One of the biggest mysteries heading into the final run of "The Vampire Diaries" is whether or not Nina Dobrev is going to return as Elena Gilbert. Although The CW president Mark Pedowitz remained tight-lipped about the issue at the Winter Television Critics Association (TCA) Press Tour on Jan. 8, he assured that the series would have a fantastic finale.
In August 2016, Pedowitz revealed that the network was in talks with Dobrev about making a comeback after exiting the series at the end of Season 6. That time, he said a discussion was going on between them and the actress, but should it not work out, series creator Julie Plec had planned out a great finale for the series.
Since news about the possibility of Dobrev's return broke out, fans have hoped to see her reprise her role as the female lead to bid her final goodbye to the Salvatore brothers. In fact, even Pedowitz himself told E! News that he had always loved to have Nina on the show.
"She made a career decision that, for her, was probably the right decision but we'd love to have her back. But again, if it cannot work out, Julie will take care to have a really satisfactory series finale," Pedowitz told the publication. Dobrev, who is set to appear in "XXX: Return of Xander Cage," decided to leave the series to further her career as an actress.
Meanwhile, the CW executive similarly refused to reveal any detail about the future of "The Vampire Diaries" spinoff "The Originals," which is scheduled to return for its fourth season on March 17. The series is not among the seven shows that received their early renewals from the network.
While "The Originals" is a spinoff of "The Vampire Diaries," it could go on even after the latter signs off for good, depending on how well it performs when it returns for its next season. Julie Plec and Pedowitz spoke ahead of time about its future and will discuss things again in May, according to TV Guide.
"The Vampire Diaries" is set to return for its final episodes on Jan. 13 on The CW. Watch the official trailer for Season 8 here: