The Purge season 2 is bringing back a surprise character from the franchise. The upcoming season 2 finale will see the return of Ethan Hawke as James Sandin, who we first met in the movie that started it all back in 2013. Hawke has not only been confirmed to appear in the episode, but a first-look photo of the character has been revealed from the episode.

The image doesn't tell us much, but it's said that this will occur in a flashback sequence. That makes sense, given that James Sandin *spoilers* was killed at the end of The Purge. Ethan Hawke will appear in the cold open but, beyond that, little else has been revealed. The photo shows him in an office of sorts. Sandin was a security system salesman who specialized in Purge night protection. One would assume that's the capacity he'll be showing up here. The season 2 finale, titled 7:01 A.M., has been given a brief synopsis, which reads as follows.

"The finale picks up as Purge Night rages on and Esme, Ryan, Marcus and Ben fight for their lives and their loved ones."

Getting a big star like Ethan Hawke to appear on an episode of the show is a huge get, just in terms of being a grabby little stunt on the surface. But the cameo is significant in that it firmly ties the world of the show to the movies. For the most part, the two universes have been living independently from one another. The appearance of James Sandin provides significant connective tissue between the TV and movie sides of the franchise.

The main cast for The Purge season 2 of the series includes Derek Luke as Marcus Moore, Max Martini as Ryan Grant, Paola Nunez as Esme Carmona and Joel Allen as Ben. The cast also includes Rochelle Aytes as Marcus's wife Michelle and Danika Yarosh as Kelen. The show has taken an anthology route for its first two seasons, choosing to focus on a different group of characters, telling a different story, all set within the universe where, once a year, all crime is legal for a 12-hour period known as The Purge.

Released in 2013, The Purge, made for a tiny budget, went on to become a huge hit, grossing $91 million worldwide. To date, the franchise has spawned four movies as well as the show. The movies have grossed a combined $458 million at the global box office, with a fifth entry scheduled to arrive in theaters next summer. Franchise creator James DeMonaco serves as a producer on the show alongside Jason Blum. Sebastien K. Lemercier, Krystal Houghton Ziv, James Roland, Tim Andrew, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form. The Purge season 2 finale is set to air Tuesday, December 17 on USA Network. Be sure to check out the first look at Hawke's return via The Purge Twitter account below.