Matthew Crawley is well and truly gone.

Dan Stevens has opened up about his role in the upcoming "Downton Abbey" movie -- or rather, his lack of a role. During a TCA event on Monday, he said he won't be in the film based on the series he once starred in, Deadline reports.

Frankly, it's not a huge surprise. After Stevens decided to leave the show midway through its six seasons, his character was killed off during the 2012 Christmas special. Bringing Matthew back wouldn't really have made sense for the historical drama series, unless he appeared in a dream sequence or a flashback.

Stevens did raise speculation in August that he might reprise his role, though. He posted a photo on Instagram at the time that showed himself alongside former "Downton" co-stars Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley) and Allen Leech (Tom Branson). His caption joked, "Should Matthew have a mustache for the #DowntonAbbeyMovie...?"

Even without Matthew, "Downton" fans will get plenty of the other characters they loved. Meanwhile, Stevens has been getting plenty of acting work, so he should be just fine, too.

[via: Deadline]