Ian Somerhalder Had Some Strong Opinions On How TVD Should 've Ended
If Damon's actor were to write The Vampire Diaries finale, there would be a kind of poetic justice in that.
Even though The Vampire Diaries ended more than five years ago, the fandom is still conflicted about its finale. Stefan sacrificed himself to save Mystic Falls and let his brother live a happy life with Elena.
For Delena fans, it was a gift; for Stelena fans, it was the most heartbreaking moment of the entire series. And they are still convinced that Stefan and Elena should have been the endgame.
There was, however, an alternate ending that would certainly be frustrating to both parts of the fandom, but would also be a nice wrap-up of the eight-season series. Interestingly, it was Ian Somerhalder, playing the older Salvatore brother, who pitched the idea at the 2018 Wizard World Comic Con 2018:
"I don't think that [the Salvatore] brothers should have lived. I don't think that Damon should have had the happy ending with Elena."
As shocking as it sounds, Somerhalder had an explanation for his idea. He said that both brothers have taken too many lives and caused too much damage throughout the series. It would be fair for them to die in the finale. Their deaths would be a victory for humanity.
After expressing his strong opinion, the actor clarified that it didn't mean he was against Delena. He was just looking at the finale from a moral point of view, without focusing on the love triangle arc. And he was not wrong.
Intentionally or not, the Salvatore brothers have literally and figuratively destroyed many lives during their time as vampires. All of their crimes against humanity were easy to forget if you were more interested in the brothers' love lives, but for those who suffered from Stefan and Damon's actions, there would be a kind of poetic justice in their deaths in the finale.
Interestingly enough, around the time they were writing seasons 2 and 3, the creators of the supernatural series seemed to have the exact same idea in mind. Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson actually planned for both brothers to die in order to save Elena and then watch over her from the Other Side. But the show was too popular to end early, and Nina Dobrev's exit in Season 6 ensured that the original ending would never happen, for better or worse.