'Brave' Heroine Merida Joins 'OUAT' Season 5

You know how I said earlier that now that we know pretty much everything we need to know about Once Upon A Time Season 5 — at least in terms of new and returning cast members and the general theme — that it was time to get excited? Well, I may have gotten ahead of myself. Thanks to the Once cast and crew's panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, we learned that we'll be welcoming more than Merlin and the Camelot crew next season. So who else is actually left that we haven't already seen? Turns out, we'll also meet Merida, the flame-haired heroine from Disney's Brave . Okay, NOW you can get excited.

Fans were treated to a promotional video for Season 5 during the SDCC panel, which showed Merida, played by Atlantis actress Amy Mason, shooting and splitting arrows in their targets. It was a short preview, but one that definitely has me excited. After all, Merida is a wonderfully strong female character, and her addition to Once only solidifies the show's dedication to portraying badass women who have what it takes to make the world a better (or at the very least, different) place.

However, I have to admit I'm slightly confused about where Merida will come into things, and at what point. After all, as we already know, much of Season 5 will take place in Camelot, where the Storybrooke crew will commence their hunt for Merlin, the only wizard in the known world capable of banishing the Dark One once and for all. We've already cast the likes of King Arthur and Guinevere, as well, so up until now I assumed there wouldn't be much time for anything else. Of course, where we'll meet Merida and under what circumstances has yet to be revealed. For all we know, Once's version of the animated heroine could find her in Camelot, too. Only time will tell.

One thing is for sure: Merida will be close enough in character to her original incarnation that we can likely count on her help when our main characters find themselves in trouble or just in need of an extra hand. If Merida is indeed in Camelot, perhaps she could be of help in locating Merlin and in warding off the more unsavory characters who might attempt to thwart the Storybrooke crew's mission to find him and restore Emma. There are plenty of ways this could be played, but unfortunately, there are a few more months to go before any of these questions will be answered. I guess we'll just have to be patient, for now.

Images: Disney Pixar (2)