The 53-year-old actor portrayed Gabriel Reyes in a recurring role over the past three seasons, before he was killed off in season four.

"I always live in hope, my brother. I always live in hope. I would love to come back. I would love to continue this journey on this character," Benito shared with EW. "I know some fans have suggested he's in the witness protection program, but I don't know what the writers have in store."

"Obviously, you see that they have great instincts and the show is in great hands, and so I don't want to second-guess their artistic endeavors, but for me, coming back would be tremendous," he continued. "It would be an honor, truly, because there's a lot more of Gabriel to be explored -- his relationship with his son, his wife, and how he became a Texas Ranger. There's a lot of ways that Gabriel's influence could be felt or seen again."