Despite many fan protests, Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) will not actually be back on Homeland in season 4 after his death in the season 3 finale.

Carrie, Saul, Other Cast Members Traveling To Middle East For Homeland Season 4?

Homeland showrunner Alex Gansa and star Claire Danes (Carrie) spoke at a TV Academy panel Friday about Brody and the man who had been at the center of the show for three seasons.

"I got so many emails about a story in the press about a man in Iran who was hanged, but he actually was alive and his toes started wiggling in the morgue," Gansa said, explaining that fans were using the story as proof that he might be trying to trick them. Brody was hanged in Iran and seemingly died in the season 3 finale, though it appears that some fans still aren't convinced.

Homeland Headed for 'Major Reset' in Season 4?

Gansa assured that Brody's eventual death was planned way ahead of time.

"Truthfully, we've been trying to get rid of the guy since season one," Gansa admitted, though he also revealed that there was a different plan in mind originally.

He said that the original plan was to have Saul (Mandy Patinkin) kill Brody, however things changed when they realized they wanted to have Carrie send Brody to a place he couldn't come back from.

Danes spoke about how the dramatic death was going to have ramifications as they go to film season 4.

"I don't think it's really going to occur to me until we start filming again and Damian's not there making fun of me in the makeup trailer," she said. "I think [Carrie] shelved a lot of feelings. And they will dog her through the season... Realistically, Brody was broken in away he couldn't be mended. What was his place in society?"

Homeland season 4 premieres in fall 2014 on Showtime, though the network has not yet announced a specific air date.