Fans are hyped up for "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8, especially with rumblings about Nina Dobrev reprising her role as Elena Gilbert one more time. With her anticipated return to Mystic Falls, a lot of possibilities open up for the character and her relationships with Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie and Damon.
Dobrev left the show after Season 6, and it was rumored that her split with ex-boyfriend Ian Somerhalder was one of the reasons for her exit. However, "The Vampire Diaries" executive producer Julie Plec is 100 percent certain that Dobrev is on board and will back as Elena.
"Obviously things can change throughout time, if the show goes on longer than we expect it to, or if we all collectively decide it would be fun to bring her back earlier, and she wanted to," Plec told TV Line about Dobrev's surprise cameo in the finale of "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7. "But in my opinion, she was very clear about what she wanted the next step in her life to be, and she's doing a great job of achieving that. So I'm sticking with my side of the plan, which is to bring her back at the very end."
But how will Elena's return play out in the story?
According to Hollywood Life, actress Kat Graham, who plays Bonnie in the series, will leave the show once "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 wraps up. Fans of the show may recall that if Bonnie dies, Elena gets to live. Following the events from Season 7, it is speculated that Bonnie will sacrifice her life to save Damon and Enzo for being possessed by the creature in the vault for all of eternity.
Moreover, it has been speculated that "The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 will be the show's last outing after Somerhalder accidentally spilled it at Walker Stalker Con on April 10. He accidentally mentioned that "The Vampire Diaries" has one more season left, but the actor immediately retracted his statement after receiving heated reactions from fans.
Elena's comeback could also spell trouble for Stefan and Caroline's relationship. Actress Candice King previously said that the couple will have "a lot of curve balls thrown their way," and many presume Elena's return to be one of those.
"The Vampire Diaries" Season 8 is expected to return to The CW this fall.
Watch finale episode of "The Vampire Diaries" Season 7 below: