'The Vampire Diaries' season 8 release date, plot spoilers: Nina Dobrev's purported comeback doesn't affect Nikki Reed at all?

Rumors are spreading like wildfire that "The Vampire Diaries" season 8 will be the show's last. It didn't help that Elena Gilbert's voice was heard luring Damon Salvatore into the Vault during season 7's finale. That's because showrunner Julie Plec earlier said she would try to bring Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena, back in time for the series finale.

According to International Business Times, ratings for "The Vampire Diaries" dipped after Dobrev left the show at the end of season 6 to pursue other projects. Dobrev has since made it clear that she didn't leave the show because Somerhalder, her ex-boyfriend, has gotten married to actress Nikki Reed.

Dobrev's departure from the show affected its core, to the point where The CW purportedly considered canceling "The Vampire Diaries." Still, they pushed through with season 7, banking on an assortment of plotlines and romantic pairings to overshadow Dobrev's absence. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that it's the "Delena" pairing that fans shipped the most.

Talking to TV Line, Plec said the voice that was heard in season 7's finale was Dobrev's and that the actress personally came in to record it. She also intimated that the plan to bring the 27-year-old actress toward the end of the series is there.

There are even talks that Dobrev will be playing the role of Sybil, a menacing character, who will disguise as Elena. However, this hasn't been confirmed yet, and there are talks that the plot for season 7 is still in the works.

Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Reed was upset over the possibility of Dobrev returning to the show and rekindling her on-screen romance with Somerhalder. Apparently, Reed knows Somerhalder married her on the rebound after his split from Dobrev and that her husband is still in love with his ex.

Nevertheless, The Bitbag reported that Reed is not letting herself be affected by the rumors because she trusts her husband and has the utmost confidence in their relationship. The publication also noted that Somerhalder is not shying away from expressing his love for his wife on his Instagram account.

"The Vampire Diaries" season 8 is premiering on Friday, Oct. 21 on The CW. Keep coming back for more updates on the upcoming season of the supernatural series.