The End for Robin Hood?

So Jonas Armstrong is to hang up his bow as Robin Hood in the BBC Series at the end of Season 3. I really cannot see how the show can continue after the loss of both Robin and Marian (although many people watch it just for the wonderful Richard Armitage as Sir Guy).

Reading the comments from the makers it does sound, however they are going full steam ahead on a 4th series, so it begs the question what will they do with a show called Robin Hood with no Robin Hood. I can think of a few possibilities:

1. They replace Jonas with a new actor playing Robin Hood
2. A member of the gang takes over the 'mantle' (and the legendary name) of Robin Hood - Much seems a likely candidate.
3. The Gang carry on fighting without a Robin Hood figure.

Number 1 is a problem, yes its been done before in Robin of Sherwood, but that got away with it to a certain extent because of the mysticism of the show. This Robin Hood has always made much of its realism (well okay, not in the costumes), so they wouldn't surely change direction with that angle. The other way could be that Robin has some big fight, which does sound likely and is badly scarred and to be honest I wouldn't put it past the makers to chuck a bit of medieval plastic surgery in (Davina's modern prosthetics, Season 2 Episode 1 anyone!).

Number 2 I don't think would hold people's attention, and the same goes for number 3.

Its had a good run, not been the massive success in the UK, the makers hoped for but with healthy overseas sales, it really needs to quit whilst its still ahead and you never know it could keep the affection that ROS has got from its fans.