Despite not being part of the original series announcement, it has been reported by Deadline that The Santa Clause star David Krumholtz will be reprising his beloved role as Bernard the elf in the upcoming Disney+ sequel show, The Santa Clauses. Fans were disappointed when the original cast for the new series was announced and both Krumholtz and Eric Lloyd, who played one of Scott Calvin’s son Charlie, were absent from the list. At the time Krumholtz seemed to be surprised that the series was happening, and it was assumed that he had not been asked to return for the series having dropped out of the third movie, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause.

When the third movie in the franchise was made, Krumholtz did not reprise his role as Bernard, claiming it “devalued” the character to do so. He previously told Vulture that despite the character originally being in the movie in a significant way, when it came to it, he just couldn’t go through with it. He said:

"Bernard was [originally] in the third movie. They sent me the script, I had a pretty significant role. We did work out the schedule, which was going to be hellish on me, but I was going to make it work. And it was all set to go. But I would say that the character got devalued a little bit and I couldn't in good conscience do it. The third one, I've tried to watch. It's not the same. I think the first two are really special."

It looks like this time around the character is being portrayed in a way that Krumholtz is happy with, and it is obvious that fans of the franchise will be glad to see him back in the role of Bernard again.

Related: David Krumholtz Explains Why Bernard Didn't Return in The Santa Clause 3

The Santa Clauses Is The First Entry In The Franchise For Over 15 Years

Santa Clauses
Disney+

Tim Allen will reprise his role as Scott Calvin for the first time since 2006, and it is fair to say that it was not an expected return given the lukewarm reception The Santa Clause 3 received. While the original 1994 movie and its sequel were both well received, something about the third movie just didn’t capture the imagination in the same way.

Now, Allen is back to play Calvin for what will likely be one last time, as the official synopsis for the series suggests that his character is about ready to give up the Santa Claus game. The description reads:

"Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s starting to lose a step in his Santa duties, and more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the Pole. With a lot of elves, children, and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole."

The Santa Clauses doesn’t have a release date, but is expected to arrive on Disney+ this December.