‘Once Upon a Time’ season 2: Mad Hatter spin-off rumors … minus Sebastian Stan

When we first heard the news that ABC was mulling a “Once Upon a Time” spin-off series featuring none other than Sebastian Stan’s character of the Mad Hatter, we were excited; but then, we hard that Stan was not going to be a part of the show at all.

According to a new report from Deadline, the executives behind the show are considering recasting the popular role, and then launching into a full-fledged series next year based on the success of an episode airing later this spring that could function as a backdoor pilot of sorts. Stan was originally asked to take on the part, but he is currently unable to make a multi-year commitment thanks to the variety of other projects he has currently lined up. Stan, who has been linked romantically to series star Jennifer Morrison, is currently starring on “Picnic” on Broadway, and he also has a part coming up in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Stan’s last series regular position came for the short-lived “Political Animals” over on USA, but he also is well-known for an arc on “Gossip Girl” and a relationship that he had with Leighton Meester.

So is a Mad Hatter spin-off show really that great of an idea? We’re not always a fan of spin-offs, given that you are hardly ever guaranteed to have an audience larger than the original show, and trying to re-cast a popular character seems a lot like trying to bring back “Community” without Dan Harmon and passing it on to viewers as though it is the same thing.

What do you think: is a Mad Hatter spin-off a good idea, or is ABC really shooting themselves in the foot by trying to do something without the actor who made the character popular in the first place? If you want some more scoop related to a certain “Evil Queen,” you can check it out by visiting the story over at the link here.

Photo: ABC