Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith Not Leaving Glee After Third Season

Despite earlier reports that Glee stars Lea Michele, Chris Colfer and Cory Monteith would leave the show after the upcoming third season, the actors will apparently return for season four (even after their characters graduate from McKinley High School), according to TVLine.com.

"Here's the exact thing: [Rachel, Kurt and Finn] are seniors, so they're graduating," the series' executive producer Brad Falchuk said at the show's July 24 Comic-Con panel, "but because they're graduating doesn't mean they're leaving the show. If you have Lea Michele under contract, you don't say, 'We're gonna let you go.' A number of the original [cast members' characters] are not graduating this year. It was never our plan or our intention to let them go...They are not done with the show after this season."

Falchuk did confirm that Chord Overstreet, who plays Sam, will not return at all for the upcoming third season. The producers courted Overstreet to return for 10 episodes, with the possibility of becoming a series regular at mid-season, but the actor declined. "We wanted him back because we like Chord personally and had some good stories planned for him and with Mercedes [Amber Riley]. He decided he would have opportunities elsewhere that he would like to pursue, and we can't force him to work, so we wish him well."

The Comic-Con panel was held in support of the forthcoming release of Glee 3D: The Concert Movie. The third season of Glee begins September 20 on FOX.