Can Paul Wesley Carry ‘The Vampire Diaries’ On His Own Without Ian Somerhalder, Nina Dobrev After Season 8?

Fans of The Vampire Diaries were clearly worried about news of Ian Somerhalder leaving the hit The CW series. When Nina Dobrev announced that she is leaving TVD to focus on her other projects, many thought that this would be the end for the series. Will Paul Wesley be able to carry The Vampire Diaries on his own?

Last month, Ian Somerhalder confirmed that he will be leaving The Vampire Diaries after Season 8. Many thought that this meant that there is only one season left for the show, but the actor immediately took to Twitter to clarify that the series may go on without him. He explained that the producers have yet to make a decision on what will happen after his departure.

“Let’s take things one step at a time: Season 7 wrap, vacation, lots of sleep, let the writers get started on Season 8, and then we’ll all see where we go from there. Until then, much love,” he tweeted.

Will The Vampire Diaries survive without both Elena and Damon? Speaking to E! News back in April, TVD co-creator Julie Plec admitted that she has thought about the inevitable finale. She, however, explained that it would not be up to her to decide when that will happen. She held that the destiny of the show depends on both Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley.

“As long as those boys who I now consider my friends want to keep telling the story, then I won’t walk away from telling the story.”

Now that one of those guys decided that it was time to walk away from The Vampire Diaries, will Plec, along with the network executives, take this as a sign to bid the series farewell? In the event that both Somerhalder and Wesley agreed that it was time to move on, Plec held that she will also put her pencil down and ensure that fans will get the best finale they deserved.

“The three of us I’d like to think will make the creative decision of when the show should be over.”

Meanwhile, Stefan and Caroline shippers, also known as Steroline, got excited when the two ended up going on the run in the last Vampire Diaries Season 7 episode, “Requiem for a Dream.” In an interview with TV Guide, Wesley and Plec explained that Stefan and Caroline both had different takes on what happened that night three years ago. While Stefan believed that he did what was best for her, Caroline (Candice King) saw it as a sign of betrayal.

The Vampire Diaries showrunner explained that Caroline has yet to forgive Stefan for what he has done.

“Caroline, of course, as any woman whose had enough of being hurt by a man would feel, is like, ‘Listen buddy. You made some choices based on what you thought and what you wanted. And the one person you forgot to consult with in the decision about our relationship is me,'” Plec explained.

The actor also explained that while he is with Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) now, Stefan still clearly has feelings for Caroline.

Meanwhile, in the same episode, fans eager for another Vampire Diaries and Originals crossover were thrilled by the mere mention of Klaus’ (Joseph Morgan) name in “Requiem for a Dream.”

“I was so desperate I called Klaus for help — who’s nowhere to be found, by the way,” Caroline told Stefan, recounting how bad she felt when he abandoned her three years ago.

Speaking to TV Line, Plec shared that Caroline dropping Klaus’ name in a casual conversation is definitely a hint of what’s to come in the coming episodes of The Originals.

Tell us! Do you think The Vampire Diaries will survive without Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder? Sound off in the comments below.

[Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]