Well, who wouldn’t I think would be the better question to ask because, I mean, really, these people (and vampires and hybrids) have had I don’t know how many chances to end him . . . and yet Klaus still lives. If he were to stick around Mystic Falls – having burned almost all his bridges and allowed Tyler (Michael Trevino) back into town – they’d pretty much look kinda dumb if the continue to let him live, wouldn’t they?

Here’s Joseph’s take on how he feels about Klaus leaving Mystic Falls – and himself moving on to The Originals when he spoke with WetPaint recently:

This show, it goes without saying, it’s changed my life. It’s utterly opened me up to an audience who probably would have never seen anything I’ve done, and now, it seems like everything I’ve ever done is on YouTube. So I’m eternally grateful to the show. I think I’ve been playing sort of B-storylines for a long time because there’s only so much of Klaus we can see in Vampire Diaries. Because the show is about Damon and Stefan and Elena, and it should be about them. It started about those, and it should finish about those. And I don’t think there’s room to expand more upon my character in that show.

So for me, I’m really excited to be moving into a show that we can learn more about him, and I’m really hopeful that they will exploit the crossover angle as much as they can. I’m perfectly willing, should my schedule allow it, for Klaus to make sporadic appearances in Mystic Falls, and I think they would be missing a trick if they didn’t bring a few of the characters, perhaps even the one I talked about earlier, over to New Orleans for an episode or two at least.

But yeah, personally, I think this is the right time. I feel like if Klaus stays in Mystic Falls, and our heroes don’t kill him — because he’s never going to be on the same page entirely as our heroes; they’re always going to be at odds — it just makes them look weak and stupid. I don’t think anybody wants the heroes to look weak and stupid. So I think it’s time for Klaus to branch out. I think for me as an actor as well. The challenge of having more screen time and heading up a show is certainly one.

And I, for one, am oh so ready to see him branch out.

One of the first questions they asked of Joseph was about how different the episode of The Vampire Diaries called “The Originals” looked.

I think in terms of the looks of it, I know the director, Chris Grismer, really wanted to bring out the color of New Orleans, so it retained some of that kind of shadowy quality of Vampire Diaries, but it absolutely has more colors and more vibrancy to it. It’s less muted. And then, also tonally, it’s got a more adult tone to it. It’s a little darker. Vampire Diaries is much more of a coming-of-age story, and this is more about people, supernatural creatures that really embrace what they are, who love to be vampires. So it’s a little different, yeah.

And, when you’re 1,000+ years old . . . it’s a little late for a “coming of age” story, don’t you think?

Absolutely, yeah, that’s true. There’s no prom in The Originals.

As for the rest of the plot of the pilot episode, Joseph is careful not to spill too many details, but he does give us a bit of a glimpse.

The French Quarter of New Orleans was a town that Klaus built with Marcel, his protégé. And when Klaus and his family were forced to leave New Orleans behind, Marcel stayed and built it as he saw fit. And he managed to rise up in power and control the witches and drive out the werewolves and really run the town. So when Klaus hears that one of the witches is plotting against him, his ego gets the better of him. And he goes back to New Orleans to find out who that is and to nip it in the bud. And in doing so, he runs into his old friend Marcel and starts to realize that this guy, this vampire has got everything he wanted.

And Marcel is now running this town, in a way is king of this town, and Klaus is still scrabbling in Mystic Falls, thinking, “What am I doing? Wait a second. This is something I want.” And he’s prone to jealousy and envy and all of those more negative types of traits anyway. So I think that Marcel is a little bit of a show-off, shall we say, in terms of showing Klaus what he has and what Klaus could have had. And so, Klaus rises to that bait. He doesn’t like it, so he wants it back.

“I want what he has. I want to be King.” Those words still give me goosebumps when I see (read: re-watch on what my husband accuses me of being a constant loop) the trailer for The Originals. So expertly delivered.

Anyway.

What does he think of the inevitable power struggle between Klaus and Marcel?

Well, I mean, Klaus is by far the more powerful being. He’s an Original vampire. Plus he’s a hybrid, so he has that on Marcel. But Marcel runs the town, so he has all of the vampires in the town who work for him. That’s over a hundred vampires. Plus, he’s in control of the witches. None of the witches can do magic without his say-so. So that’s a huge.

What kind of stories does he hope will get told as The Originals progresses?

I would hope over the course of the seasons that there would be potential for it to be a story of Klaus’s salvation. I think from the point where we brought him in from where he started, and then those little cracks we’ve seen in his kind of villain demeanor, I think there’s potential there to be redeemed. And I think this whole season of Vampire Diaries has been a setup.

I love the scene where Caroline says to him, “Anyone who is capable of love is capable of being saved.” If I were to make the decisions — which I don’t — that would be the buzz line for him, for the season. But our storyline, the Original storyline has always been family and the ties that bind us and the idea that we can do these horrible, terrible things to each other, but no one, woe betide the person who steps on our toes, who comes in trying to challenge one of us, then we’re all thick as thieves.

So I think it would really be the power struggle with the family and everyone else outside the family and also the dynamics within the family. I mean, it’s on a more epic scale. Even the pilot teased a war between the witches and the vampires. So I’d very much like to explore this genre, but on a more kind of epic scale, like less coming of age and more like this.

“Anyone who is capable of love is capable of being saved” – such a powerful line. And, I think, in some small way, every member of both TVD and The Originals character lists is someway reflected in those words.

I’m looking forward to the war between the witches and vampires, for sure, but I’m also very curious how the wolves come into this. And we know they will, cuz they’ve got a Momma-to-be she-wolf in their midst. I also can’t help but wonder . . . will Tyler somehow factor in here, what with his she-helped-me-break-the-sire-bond-that-nearly-made-me-kill-Caroline friend being all at once in danger, and a pawn in a very powerful game? But these are questions that won’t get answered in this particular interview (and probably because the writers aren’t quite certain themselves yet).

But. One question that was answered was “will there be flashbacks in the new pilot episode?”

The short answer? No. But, listen to the reasoning before starting any more “get Kol on The Originals petitions.”

Not in the new pilot. There’s so much there, coming to a new city and introducing all these new characters, but should we go to series, I think, I’m almost positive we’ll have flashbacks. I mean, there’s a wealth of history to explore there. So yeah, absolutely the series, but no, not in the pilot.

See? Just not in the first episode. Are we ok now? Good.

Moving on.

Does Joseph think that Klaus could ever go back to Mystic Falls if New Orleans doesn’t go the way he hopes?

I mean, I don’t personally {see him going back to just hang out}. I mean I understand his reason for staying behind in Mystic Falls so long with unfinished business, and we’ve seen him pack his stuff about three times and then not quite leave. For me, the idea of a 1,000-year-old being choosing Mystic Falls as a place to live or to settle down is not as realistic as somewhere like New York or London or Paris or New Orleans. I think he’s showing himself to be a man of culture, a man who appreciates art and music and all of these things as well as graphic displays of violence. So I think certainly a city which embodies all of that would be more likely to be his permanent home.

So, fourth times the charm? He’s really leaving Mystic Falls this time? For real?

He’s really leaving now. No one believes him because he’s cried wolf so many times, but yeah, he’s really going. He’s packed up his stuff, and he’s heading out.

He clearly had a home in NOLA before, and he wants that back. So why would he settle with a place like Mystic Falls? Klaus needs culture, and life, not High School drama.

I love what the folks over at WetPaint try to pull on Joseph with this next question. Talk about loaded questions!! Take a look:

What are you fishing for now with this question? If I could take one of the random characters from Mystic Falls, who would I take with me? Come on, what are you looking for here? I would take Sheriff Forbes, definitely. No. Obviously, Klaus would take Caroline. I think that’s the person who he’s interested in. He’s seen the thing through with Stefan in terms of their friendship, and he’s realized that Stefan isn’t the ripper anymore. He fought that stuff so hard when Klaus tried to bring him back to who he was, and I think there’s unfinished business with him and Caroline. So I think he would absolutely if he could take one person take her, but then you knew that anyway.

The last question they have for Joseph is about his projects outside of TVD and The Originals – his films Warhouse and Revelation.

Yeah, Warhouse has gotten distribution. They just released the press today, actually. So it’s on the IMDb site for Warhouse now. We’ve got distribution, and we’ve got US distribution as well. I think it’s going to be very limited cinema release, then On Demand and so on and so forth. That after all the patience of everybody waiting to see that film. That’s coming out there.

And Revelation… we got into the New York City International Film Festival. So that’s the third film festival we’ve got into now in competition. Now, I’m just trying to collect the laurels like a badge of honor to put on the web poster, but I’m really excited. We played at Atlanta, and we’re doing Los Angeles Fear and Fantasy. And we’re doing New York City International Film Festival as well. I really feel like I’m kind of blessed at the moment. It’s a really wonderful time.

And we’re glad to be a part of it, Joseph. Watching him bring a character that wasn’t supposed to last one season to the point of getting his own show, just solidifies the amount of awesome this man contains. I would love to meet him. And I do believe he has firmly taken over as second place to Ian – or maybe even tied with Ian – on my list of OMGIWANTTOMEETYOUBUTIWILLTOTALLYFREEZEUPANDNOTUTTERAWORDIFIDO list. (Good luck deciphering that!)

I really do hope The Originals takes off and does well. And that Revelation and Warhouse get him some much deserved respect around the industry.

Will you see either Revelation or Warhouse if they become available either On Demand, on iTunes, or in theaters? Let us know!

Below, you can read the official descriptions of The Originals and The Vampire Diaries’ Season 5.

Family is power. The Original Vampire family swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together, always and forever. Now, centuries have passed and the bonds of family are broken. Time, tragedy and hunger for power have torn the Original Family apart. When Klaus Mikaelson, the original vampire-werewolf hybrid, receives a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in the supernatural melting pot that is the French Quarter of New Orleans, he returns to the city his family helped build. Klaus’ questions lead him to a reunion with his diabolical former protégé, Marcel, a charismatic vampire who has total control over the human and supernatural inhabitants of New Orleans. Determined to help his brother find redemption, Elijah follows Klaus and soon learns that the werewolf Hayley has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history, and has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie. Tensions between the town’s supernatural factions are nearing a breaking point as Marcel commands his devoted followers and rules with absolute power. For Klaus, the thought of answering to his powerful protégé is unthinkable, and he vows to reclaim what was once his – the power, the city and his family. While they wait to see if their sister Rebekah will leave Mystic Falls and join them, Klaus and Elijah form an uneasy alliance with the witches to ensure that New Orleans will be ruled by THE ORIGINALS once again. The series stars Joseph Morgan (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Immortals”) as Klaus, Daniel Gillies (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Saving Hope”) as Elijah, Claire Holt (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Pretty Little Liars”) as Rebekah, Phoebe Tonkin (“The Vampire Diaries,” “The Secret Circle”) as Hayley, Charles Michael Davis (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Switched at Birth”) as Marcel, Daniella Pineda (“The Fitzgerald Family Christmas,” “Homeland”) as Sophie, Leah Pipes (“The Deep End,” “Sorority Row”) as Cami and Danielle Campbell (“Starstruck,” “Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection”) as Davina. THE ORIGINALS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with My So-Called Company, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. Julie Plec (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), Leslie Morgenstein (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Gossip Girl”) and Gina Girolamo (“The Lying Game”) are executive producers. Plec wrote the pilot episode, which was directed by Chris Grismer (“The Vampire Diaries”).

The Vampire Diaries:

In the tumultuous fourth season of THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, the world of Mystic Falls was turned upside down when the beautiful and compassionate Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) came face-to-face with her worst nightmare – life as a vampire. While Elena struggled to control her new powers and the overwhelming thirst for blood, the astonishing news that a cure for vampirism may actually exist reached Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) Salvatore, the two vampire brothers who love her. Their search for the cure leads the brothers, along with Elena’s brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) and her best friends Bonnie (Kat Graham) and Caroline (Candice Accola), to a horrifying confrontation with the ancient and all-powerful immortal, Silas, who has been entombed with the cure for more than 2,000 years. But Elena isn’t the only vampire who longs to return to life as a human, and the question of who will take the cure is resolved in the heart-stopping season finale, along with moments of unexpected joy, unspeakable sorrow, and a confession of true love. The series heads into its fifth season with some characters headed off to college, a newly cured vampire trying to survive as a human, and a shocking Salvatore secret. Based on the series of books by L. J. Smith, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Outerbanks Entertainment, Alloy Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios. The series was developed by Kevin Williamson (“The Following,” “Scream”) & Julie Plec (“Kyle XY,” “Wasteland”), who serve as executive producers along with Leslie Morgenstein (“Gossip Girl,” “Pretty Little Liars”) and Caroline Dries (“Melrose Place,” “Smallville”).

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