Sex and the City is coming back to the small screen, but Samantha Jones will not be coming with it. A revival has been announced, titled 'And Just Like That' (in homage to Carrie's monologues), but while Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and the rest are set to pick up where they left off, Kim Cattrall will not be joining them.

RELATED: Sex And The City: The Main Characters, Ranked By Likability

This isn't a huge surprise for long-time fans, who know that Cattrall has previously said that she is done with the character and has no interest in returning. It does create some questions, though, namely how the new series will explain her absence. Samantha is a key part of the original series and both movies, so writing her out will be no easy task - but there are plenty of directions the show could go in.

On Vacation

Samantha by the pool raising her sunglasses

This particular option may be one of the least likely, but it's the simplest, and it leaves the door open should Catrall have a change of heart (unlikely as that may be). In Sex and the City 2, Samantha was flown out to Abu Dhabi as part of a contract with her PR firm. While that didn't go well at all, it's not unlikely that she would be on another extended vacation, either for work, or just for fun. Samantha is definitely someone that might have a holiday home or three by this point, and may just be away from New York for the series. Of course, this only works if the series takes place over a short period of time.

Moved To Europe For Work

Samantha smiling in Sex and the City

Along the same lines, but a better explanation for her being gone for a much longer series run would be that Samantha has moved entirely. She already proved she was willing to leave New York once before, in the first film (when she moved to LA). It would be perfectly possible that Samantha decided to expand her PR firm to London (or somewhere else, of course), and that's why she's not around for the series. This would also keep the door open, and even leave open the possibility of a London-set mini series.

Got Married And Moved Away

Samantha Danish Architect sex and the city 2

Of all the options, this may be the least likely, but stranger things have happened. Samantha is definitely seen as not the marrying type (especially in the first movie), but things can change... at the end of the second movie, Samantha is sleeping with a Danish architect that she met while in Abu Dhabi. Perhaps she fell wildly in love, threw her reservations about marriage out the window, and has now moved to Denmark to be with him.

Ended Up In Prison

Samantha jones Season 3 of Sex and the City

This may seem even more unlikely than marriage, for Samantha, but if her actions in the second movie are anything to go by, it may not be completely impossible. In Sex and the City 2, she is very nearly thrown into jail for breaking the law in Abu Dhabi, and she's carrying around bags of unmarked pills on airplanes.

RELATED: Sex And The City: The Main Characters, Ranked By Intelligence

Not to mention, she is constantly breaking decency laws by having sex in public, throughout the franchise. Perhaps Samantha took things too far, or made a serious mistake in traveling, and is paying the price.

Currently Fighting With Carrie

As fans saw in the first movie, when these women get upset with each other, sometimes it can get a little bit high school. When Miranda told Carrie that she told Big not to get married the night before the wedding, Carrie stops speaking to her entirely. This seems harsh, but Miranda had previously cut Steve almost entirely out of her life when he cheated on her. It seems that the silent treatment is considered an appropriate way to deal with a big falling out, so maybe Samantha is temporarily on the outs with the rest of the gang.

In The Middle Of A Major Project

This would likely be a little bit silly, but a particularly lazy way to write Samantha out would be to have her always simply be too busy, because she's in the middle of some enormous project. In planning a celebrity wedding, or New York Fashion week, or something of that size, Samantha could still be friends with the women, but never seen, and always mentioned as not able to come to dinners or brunches. This could even be a plot point, a frustration with friends no longer being willing to make time.

Ended Up In Rehab

Samantha Sex and the city

While none of the women in the show has an obvious drinking problem, and they are never shown using drugs (except for the occasional weed-smoking storyline), giving Samantha an addiction and writing her out as in a rehab facility could be an interesting choice. Sex and the City is synonymous with cocktails and nights out, yet addiction isn't really a subject the franchise digs into. Having one of the core women revealed to be struggling with active addiction could be a serious, but important, topic to cover.

Had A Huge Falling Out With The Group

Sex and the City Samantha Kim Cattrall

Rather than just temporarily not talking to Carrie, another option would be for Samantha to have had some kind of huge fight with the group, and stopped talking to them. After her behavior in the second film, fans may not even blame them for having a huge argument that led to a split.

RELATED: Zodiac Signs of Sex And The City Characters

This would be something of an unsatisfying end for her character, though, so hopefully something more meaningful ends up being the reason she is no longer around.

Just Grew Apart

Sex and the City Carrie Samantha Miranda Charlotte

This may seem like a disappointing option - no major drama, no major life changes, just friends who slowly stopped seeing each other. However, this may be the most realistic of all the options, as this is something that happens quite a lot. While the four friends in the show somehow manage to stay incredibly close despite moving further apart, having kids, and having busy careers and lives, it may be time for the show to delve into how this kind of intensely close friendship can be hard to sustain as life goes on. This could make for an interesting and relatable storyline, but it may just be a little too sad.

Passed Away

Many believe that while this may be the most heartbreaking of the possibilities, it may be the most likely. Cattral has made it clear that she had no intention of returning, ever, so there is no need to leave a door open for the character to come back. And given that Samantha already had a major storyline battling cancer, it wouldn't be completely out of the blue for the revival to begin with her funeral. This would also mean some serious emotional moments, and important discussion of grief as the other women struggle with her loss. As much as fans would rather imagine Samantha enjoying a fabulous life in a far-off place, it may be a sadder ending for Ms Jones.

NEXT: 15 Movies To Watch If You Love Sex And The City