Could Once Upon A Time Lose Its Star, Jennifer Morrison?

A big shake-up is on the horizon for the cast of ABC's Once Upon A Time. Jennifer Morrison, who plays Emma Swan, the leading lady of the popular series, says that her contract with ABC ends this coming April — and she is unsure if she will be asked to stay on the series. Morrison openly addressed her current state of limbo while a guest on the podcast, The Drop-In, with host Will Malnati, Entertainment Weekly writes. On the podcast she said, "They haven’t picked up the show officially yet — they might, they might not. We are just waiting now to see if the network decides to continue with the show — and if they do continue with the show, if they’re going to rework it to be something else, or if they’re going to invite people to stay. We’re just in a holding pattern right now.” The show is currently in its sixth season, and higher-ups at ABC have expressed an interest in having the show go in a new direction. ABC Chief Channing Dungey said that while they are tempted to try something new, that "doesn't necessarily mean that we're not bringing cast back," EW reports from the Television Critics Association press tour. The show itself has not even been confirmed for a season seven renewal. While Dugey's statements are vague, Morrison's are much more transparent. "I have a really fierce loyalty to the show," she said. "I am fiercely protective of the character. I feel like so many amazing things have come to my life because of it. It’s really made my life better in so many ways. I don’t have any interest in abandoning something that is such a special part of my life, but I also know I don’t have it in me to do it forever, so it’s more about a life decision, and I don’t even know how to make that life decision until I know what ABC even wants." Morrison's character has been at the forefront of the series since the first episode back in 2011. It's hard to imagine a Once world without her in it.

Once Upon a Time returns to ABC on Sunday, March 5 at 8 p.m.