"The Originals" season 4 finale may have felt like a series finale, but it definitely isn't the end. Season 5 will be here in 2018, and the show is jumping forward at least a decade. Fans will get the chance to see a teenage Hope learning to control her powers at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and the Gifted. Fans are now wondering about "The Vampire Diaries" characters that could realistically appear in the series, and one thought is Stefan Salvatore.

Paul Wesley doesn't think so

According to a recent interview with Paul Wesley, don't expect to see Stefan appear in Mystic Falls in "The Originals" season 5.

He has no plans to reprise the character, as he views that part of his life over. In fact, he doesn't really want to do any more supernatural-based TV shows for a while. After eight years, he is ready to spread his wings and try something new.

Right now, it looks like he is having some fun behind the camera. After taking up the director role in a few "The Vampire Diaries" episodes, he has moved on to direct an episode of "The Shadowhunters." The episode he has directed will air on Monday, July 17, so there isn't long to wait.

Stefan Salvatore can't realistically return

Wesley has pointed out that his character from the show can't realistically return to Mystic Falls. It's worth remembering that "The Originals" season 4 saw a five-year time jump.

While "The Vampire Diaries" season 7 did have a time jump, that was only three years, so "The Originals" season 4 was set two years into the future of its parent show. With another time jump, it would be set at least 12 years into the future of "TVD."

Stefan sacrificed his life in the series finale. He injected his brother with his cured blood and then made sure Katherine Pierce was killed by the hellfire.

This meant Damon could live a happy life with Elena while he atoned for his many sins over the years. The exact timeline wasn't given, but at the very end Damon and Stefan met each other again in their happy afterlife.

It wouldn't make sense for Stefan to return. Flashbacks aren't exactly necessary, especially since Stefan's ties to the Mikaelson family diminished over the years.

It would make more sense for characters like Alaric, Caroline, or even Matt to appear in the spin-off show.

"The Originals" season 5 will see a different storyline, without all the Mikaelsons in the same room as each other. The four that took on the Hollow cannot be together, as it would release powerful evil. The show returns sometime in 2018.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED