"The Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder reassured fans that there will still be a lot to look forward to in Season 7 despite the fact that Elena will no longer be in the picture.

Last seasons, fans were forced to say goodbye to Elena when actress Nina Dobrev announced that she was leaving the vampire drama after playing "TVD's" leading lady for six seasons. During the Season 6 finale, her character, Elena, was put under a spell that will keep her in a coma for as long as Bonnie is alive. Hence, Elena will likely remain in a deep slumber for decades.

In an interview with E! News, Somerhalder admitted that the first season without Dobrev will be a hard transition for longtime viewers, and especially for "Delena" fans who were cheering for Damon and Elena to end up together. However, he teased that Damon will nonetheless go on with his life.

"All I can say about that is that they were great characters separate, they were great characters together, and they remain great characters separated," the actor told E!. "Damon is still here and he's still evolving and he's still having a blast and he's still saying super-smarmy, ridiculously overly confident, very wildly embarrassing and degrading things and he will continue to do that, but with a little love for Elena in his heart."

The actor went on to suggest that Elena's absence will give the show the opportunity to explore a new chapter in the series.

"I'm thinking that this is the evolution of the show," Somerhalder said. "Obviously she is in his heart and he is going to have a very tough time understanding how to go on, but that's what drama's for."

Although Damon will have a tough time coping with the loss of Elena, he won't let that stop him from having fun, said Somerhalder, especially if he comes across a few sorority girls. "That's Damon Salvatore," said the series star. "He's not married."

Executive producer Julie Plec also opened up about losing the show's main character, which she described as an obstacle and a gift.

"We have a show lacking Elena Gilbert, and it's the greatest challenge of all, but it rejuvenates your creative spirit," Plec told TVGuide. "Instead of being like, 'We're screwed,' ... we think, 'How can we make something great out of this?' The singular positive of her being out of the picture is that we've had this massive ensemble of people over the years, and if the story wasn't revolving around Stefan, Damon and Elena at its core, and they weren't part of that story, then they got marginalized. So this just opens up [everything] because... everyone can have their own point of view and get their story lines, and the world fleshes itself really nicely out as a result."

"The Vampire Diaries" Season 7 premieres on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 8 p.m. on The CW.