Before he's even had any screen time, Colin O'Donoghue has been promoted to series regular on Once Upon a Time, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

Once Upon a Time: Now that the curse has been broken, the real trouble begins

The Irish actor, whose credits include The Riteand The Tudors,joined the cast in August, landing the pivotal role of Captain Hook, whose impending arrival was announced byshowrunners Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis at Comic-Con this summer. As first reported by Entertainment Weekly, O'Donoghue's new status kicks in during the second half of Season 2.

Hook will first appear in the Sunday, Oct. 21 episode, fittingly titled "The Crocodile." As Peter Pan fans are aware, the dastardly Captain Hook has a prosthetic hook for a hand, which he lost after a run-in with a hungry crocodile. Are you excited for his introduction?

Once Upon a Timeairs Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.