Does The Originals Spin-Off Mean Joseph Morgan Will Leave Vampire Diaries?

If there’s one thing we can say about The Vampire Diaries fan base, it’s that they’re passionate. “Joseph Morgan Can Not Leave TVD” trended on Twitter today after more casting news for the spin-off The Originals hit.
When it was announced that Claire Holt (Rebekah) will join her TV brother Joseph Morgan (Klaus) on the show, something started to click for people. If all the Originals are on the spin-off, does that mean they’re no longer a part of TVD?
Basically, yes. If the show gets picked up — and that’s still a big “if” — then Claire, Joseph, and Daniel Gillies (Elijah) will have a drastically reduced presence in Mystic Falls. As Zap2It’s Carina MacKenzie points out on Twitter, “It doesn't mean they'll NEVER EVER make short return visits to The Vampire Diaries, but they can't do two shows at once.” Right now they’re just making a backdoor pilot, and there’s no guarantee that The CW will turn it into a weekly series.
But how great would that be? Certainly we’d miss Klaus harassing the Mystic Falls crew (and the implications for Klaroline makes us sad), but the OV has been limited living in a small town. New Orleans — where the spin-off is set — offers a plethora of delights and the perfect atmosphere for a family of vampires.
According to Entertainment Weekly, while the Originals will live in New Orleans, the show would actually be filmed in Atlanta — specifically to make crossovers between the spin-off and TVD easier.
While Joseph Morgan became a series regular in Season 3 of The Vampire Diaries, he’ll be one of the leads on The Originals. That means even more screentime for the wickedly good actor. The same goes for Claire — let’s hope they ditch that last white ash-dipped dagger for good!
Don’t think of what you’re losing. Think of all the Original time you’re gaining!