It’s official! Nina Dobrev will return to Mystic Falls for The Vampire Diaries series finale. Dobrev made the exciting announcement on Thursday, finally confirming her on-screen reunion with Ian Somerhalder .
Us Magazine reported that Dobrev is reprising her role as Elena Gilbert in the final season. The actress portrayed Elena from the show’s debut until Season 6, when she fell into a long-term sleep. Dobrev confirmed the news by sharing a photo of the official script for the series finale, “I Was Feeling Epic.”
“I know it’s Thursday, but this is not a TBT. #BackOnSet #TVDForever,” Dobrev told fans on Instagram , later adding, “It’s officially official.”
Rumors of Dobrev’s return have circulated ever since Julie Plec and company announced that Season 8 would be the show’s last. In August, the president of The CW, Mark Pedowitz, fueled the rumors even further by announcing they were negotiating to get Dobrev back for one final episode.
“We’d love to have Nina back,” he shared. “She was great for The CW – she was integral to The Vampire Diaries .”
Last January, Plec opened up about the possibility of Dobrev’s return. While Dobrev had ultimately decided to part ways with the show and pursue a career on the big screens, Plec admitted that she would welcome the actress back without hesitation.
“I miss her deeply and would take her back in an instant if she called and said, ‘Hey, can I come back and play?’” Plec revealed.
According to Entertainment Weekly , talk of Dobrev’s return surfaced as far back as 2015. At the time, it was rumored that her ex-boyfriend, Ian Somerhalder, did not want his former love to return to the show. In fact, Plec strongly hinted that Dobrev always wanted to return and finish out Elena’s storyline, which was left incomplete after she fell into the coma.
“Nina has always said that if there’s something for her to do in the series finale that she will be there to do it,” she said. “When she left, she said, ‘I want to see this character to its end at the end of the show, so I can’t wait to come back and put her to bed again.’”
Shortly after Dobrev announced her return, both Plec and Kevin Williamson, executive producer, shared their thoughts. “I’m thrilled to bring this show to an end the way we always intended – with Nina back to help us say goodbye,” Plec explained, while Williamson said, “I’m so excited to have Nina back to ensure our farewell episode is truly epic!”
In addition to Dobrev’s return to The Vampire Diaries , Bustle reported that the actress is busy promoting her newest movie , XXX: Return of Xander Cage . Dobrev plays the part of tech-wizard Becky and is proud of expanding her acting chops into a different genre.
“I wanted to be in an action movie and do the badass, Femme-fatale stunts kind of character,” she explained. “I actually chose to audition for this role. I got in the room, I crushed it. It’s more fun when you have to work for it.”
Indeed, one reason Dobrev wanted the role is because it was a polar opposite to her part on The CW show. While Dobrev tries to distinguish herself in Hollywood, fans will see her as Elena one last time. According to Buddy TV , she will also interact with Somerhalder before it’s all over.
“I don’t know exactly what’s happening,” Somerhalder admitted on Dobrev’s return.
“But I do know one thing: Elena never really left. She’s always ever-present, and she plays a great deal into Damon’s morality, his understanding of who he is – especially in these last episodes.”
The Vampire Diaries , starring Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder, and Paul Wesley airs Friday nights on The CW. The series finale is set to air on March 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT8uI04g8Lk
[Featured Image by The CW]