The return of Once Upon a Time‘s Sebastian Stan has already been announced, but now we know that his role in season 2 will be more substantial than we thought!

TV Line has spoken to creator Adam Horowitz, who confirms that Stan, who plays Jefferson/the Mad Hatter, will return for no less than three episodes.

“And he doesn’t just show up to say, ‘Hey, I’m still here,'” Horowitz reveals. “He has his own story, because his daughter is still out there.”

This is good news for Jefferson fans, who responded very enthusiastically to Stan’s appearance in season 1 and have been clamoring for his return ever since.

Stan himself has also been hoping that filming schedules would work out and allow him to return, despite his role on Political Animals. “I love that character,” he said, “and it’s a great show.”

Stan’s arc will take place in the first batch of episodes, though we don’t know when exactly he’ll first appear. Let’s hope the story leaves it open for him to return again later in season 2!

Aside from Stan, season 2 also sees the return of Bailee Madison as young Snow, and the introductions of several new characters including Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Hook and The Giant. Meanwhile, Belle and Ruby have both been promoted to series regulars.

You can expect us to discuss this news and what kind of arc Stan could be returning for in the next episode of Hypable’s Once Upon a Time podcast Onceable. What are your theories about Jefferson/the Mad Hatter’s role in season 2?

Once Upon a Time returns on September 30, at 8 PM on ABC.