Plus, we asked Somerhalder to spill what Candice's King's baby bombshell will mean for Caroline and Stefan on the show!
Season seven of The Vampire Diaries is premiering three weeks from today!
To celebrate the return of our favorite vamps, ET caught up with star Ian Somerhalder to get the exclusive scoop into Damon's mindset now that his soulmate is locked in a perpetual slumber -- totally normal problem, right? -- and if Elena will still be a part of the storyline despite Nina Dobrev's departure from the show.
Plus, we asked Somerhalder to spill what Candice King's baby bombshell will mean for Caroline and Stefan on the show and -- Spoiler Alert! -- his answer will either make you laugh or explode with rage!
MORE: Relive the Heartwarming Delena Rain Kiss With Julie Plec!
Last April, fans were devastated when Dobrev dropped the news that she would be leaving the hit CW series, and when we said goodbye to Elena in that shocking season six finale, we sobbed a river of tears.
Now as we move into the next chapter of the supernatural saga, we caught up with Somerhalder at the first-ever live Words With Friends tournament to benefit the ASPCA in Los Angeles last week, and he promised fans that even though Elena is gone, she will not be forgotten.
"There is a really incredible evolution of the story that is going to happen and she's still within the story," the actor revealed to ET. "She's very much present in the hearts and the mind of all the characters."
But should Delena fans be worried that another girl will come in and steal Damon's heart? "That is so far down the road," he said. (And the entire Delena fandom just let out a collective sigh of relief.)
MORE: We Said Goodbye to Elena Gilbert – But There's a Catch!
He continued, "I mean, look, she told him, 'Listen, you waited for Katherine for 150 years and you weren't a saint. Don't sit around and wait.' She said, 'Go have fun!' And he does whatever she tells him to." But knowing our Damon, we're going to keep our fingers crossed that for just this once, he doesn’t do what Elena tells him to.
Somerhalder also confessed that he's still a little baffled at how Damon and Elena became soulmates in the first place. "I said from the beginning -- even when it was about Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Elena -- 'How in the world can people want this girl to be with either one of these guys?'" he asked.
"They've basically killed everyone she has ever known, she burned her house down because she was so distraught. Damon tried to kill her brother not once, but twice, and Damon is 174 and she's 18!" he exclaimed with a smirk. "It is the ultimate version of cradle-robbing."
WATCH: Candice Accola Is Pregnant! See Her Super Cute Announcement
As for Somerhalder's real-life love interest, we already know that he cannot wait to have babies with his new bride, Nikki Reed, so it's time to get the scoop on the other TVD baby news: Candice King is pregnant!
Naturally fans are dying to know how this news will affect our kickass blonde vamp, so we asked Somerhalder if there could be a Steroline baby on the way.
"Why does it have to be Stefan's? Why can't it be Damon?" the blue-eyed actor joked. "Maybe she came to the Salvatore house and Damon was home!" Nice try, Ian…
All kidding aside, Somerhalder is pleased with how King's baby bump will be dealt with on-screen. "It’s actually going to be really cool what's going to happen," he teased. "And even more so than that, I'm just really happy for my sister, Candice. Candice and Joe [King] are incredible people and they're going to make incredible parents." Awww.
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Season seven of The Vampire Diaries premieres Thursday, Oct. 8 on The CW.
Do you think Damon will ever let another woman into his heart? Share your thoughts with @LeanneAguilera and @Katie_Krause on Twitter! Plus, are you dying for more Vampire Diaries scoop? Check out an exclusive deleted scene in the video below featuring Nina Dobrev from season six!