A spin-off of a spin-off, Legacies tells the story of Hope Mikaelson, the daughter of Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall, as she attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted, a safe haven for supernatural creatures. Featuring many characters who were introduced in The Originals and The Vampire Diaries, the show follows the next generation of characters as they pick up their parents' mission, all while trying to navigate what is basically The CW's version of Hogwarts.
A school like this is the best possible setting for a third installment of The CW's Vampire Diaries universe because, after years of fighting, it provides proof that the characters fans fell in love with finally managed to make the world a little better for those who came after.
Several characters from the original series and its spin-off have wormed their way into Legacies in both cameo appearances and returning guest roles, including Jeremy Gilbert, Matt Donavon and Roman Sienna. Now, the announcement of a Season 3 has given the chance to see more familiar faces return to Mystic Falls. Joseph Morgan, however, will not be one of them. As said in an interview with TV Guide, Morgan has stated that he will never make another appearance as the character Klaus. "No, never, never. You're never going to see it," he said. "You can hold your breath as long as you want. You know why? I have The Originals box set on my shelf, and it's a beautiful thing because it's five DVD sets that are a complete story from beginning to end of this guy, Klaus Michaelson — well, starting back in The Vampire Diaries Season 2. So I just feel like to come back as a ghost or a flashback or something, for me, that journey, that story has ended. That's the complete story, and it just doesn't feel right to me to do that."
This is probably for the best, but that shouldn't rule out Hayley Marshall as another possibility. As Hope's mother and a character that didn't have the happiest of endings, it would make sense for Hayley to make at least one cameo appearance. During The Originals, Hayley never got to spend the amount of time with her daughter that she wanted. Once she gave birth, she sent Hope away for her protection. They were only reunited later in the series until Hayley's death in "What, Will, I, Have, Left." They briefly saw each other again in "Tale of Two Wolves," when Hope sees her mother in the afterlife, and while it was a nice moment that offered closure to both Hope and fans, it was still considered too abrupt an ending for such a beloved character.
On top of that, Hope is the main character of Legacies, yet the series rarely discusses her family life. Kol, Rebekah and Freya are all still alive in Legacies, but no one but Freya has made the effort to visit her. The series also elects to ignore Hayley's importance in Hope's life. Bringing Hayley in, either by a visiting spirit or in a flashback, will be a good way to further connect Legacies to the rest of the franchise and revisit a time in Hope's life prior to the events of the series.
Airing Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW, Legacies stars Danielle Rose Russell as Hope Mikaelson, Jenny Boyd as Lizzie Saltzman, Kaylee Bryant as Josie Saltzman, Quincy Fouse as Milton Greasley/MG, Aria Shahghasemi as Landon Kirby, Peyton Alex Smith as Rafael Waithe and Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman.