The Vampire Diaries’ Ian Somerhalder moves on to vampire series V-Wars

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The CW series The Vampire Diaries came to an end last year after an eight season run, but actor Ian Somerhalder, who played the character Damon Salvatore in that show's 171 episodes, still isn't done dealing with bloodsuckers. He has signed on to star in and direct episodes of the vampire show V-Wars, an adaptation of the IDW comic book that Netflix has ordered straight to series.

Created by Jonathan Maberry, V-Wars told the story (as the title gives away) of the Vampire War. On the Netflix series, Somerhalder will be playing 

Dr. Luther Swann, who enters a world of untold horror when a mysterious disease transforms his best friend, Michael Fayne, into a murderous predator who feeds on other humans. As the disease spreads and more people are transformed, society fractures into opposing camps pitting normal people against the growing number of these “vampires.” Swann races against time to understand what’s happening, while Fayne rises to become the powerful underground leader of the vampires.

The first season of V-Wars will consist of ten hourlong episodes. Brad Turner is directing the pilot and will executive produce the series alongside Eric Birnberg and Thomas Walden of High Park Entertainment, David Ozer and Ted Adams of IDW Entertainment, and James Gibb of Marada Pictures. William Laurin and Glenn Davis are the showrunners.

IDW is producing V-Wars with High Park.

I haven't read the V-Wars comics, and the synopsis for this show doesn't immediately grab me. I'm going to have to wait to see a trailer before I can really gauge my interest in this one.