Camilla Luddington Opens Up About April & Arizona's Emotional 'Grey's Anatomy' Exit

Season 14 of Grey's Anatomy ended a long-running phase of the show when it said goodbye to cast members Sarah Drew and Jessica Capshaw, but as we've all learned by this point, someone new is always walking through the doors of Grey Sloan Memorial. Receiving arguably the happiest Season 14 ending of the bunch as newlywed Jo, Camilla Luddington spilled about Drew and Capshaw's exits and the latest status of the show's ever-changing cast. Will Grey's Anatomy Season 15 have new characters? Luddington seems to think anything could happen.

In the past week, we've received a slew of Grey's Anatomy-related news. ABC announced days after the season's theme of love was revealed that Season 15 will premiere on Thursday, Sept. 27. Luddington, apparently representing the entire cast when she appeared at Comic-Con to promote the latest Lara Croft video game, also revealed that Season 15 has started filming, and cast members' newest social media posts have aligned with this claim.

While most of the usual gang is returning for new episodes, Drew's April Kepner and Capshaw's Arizona Robbins have pursued new, surprisingly happy opportunities taking them away from the hospital. Their absences make room for new characters or longtime secondary ones due for a moment in the spotlight. Just as fans have, Luddington struggled with saying goodbye to the actresses and accepting how the cast may shift in Season 15, telling Entertainment Tonight:

For me, [Capshaw and Drew are] some of my best friends; they're so talented that I'm excited to see what they go and do next. I hope the fans can embrace other storylines and other characters that we bring on, and Grey's continues to be something fun for them to watch... The one thing that I've seen in the six seasons that I've been on the show is there's always an influx of new characters and always characters leaving. I think that it'll be interesting. It always changes the dynamic of each season, so it'll be interesting to see how it does change the dynamic of next season and what that means for certain characters that were especially close to those characters, like Jackson.

Luddington also hinted to TVLine that Jo's estranged family members could make an appearance in the new season and that she may finally find her medical specialty. She didn't discuss any new characters appearing on the show, but falling in line with Season 14's uncommonly sweet, low-key ending, Luddington promised that Season 15's tagline of love is no joke, saying:

There will still be that element of romantic comedy with our drama, but that humor will still be present in season 15, too. I know that with Alex and Jo, they'll be navigating newlywed territory together. I don't know what that means necessarily, but they're probably going to be a hot mess at some point.

After portraying such a prominent story at the end of last season, Jo and Alex's newlywed haze may take a backseat as Season 15 kicks off, but it looks like we have their wedding to thank for the romantic pattern the new season will emulate. Not every season can involve a hospital bombing or deadly plane crashes, but I'm definitely not complaining. But also, is it too soon to hope for a guest appearance from April or Arizona?

Season 15 of Grey's Anatomy premieres on Thursday, Sept. 27, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.