Is Ian Somerhalder Leaving ‘The Vampire Diaries’? Cast Reportedly Wants Him Fired And Nina Dobrev Back

In a surprising turn of events, there may be some major shakeups ahead for the cast of The Vampire Diaries. According to KpopStarz, some cast members have shockingly expressed a desire to see Ian Somerhalder leave the show, while others want producers to do everything they can to get Nina Dobrev back in action.

Apparently, it is being reported by Celeb Dirty Laundry that some cast members are tired of Somerhalder taking the spotlight following Dobrev’s departure from the show and are especially sick of the way he has handled everything since her exit. These same cast members have also expressed their sadness now that Dobrev is no longer a part of the show and would love to see her make a return.

Despite these growing rumors, Somerhalder has remained positive about the new direction the show is taking without Dobrev. In fact, in an interview with Variety, Somerhalder revealed that the show has been able to develop in new and exciting ways now that Elena Gilbert’s story has run its course.

“What we’ve just started shooting is such a departure (from what is expected of the show),” Somerhalder stated in the interview. “I just started shooting episode 10, which is a concept episode. The episode was really about Damon, but that’s not why I think it was the best at all. The way the story was put together… every artisan from set to producers to wardrobe to everyone was just so on-point.”

At the same time, Somerhalder’s co-star Paul Wesley seemed to affirm his sentiments. In particular, Wesley likes the idea of their characters teaming up and thinks their partnership is something the show can really build on moving forward.

“They (Damon and Stefan) should be teaming up and fighting the negative outside forces. There’s no room for them to be at odds with each other. There’s just no room for either one of them to be the villain,” Wesley stated in an interview with Collider. “I think people really enjoy it when the brothers are comparable to the guys on Supernatural: buddy up and fight bad guys!”

Although Wesley and Somerhalder seem positive in their outlook about the future of the show, creator Julie Plec does not seem to share their viewpoint. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Plec was open to more seasons but seemed less thrilled about extending the series too much further beyond a seventh season.

With that in mind, Plec was asked whether or not the series was approaching an end following Dobrev’s exit. Although she stated that an end was not in sight, she did hint that she wasn’t eager to keep churning out seasons well into the future.

“No,” Plec stated. “It’s not on our radar yet. You could ask 10 different people that question and you’d get 10 different answers, in terms of how long the life of the show is. Warner Bros. would say, ’17 seasons!’ And I think I would say, ‘Seven!’ [Laughs] Presumably we’ll land somewhere closer to my wishes or theirs, depending on the circumstances.”

With all of the rumors now surrounding Somerhalder and his co-stars, who seemingly want Dobrev to return to the show and him to leave, it is not certain what the future holds for the hit series. Even less clear is how willing Dobrev would be open to a possible return, even if Somerhalder decided to leave the show.

While we wait to hear more on the fate of Somerhalder’s role in The Vampire Diaries, fans can continue to watch the current and seventh season of the show when it airs Thursday nights on The CW.

Tell us! Do you really think his co-stars want Ian Somerhalder to leave The Vampire Diaries? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via The CW]