Schwartz has been vocal in the past about approaching original cast members to pop back in for an appearance, saying earlier this year that standing offers are out to Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Penn Badgley, Chace Crawford and Ed Westwick. When Safran was asked on Wednesday whether the new series will address what the core characters are up to following the 2012 series finale, he hinted that they are mentioned often.

"Well, we talk about what happened to Dan [Humphrey], so I might have to text Penn and see if he's really available," Safran said, after learning that Badgley was interested in revisiting Dan's post-Gossip Girl life. "Penn also works constantly, but we'll see if we can rope him in there. That would be great. I would love for everyone to come back if they wanted to. The universe still exists. The characters talk about Serena, Blair, Chuck, Dan."

But seriously, could a Dan Humphrey return happen? "I don't know, I hope so," he answered coyly. "Now that you've said it, I want it to."

"They are a part of the world," Safran added. "The characters talk about them and that they do exist. So, yeah, I would love to have them come back. The show jumped five years in the future when it ended and we are past that five years now, so it's whole new things that they could be doing."

Safran also addressed observations made by fans about the similarities between Badgley's You character, well-read bookstore manager Joe Goldberg, and his Gossip Girl character, the bookish Dan; some felt Joe -- minus the murder-y parts -- was an extension of Dan. Safran, though, doesn't agree with that take.

"No, I do not. I really don't. I mean, I think it's a testament to Penn's acting that people want to see Dan so badly and to see what the character created," he said. "But absolutely not. I don't think Dan could get that dark."