabrielle Anwar took to the stage next, confirmed as Grown Up Henry and Cinderella’s step mom, Lady Tremaine. It appears Anwar’s daughter is a huge fan of the show, and kept shouting “Hook” when Anwar’s agent called about the part.

After introducing the new actors, fans learned that the first episode of season 7 has wrapped filming. The cast is now onto episode 2, which will be Hook’s story and include Emma Swan. The cast has no idea about the rest of season 7, as nobody has had the scripts beyond episode 2. 

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There is some big news for LGBT fans. There will be a prominent LGBT storyline in Once Upon a Time season 7. Nothing more was said about this, but fans will be excited to know that this is a more integral plot than Mulan and Sleeping Beauty.

Rose Reynolds will play the new Alice in season 7. The showrunners say that they wanted Alice in Wonderland included, because “nobody watched the spin-off.” Tiana from Princess and the Frog is also included in the new season and will be played by Mekia Cox. Reign fans may be happy to hear that Adelaide Kane will play a wicked stepsister

The panel wrapped with the trailer for season 7.

The highlight of the panel was the first two scenes of the Once Upon a Time season 7 premiere. While the video wasn’t available at the time of publication, it’s one to look out for. The scene will focus on grown up Henry and start his new adventure. Henry leaves home, with Regina asking him how long he will be gone. “As long as it takes,” Henry replies. Henry needs to learn more about his stories.

The next scene involved a time jump with a grown up Henry racing through the woods and bumping into Cinderella. Of course, O’Donoghue couldn’t help but point out a plot hole in the scene: where did Henry get the gas for his bike? Eventually, Henry and Cinderella will fall in love.

Fun Moments from the Panel:


– It took 3 hours for Parrilla to change from Regina into the Evil Queen
– The eyeliner is O’Donoghue’s favorite part of Hook over the leather pants
– O’Donogue believes having kids is the logical step in Hook and Emma’s story
– Parrilla has promised to teach Jared Gilmore how to drive when he turns 18
– Each new season starts with a big cast dinner for everyone to bond
– Katsis says the show continued because the world still needs hope

Were you excited to hear the updates about Once Upon a Time Season 7? Are you ready for the new season? Share in the comments below.

Once Upon a Time season 7 premieres on Oct. 6 at 8/7c on ABC. Don’t forget to like the OUaT Facebook page for updates straight to your newsfeed.

(Image courtesy of Twitter)

Alexandria Gunn

Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

Alexandria is a full-time freelance writer and journalist. Alexandria studied Computer Science at Aston University and Criminology at the Open University. She enjoys writing about TV shows and entertainment news. Other than writing, Alexandria loves reading, exploring new countries, and relaxing with her family.