The writers of Grey's Anatomy apparently have an endless supply of surprises up their sleeves.
Following the death of Andrew DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) on the spring premiere of Grey's Anatomy, Deadline reports that former series regular Sarah Drew is returning to role of Dr. April Kepner.
Grey's Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff shared Deadline's report on Twitter, seemingly confirming the news.
Gianniotti teased the return of numerous characters in an interview with E! News this Friday. He acknowledged his departure is saddening, but noted, "If you're a true fan of Grey's Anatomy, you know the characters never really die."
"We see flashbacks, we see so many storytelling devices that the writers over the years have used to see old characters that we've lost, so I think the same storytelling devices are going to be used to continue to see DeLuca for a little bit longer," he continued. "So even though he's dead, whether it's a dream or a flashback or something, there is certainly a world where we can still enjoy a little bit of him."
So what will April's return to Grey Sloan Memorial look like? Well, when viewers last saw her she quit her job as a surgeon and married Matthew (Justin Bruening). But she and Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) still share their daughter Harriet, leaving room for a potential reconciliation.
To look back on the departures of more Grey Sloan Memorial docs, check out the gallery below! Who knows, one of them may turn up on Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) beach one day.