Despite the cancellation of "The Vampire Diaries" after season 8, speculations claim that its spin-off series "The Originals" could still survive after the end of its upcoming season 4.

During the Television Critics Association summer press tour in early August, The CW president Mark Pedowitz revealed that the spin-off will have to stand on its own despite its link with "The Vampire Diaries."

"It could live very well on its own," the network president said in the interview, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. "We'll see how it comes back at midseason. Hopefully it will see a fifth year."

Meanwhile, the speculations pinning Marcel (Charles Michael Davis) as the Mikaelson's next biggest enemy have been denied after TVGuide revealed that a new, "sadistic vampire" will arrive in New Orleans to make Klaus (Joseph Morgan) pay for a "centuries-old grudge."

This means that Marcel's own anger at Klaus and the rest of his siblings may have to take a backseat so they can all defeat the upcoming threat.

Executive producer Julie Plec also teased in an interview with Entertainment Weekly (via Inquisitr) that the complicated relationship between Klaus and Marcel may eventually be sorted out this season, since Marcel unconsciously helped Klaus survive all of his enemies.

"The indignity of Klaus Mikaelson's situation the last five years [is being] held captive by his surrogate son and forced to be an advisor to a king that he does not recognize," the executive producer stated. "Also, [he knows] Marcel is actually singularly responsible for the fact he's alive, because so many people have come to town in the last five years desperate to see him reduced to ash."

Meanwhile, speculations claim that more characters from "The Vampire Diaries" will appear in a crossover episode of "The Originals" season 4, including Enzo St. John (Michael Malarkey) and Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino).

The CW has yet to reveal the official release date of "The Originals" season 4 in the coming days.