The incredible popularity of The Vampire Diaries worldwide led The CW television network to create different spin-offs. Although the main show finished airing in 2017, some cast member departures led to the series undergoing storytelling changes. As happened with Elena Gilbert’s actress, Nina Dobrev. However, what happened to Steven McQueen left everyone surprised.
Actor Steven McQueen was playing Jeremy Gilbert, who was the brother of main character Elena Gilbert. After his death in the first season and Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) resurrecting him, Jeremy developed the ability to see supernatural creatures trapped on the Other Side. Him becoming a main character in the first six seasons of The Vampire Diaries.
Since then Jeremy Gilbert was dating the best friend of his sister and who was the one who resurrected him, Bonnie. Although their romance was very unstable, due to Jeremy becoming a member of The Brotherhood of Five. Which was a group of vampire hunters created by an ancestor of Qetsiyah (Janina Gavankar).
The mission of this group was to fulfill the wish of Qetsiyah, who sought to find Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and force him to take the cure from her so that he could be killed and join her for eternity on the Other Side. However, after all the events that happened, Jeremy left Mystic Falls during season 6 under the pretense of attending art school, but his true intention was to continue hunting vampires.
Interestingly, the decision for actor Steven McQueen to leave The Vampire Diaries was made by creator and producer Julie Plec herself. Who decided to take his character out as part of the plot they were preparing and in which his sister would be asleep for a long time. Although the showrunner assured that every year some member of the cast had to leave and unfortunately it was McQueeen’s turn.
“Every year we go through the pros and cons of taking out or keeping a character, so that year it was Jeremy Gilbert’s turn.”
However, Steven McQueen was invited back for the finale of The Vampire Diaries, where he only had a brief appearance. In which Jeremy is seen as a teacher at the Salvatore boarding school for the young and gifted, while Caroline (Candice Accola) hands him a crossbow, and he proceeds to instruct the children he has. Apparently to turn them into hunters.
Without a doubt, the departure of Steven McQueen from The Vampire Diaries led to the drama losing popularity, which it had already lost with the departure of Nina Dobrev. Fortunately, the actor has also been invited to participate in the spin-offs of the same universe, appearing in the series The Originals and Legacies.
