Has Ian Somerhalder's ex Nina Dobrev's exit injected new life into "The Vampire Diaries?"

Showrunner Julie Plec said that with Nina Dobrev quitting, the other cast members now have an opportunity to get some light shine upon them, and not just her ex, Ian Somehalder either.

In an interview with Zap2it, Plec admitted that the past episodes of "The Vampire Diaries" were too concentrated around Elena, Damon and Stefan.

"If the story wasn't revolving around Stefan, Elena and Damon at its core and they weren't part of that story then they were sort of marginalized," Plec said. "They are really great characters and really, really great actors playing those characters. It opens up the world."

"There isn't the 'what is the conflict of Elena this week?' that everybody else has to react to. Everyone can now have their own point of view and have their own storylines. The world expands as a result," she added.

From the writing point of view also, Nina Dobrev's exit presents new challenge for "The Vampire Diaries."

She added, "Last year we came up with this great idea to put Damon and Bonnie in a different world and a different time in a different concept and that was really fun to execute. Down to picking the titles of the episodes made it more fun than usual because it was a clever little twist."

"Of course, we have a show that is lacking Elena Gilbert. That is the greatest challenge of all. It rejuvenates your creative spirit," Plec noted.

But even after Nina Dobrev's exit, her ex Ian Somerhalder still thinks that there's still room for her return in "The Vampire Diaries."

In an earlier interview, Ian Somerhalder told Melty that Elena Gilbert will be returning to Mystic Falls at some point.

"The way it was done was great. The way it was done was actually incredible, because it allows people to know that she's still there... she's not dead," Nina Dobrev's ex said. "In seventy years or however long Bonnie lives, Elena will resurface at some point, although we'll be very old when that happens."