'Dexter': Jennifer Carpenter Reveals If She's Really Returning for Season 9

Dexter star Jennifer Carpenter has openly answered the looming rumor that has been hanging over Season 9's production all since it was announced. Carpenter has long been rumored to come back for Showtime's new standalone Dexter season — which shares continuity with the original show but features Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) in a totally new locale. After months of rumors and keen-eyed fans spotting her on-set, she finally confirmed the news on Saturday.

The 41-year-old actress shared the below image alongside John Lithgow, who played Trinity Killer Arthur Mitchell during Season 4. Lithgow has been confirmed to return for a brief scene, and he also spilled the beans on Carpenter's return in an interview just before numerous press outlets independently confirmed the news. "After all these years we're both EXACTLY the same! #dexter … I guess it does a BODY good," Carpenter wrote, adding their character names and the phrase "See you soon."

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Carpenter's character, Dexter's adopted sister Debra Morgan, infamously died in the series finale of Dexter, in what was a controversial decision in many fans' eyes. With the new limited series, Debra should still be dead, given creators' insistence that they aren't changing the continuity of the original show. Our guess is that Debra will return as Dexter's inner conscience, much like the serial killer's adopted dad Harry Morgan (James Remar) did in the original show. (Coincidentally, Remar says he's not involved in the new show.) That would mean Carpenter is up to a bit more than just the simple flashback or hallucination that Lithgow filmed.

Official details on Debra's return haven't been revealed. What Showtime has said is that Dexter is currently living in a snowy small town under a new name, Jim Lindsay. He seemingly lives a simple life in the woods while working as a sales associate at a store called Fred's Fish & Game. He will eventually cross paths with a true-crime podcaster played by Jamie Chung and a beloved town leader, played by Clancy Brown, who seemingly has a darker nature than his fellow citizens assume. No release date has been set, but it is expected to premiere before 2021 is over.