Grey’s Anatomy showrunner Krista Vernoff discusses the possibility of Derek Shepherd's return to the medical drama. Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepherd was introduced in the pilot (after his one-night stand with Meredith) as the new attending and chief of neurosurgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. The interns, including Meredith, eventually nicknamed him 'McDreamy' due to his good looks and charisma. Though Derek started off the series in a complicated marriage with Addison (Kate Walsh), his relationship with Meredith eventually became one of the most important aspects of Grey's Anatomy.
As Grey's Anatomy's main couple, Meredith and Derek experienced plenty of turbulent times, par for the course in a popular medical drama centered on beloved characters. The beginning of the pair's relationship was marred by Derek's marriage and some coworkers' disapproval, as well as the pair's professional positions, since Derek was technically surgical intern Meredith's boss. Later on, the pair overcame those obstacles, married, and even started a family. But by the time season 11 came around, Dempsey was ready to leave Grey's Anatomy, leading the showrunners at the time to deal with character's departure in their infamous way, by killing him off. As a result, Meredith lost her husband when Derek was in a vehicular accident and couldn't be saved.
While speaking with Deadline, Vernoff implies that, if possible, the series would welcome Dempsey back, possibly in a flashback. Referencing Dempsey's comments at the D23 Expo that he would be open to returning if the creators decided to bring the character back in some capacity, Vernoff states there have been "no conversations about that" yet, though her comments indicate the door is open. See her statement below:
I would never say never. I’ll say this. There have been no conversations about that at this point. But never say never.
Derek Remains One Of Grey's Anatomy's Most Important Characters
Vernoff's comments offer some slight hope to Grey's Anatomy fans longing to see Dempsey step into Derek's shoes once more. The character's death had a massive impact on the series, leaving fans of the show as well as the characters he left behind devastated. Some fans of the series have even posited theories that Derek never actually died due to the shocking nature of his exit. While it's unlikely that Grey's Anatomy would have faked the character's death due to their long precedent of character mortality, his death didn't mean the end for Dempsey's appearances. In season 17, Dempsey reprised his role as Derek, showing up in one of Meredith's dreams while fighting COVID-19.
A reveal at the end of the Grey's Anatomy season 19 premiere identified new intern Lucas Adams (Niko Terho) as one of Derek's nephews. Previous reports have also indicated that Kate Walsh, who played Derek's first wife and mourned his death with Meredith, will have a larger role in Grey's Anatomy season 19. Based on those two characters' connections with Derek, as well as his sister Amelia's (Caterina Scorsone) continued involvement in the series, the possibility of Dempsey's return in flashbacks seems more appropriate than ever. Since Derek's influence on Lucas has clearly driven the young intern's career ambitions, flashbacks of him would offer a deeper understanding of the pair's relationship and, as a result, Lucas' motivations. Whether audiences catch a glimpse of Dempsey in Grey's Anatomy season 19, it's promising that both Vernoff and Dempsey haven't written off the possibility of Derek's return.
Source: Deadline