'Once Upon a Time' season 5B premiere: Belle becomes a more important character

Once Upon a Time cast: from L-R, Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle, Emilie de Ravin.Facebook/OnceABC

"Once Upon a Time" is approaching its midseason premiere next month, but so far not much has been shared about the series, except for the established Underworld plotline.

There is, however, one focus of the second half of the season that got fans intrigued — the story of Belle, played by Australian actress Emilie de Ravin.

While it is assumed that everyone in Storybrooke will be heading to Hades' realm to save Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), someone needs to manage the situation on the ground and there is no other person more capable than the brunette librarian, according to Bustle.

Series co-creator Adam Horowitz also revealed in a report by TV Line, that the production has "plans to keep Belle busy." Belle will soon be featured in a flashback scene with her suitor Gaston (Wes Brown) and fans will get to know more about her and have a glimpse of her past before she became Rumple's wife.

Her importance to the overall story will also be highlighted. As Horowitz explained, since she didn't get to the boat heading to the Underworld, she will become "very involved" in some way.

Belle's romance with Rumple (Robert Carlyle) will also be given focus when the series returns. "We left them in a place where that relationship was evolving." Belle is unaware that the love of her life has ventured to the dark side again.

"We're not abandoning any of those story threads," Horowitz assured, "and we're hoping to pick up on them in an unexpected way." Will Belle find out that Rumple has gone dark (or darker) again and if she does, will she finally end things between them? If that happens, it will definitely be an "unexpected" element of the story.

"Once Upon a Time" season 5 will return on Mar. 6, and viewers will soon find out more about Belle.