While there are a lot to watch out for in the last and final season of "The Vampire Diaries," there is no denying that one of the things that excite the fans is the return of one of its original lead stars: Nina Dobrev. However, according to the latest reports, it is unlikely for the actress to return to the series that helped her carve her name in Hollywood as she will be replaced by someone who really looks like her: Alexandra Chando.

It has been long speculated that Dobrev will return for the last and final season of "The Vampire Diaries" as, after all, it was no less than "The Vampire Diaries" executive producer Julie Plec who said in the past that she would do everything to get the actress to appear on the show that she was once part of for its final season. 

However, with Chando having been tapped by the series to appear in some of its episodes, others can't help but suspect that Dobrev will no longer return to the series even just for a single episode. After all, Chando, undeniably, carries a strong resemblance to Dobrev, almost her real-life doppelganger.

It has been learned, though, that Chando will not be playing any of the characters portrayed by Dobrev, Elena Gilbert or her doppelganger Katherine Pierce, as she will be playing the role of a doctor named Tara, who will be working close with Stefan and Damon Salvatorre (Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, respectively).

Despite this, though, there is still no certainty whether Dobrev will return to the series after leaving "The Vampire Diaries" at the end of its sixth season. While the actress' reason for departing from the show was unclear, it was strongly speculated that it had something to do with the falling apart of her real-life romance with Somerhalder, who is now married to "Twilight" actress Nikki Reeds.

"The Vampire Diaries" is set to resume its season 8 episodes on The CW beginning Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. EST. Whether it will feature Dobrev, or not, fans can only wait and see.