It appears that either fans will likely not see Hope Logan on the scene on The Bold and the Beautiful again, or if they do, they will see an actress other than Kim Matula fulfilling the role.

It didn't escape fans' notice that the show spent the money to finally change their opening credits sequence to remove characters that were either no longer a part of the canvas, or too small to be billed in the sequence. Not only were Donna (Jennifer Gareis), Aly (Ashlyn Pearce) and Thorne (Windsor Harmon) removed for the introduction of newer characters like Zende (Rome Flynn), Nicole (Reign Edwards) and Thomas (Pierson Fode), but Kim Matula was removed as well-which has begun speculation that she will not return to the show.

Matula herself took to her Instagram page back in August to confirm she wouldn't be back anytime soon, because she was still exploring other roles and opportunities. Despite the fact that the characters who were finally placed in the credits were all officially on the scene, the show still chose not to change the credits until the Nov. 17 episode, which lef fans to believe there was still a glimmer of hope that Matula would return. However, it now appears that she officially is not, and will not, leaving the role open to be recast with a new actress.

Hope's longtime rival, Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) has officially been back in L.A. for months, and recently became engaged to the man they always fought over, Liam (Scott Clifton), for the third time. If a recast were to happen and the storyline concerning the love triangle between the three was to become a focus again, now would be the time for a new Hope to appear on the scene.

It is unclear if the show does indeed plan on recasting Matula's role or if Hope will just remain off the canvas in Italy.

The Bold and the Beautiful airs Monday-Friday at 1:30 p.m. on CBS.

Tags: The Bold and the Beautiful CBS Soap Operas