“Josh was only contracted for a couple of seasons,” a source tells PEOPLE. “As the show has gone on, he kept signing on for additional seasons as he was interested in the storylines. The final season is not yet fleshed out, and the creative team is in the middle of figuring out where this character and his arc would go now that his primary love interest has passed. So he’s in discussions now on how they’d wrap up Cole. Whether that’s one episode or more, they don’t know yet, but conversations are ongoing. Viewers have not necessarily seen the last of Cole!”
Showtime declined to comment.
Entertainment Tonight first reported the news that Jackson, who plays Cole Lockhart, will likely not be returning for the fifth and final season of the Showtime series. If he does come back, according to ET’s source, “it would only be for one episode.”
According to ET‘s source, series creator Sarah Treem has a plan for Jackson’s character to return for one episode, but “he left on very distinct terms” and does not want to return.
However, another source told the outlet that nothing is official and this may not be the last fans see of Jackson’s character.
Jackson’s reported exit comes shortly after his costar Ruth Wilsonannounced she was leaving the show, confirming on CBS This Morning in August that her character, Alison Lockhart, was killed off.
“I’m not coming back, so she’s dead,” said the actress, 36, who added that she “did want to leave [the show] but I’m not allowed to talk about why.”
In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, Wilson dispelled theories that her departure was brought on by a disagreement over her show earnings.
“It isn’t about pay parity, and it wasn’t about other jobs,” she said. “But I’m not really allowed to talk about it.”
“There is a much bigger story,” she added.
In her interview with The Times, Wilson reportedly encouraged the outlet to get in touch with Treem, who responded with a previously released statement from Showtime:”The character of Alison had run its course. By completing her arc this season, the consequences of her death will lead to compelling story lines for our final season.”
Season 5 of The Affair is expected to premiere in 2019.
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.