Spoilers ahead for the series finale of Legacies, “Just Don’t Be a Stranger, Okay?” So read at your own risk!
The long-running Vampire Diaries franchise has come to a close (for now) following the series finale of Legacies, which aired last week on The CW. The episode most notably saw the return of Joseph Morgan's Klaus and featured an appearance from Candice King's Caroline Forbes. One person who didn't show up, however, is TVD vet Kat Graham, who recently doubled down on her refusal to return to the franchise. With this, creator Julie Plec has spoken out.
During its four-season run, Legacies did a masterful job of bringing in characters from other shows within the Vampire Diaries universe. Despite that, though, some may have been pining for an appearance from Kat Graham's fan-favorite witch, Bonnie Bennett. While the actress has been open about not wanting to reprise her role, Julie Plec told Deadline that she can still return if she changes her mind:
The door will always be open for Bonnie Bennett, whether it’s for a spinoff or an appearance—whatever. But I know Kat has a really strong point of view about what she wants for her career to be and where Bonnie fits in that and I respect that completely.
Despite the fact that Kat Graham has been adamant about not coming back to the vampire-centric franchise, it’s good to know that the option is still available to her if she has a change of heart. Admittedly, though, it also makes sense that she wouldn't feel the need to reprise her role, given that she's moved on to other things. However, if Joseph Morgan can change his mind for the “right time,” who’s to say that she can’t as well?
Julie Plec went on to explain that she and her collaborators have reached out to the star on a number of occasions, in regard to a potential return. With this, the creator praised her work and ethic and made note of her activities post-The Vampire Diaries:
We’ve reached out to Kat plenty of times through the years for different The Vampire Diaries-related things and she’s always been very gracious. She’s very kind as she kindly passes. She feels like she has completed her journey as Bonnie, taken the good parts of that journey with her, and put the less good parts behind her to step into the next phase of her career. She’s been growing and doing so well with her music, her appearances, and her acting.
Some of this shouldn't be too surprising to hear, as Julie Plec was open about wanting Kat Graham and others to return for Legacies. Though the third spinoff in the franchise (after The Originals) is over, there's still hope, as Plec recently shared that she was cooking up something else for the franchise. The super producer hasn't provided any specific details on what such a production would look like, though one would assume that she'd be going with something that's fresh but holds the spirit of the franchise.
It would be wonderful to see Kat Graham back as Bonnie again and, if she does return, maybe Michael Malarkey, who portrayed the character's boyfriend, Lorenzo “Enzo” St. John could come back as well. After all, Michael Malarkey as willing to return while the franchise was running. Here's hoping that Graham, Malarkey and more find their way back to the franchise, should it find new life through another Julie Plec-created spinoff, of course.
As you wait for news on another show, rewatch The Vampire Diaries in its entirety using a Netflix subscription!
