Board Thread:False Info and Speculative Discussion/@comment-26828324-20150730184926/@comment-13965604-20150805145452

Paul.rea wrote: Again, according to the published reports, he would not have appeared in the first six episodes of the season and would be in just 12 total of the 24 in Season 3.

They weren't planning to replace him but he would not have appeared in the first six episodes or the last six episodes of the season.

Basically the first half of Season 3a (the Alpha Pack episodes) would have played out exactly as they did even if Colton had returned.

Possibly minus the "went to London" line.

I'd also like to note that nobody replaced Jackson's role for Danny by any stretch of the imagination. A boyfriend and a best friend aren't the same thing at all.