Philip Winchester returning in Strike Back season 5

Philip Winchester is returning to Cinemax’s Strike Back, as he and Sullivan Stapleton will reprise their roles as guest stars in Strike Back season 5.

Philip Winchester is revisiting the role that made him a TV star. The Chicago Justice alum will return to play Michael Stonebridge in Strike Back season 5 for a guest appearance, as confirmed by Cinemax today.

Winchester’s former co-star Sullivan Stapleton (Blindspot) will also return to once again portray Damien Scott. They will appear in the season’s final two episodes, airing March 30 and April 6 for US audiences.

Before he was cast as Peter Stone on Chicago Justice, Philip Winchester was best known for his work on Strike Back. He and Stapleton starred as Stonebridge and Scott for the show’s first four Cinemax seasons, from 2011 to 2015.

Their characters literally rode off into the sunset after having left the elite British miltary unit known as Section 20—and having the dubious distinction of being the only characters to survive the entire run of the show.

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When Cinemax revived the series last year with a new cast, fans immediately clamored for Stapleton and Winchester to make a cameo appearance and shed some light on what happened to Scott and Stonebridge after Section 20. Now they’ll get their wish in Strike Back season 5.

The series helped turn both Sullivan Stapleton and Philip Winchester into TV stars. Stapleton currently plays Kurt Weller on NBC‘s conspiracy thriller Blindspot, which is in the middle of airing its third season.

Meanwhile, Winchester toplined NBC’s The Player for one season before landing the role of Peter Stone, which he played on Chicago Justice before moving the character to Law & Order: SVU. Fans found out last week that he’s now a series regular on SVU, replacing Raul Esparza as the show’s Assistant District Attorney.

But it’s safe to say that Cinemax would not have experienced the success it did with Strike Back if not for Philip Winchester and Sullivan Stapleton. It was their chemistry, and what they brought to the roles of Michael Stonebridge and Damien Scott, that made their four seasons must-watch TV.

Now they’ll get to provide closure for those characters, while One Chicago fans and fans of Strike Back will get to see both actors in their best roles. Michael Stonebridge is nothing like Peter Stone, despite the similar surname; watch this clip to see Philip Winchester in action (literally):

Let’s just hope that in returning, Stonebridge and Scott don’t find themselves getting killed off. In their first episode, the show brought back Richard Armitage (who had starred in the first season in the UK), only for his character John Porter to be executed. And Strike Back, for those One Chicago fans who haven’t seen it, is notorious for its high body count.

Still, the news that Philip Winchester as well as Sullivan Stapleton are going to be playing their characters again is huge. These are two characters that TV audiences know and love, and want to find out where they are now.

Not to mention this continues a streak of great luck for Winchester, whose SVU debut aired less than a week ago. While Peter Stone lives on, Michael Stonebridge will, too.

Next: Highlights from Philip Winchester's first SVU episode

Are you excited that Philip Winchester will appear on Strike Back? Let us know your thoughts on Tuesday’s news in the comments, and don’t forget to watch him in Law & Order: SVU when that series returns Feb. 27.

Strike Back airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on Cinemax.