Legacies Star Says New Season 2 Vampire Is Ian Somerhalder 2.0

Ian Somerhalder in The Vampire Diaries

Lizzie Legacies new romance Season 2 the CW, according To Jenny Boyd

Legacies is already a pretty buzzy CW property heading into its second season on the network. Now, with the new episodes looming, it looks like the show will be adding a character described by series lead Jenny Boyd as “Somerhalder 2.0.” As in, Mystic Falls' own Damon Salvatore.

We’ve in fact known that Legacies would be adding new characters and in fact a new vampire – well, more accurately a very old vampire who looks and behaves like a teenager – for some time. However, now Jenny Boyd has opened up about Season 2 and the new character heading to the show, and her comments should definitely entice Vampire Diaries fans.

Lizzie develops feelings for him very quickly. He's kind of an Ian Somerhalder type — smoldery, old-school guy — so that's definitely her jam... He's a little bit 'Smolderhalder' 2.0, you know? He's got that vibe, that really sexy, just impossibly beautiful human type of thing going on.

Just what Legacies needs, a smoldering, younger version of Ian Somerhalder, who is still very much popular with The Vampire Diaries fans, many of whom also watch the new Julie Plec series (and vice versa).

Ian Somerhalder in The Vampire Diaries

Not that Legacies has been without eye candy so far. Matt Davis is back as Alaric Saltzman, although he’s a little older and more parental in the new series. And newer, younger fans likely appreciate the tormented Landon Kirby, played by Aria Shahghasemi.

Season 2 will hit the schedule in just a couple of days, and previously we learned a little bit about this new vampire, who has been described as “dessicated” and basically living in a coma for centuries. So, he will certainly be a bit of a fish out of water in Legacies and unlike the other vampires at the school.

Apparently, from what Jenny Boyd told TV Guide, Lizzie’s really into that sort of centuries-old weirdness. But hey, if you’re the Damon Salvatore type…

The comparison is interesting, because Ian Somerhalder’s Damon Salvatore does exist in the Legacies universe, so this new character would, in fact be Damon 2.0. We know that Damon and Elena had children and in particular a daughter Stephanie who has been mentioned on Legacies. Given Damon returned to life as a human, Julie Plec has said she would have to “give thought” to how Stephanie might factor into the plot of the Salvatore School.

Honestly, there have been regular humans on Legacies before. There’s no reason a regular human couldn’t be involved in the plot somehow, in my opinion. Stephanie wouldn’t need to be supernatural to show up on the series, although it would certainly take creativity on Julie Plec's part.

Regardless, we know two things for certain. One, there’s a new Somerhalder type of characer in this supernatural universe. Two, Ian Somerhalder himself has moved on to new projects, although his new series also keeps him in a supernatural world with vampires. V-Wars will premiere on Netflix, although it’s unclear when.

Legacies Season 2 will hit the schedule on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, only on the CW. For more on fall premieres, take a look at our full guide.

Jessica Rawden
Managing Editor

Jessica Rawden is Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. She’s been kicking out news stories since 2007 and joined the full-time staff in 2014. She oversees news content, hiring and training for the site, and her areas of expertise include theme parks, rom-coms, Hallmark (particularly Christmas movie season), reality TV, celebrity interviews and primetime. She loves a good animated movie. Jessica has a Masters in Library Science degree from Indiana University, and used to be found behind a reference desk most definitely not shushing people. She now uses those skills in researching and tracking down information in very different ways.