Lucifer Star Tom Ellis Played A Disney Character In A Hit ABC Fantasy Series

Before playing the devil incarnate in "Lucifer," Tom Ellis had a brief stint on ABC's "Once Upon a Time" as an outlaw hero. "Once Upon a Time" ran from 2011 to 2018, following Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), a woman who reconnects with her biological son Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) and relocates to Storybrooke, a small town where fairy tales aren't make-believe. 

Ellis joined the series in Season 2, Episode 19 as Robin Hood, a man who's ready to draw his bow and arrow to protect his own. Robin invades Rumpelstiltskin's (Robert Carlyle) castle, believing that he can steal the villain's magic wand without getting caught. But things don't go as planned, and Robin is imprisoned. Later in the episode, it's revealed that Robin wants the wand in order to protect his pregnant lover, who has fallen ill. Rumplestiltskin, who is slowly becoming a more understanding character given Belle's (Emilie de Ravin) influence on him, lets Robin off the hook.

Ellis might have been the perfect pick to play Robin, but his appearance in "Once Upon a Time" was short-lived. In 2013, series co-creator Adam Horowitz announced that the "Lucifer" alum wouldn't return for Season 3 due to scheduling conflicts, prompting the creative team to suddenly recast Robin for the TV show. 

Sean Maguire stepped in to play Robin Hood for the remainder of "Once Upon a Time," exploring the thief's backstory as well as his Storybrooke persona, Robin of Locksley. The latter even gets romantically involved with Regina, the alter ego of the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla). 

In Season 5, the character experiences a deadly twist when he's struck in the heart by Hades' (Greg Germann) Olympian crystal while protecting Regina. Maguire told TVLine in 2016 that he was surprised by Robin's fate in the series, adding that he was disappointed for the fans who had rooted for Robin and Regina. "I think the majority of them believed that Robin and Regina were supposed to end up together, that there would be hope and a happy ending. But it appears the story is taking a different turn," he said.

However, "Once Upon a Time" fans are well aware that, even though someone dies on the show, they still can be brought back in a fantastical manner. Although Robin doesn't miraculously return from the dead after the attack, Regina creates a Wish Realm version of him in Season 6. Maguire also makes a guest appearance in the series finale via Regina's fever dream, giving fans of the show a last opportunity to see him and Parrilla share the screen.