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The following story contains MINOR SPOILERS for the upcoming fourth season of "Stargate: Atlantis."

As far as deaths go, being blown into a million pieces by an explosion in the ancient city is a pretty tough one to get out of, even in science-fiction. But that hasn’t stopped the producers of "Stargate: Atlantis" in bringing a very popular character back into the fold as Paul McGillion's character of Dr. Carson Beckett returns.

After his death in the third season of the show, fans of 'Atlantis' waged a campaign to have the actor returned to the series, proclaiming the events of “Sunday” to be a grave mistake on the series. Their efforts have finally paid off, and McGillion will be back for a two-part installment on the SciFi Channel original series in the fall.

"When the fellas told me that they were going to be making some changes with the cast and stuff, they said, 'No one ever dies in sci-fi,'" McGillion told SciFi Wire. "I was kind of surprised, but having heard a lot of the fan reaction and stuff, I think it was a big thing when my character died, and I think that has a lot to do with the writing they gave the character and the opportunity to play such a fun character and a well-loved character. A lot of people have called him the heart of 'Atlantis.' And I think the fans really stood behind that, and rallied behind the character a lot. So I was flattered and obviously thrilled to come back."

But whether you are a hardcore Beckett fan or not, all of the shows viewers will have something to look forward to as the actor insists that the storyline of his return episodes is among the best the series has presented. And that’s not all … there might also be more episodes from Beckett in the future.

"They gave me a really great storyline," he said. "I think the fans will appreciate it. Beckett has a lot to do in the storyline that they've given the character. So I'm really happy with it. I think it's a really great way to bring Beckett back. Without going into any details, because I really can't, he's heavily, heavily based in the episodes. They'll see a lot of Beckett."

Airlock Alpha news coordinator Michael Hinman had a chance to ask "Atlantis" executive producer Joe Mallozzi about whether or not returning McGillion's character was a cliche during the SciFi Channel digital press tour in Vancouver, B.C., last June.

"No one necessarily stays dead in sci-fi," Mallozzi said at the time. "Daniel Jackson dies, ascends, and a season later descends. It's not something you see on 'Grey's Anatomy.'"

When “Atlantis” finally returns to the screens at the slightly later time of 10 p.m., fans also will get to see more Wraith-centric stories plus guest appearances from Torri Higginson (who is down to a recurring role this year) “Stargate SG-1’s” Christopher Judge (Teal’c). The series returns Sept. 28.

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