Is Samantha dead in Sex and the City? Fans fear Kim Cattrall's character has been killed off in cancer storyline

Fans fear Samantha is dead in Sex and the City after it was revealed that Kim Cattrall will not be returning for the revival.

In January, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristen Davis took to social media to share the same teaser trailer. The clip features some of Manhattan's most iconic sites, while Carrie Bradshaw narrates: "And just like that... the story continues."

However, notably absent from this announcement is Cattrall.

Fans fear Samantha is dead in Sex and the City (Credit: HBO)

Is Samantha dead in Sex and the City?

As of yet, there is no confirmation that Samantha Jones has been killed off.

But sadly, it's official that her character will not be returning to Sex and the City: Just Like that.

Instead, the HBO series will follow Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte as they navigate the complicated reality of life, friendship, and sex in their 50s – without their friend, Samantha.

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Since the trailer was released, fan have been taking to social media to discuss what fate may have befallen the PR guru.

In fact, a Twitter brainstorm brought about several compelling theories.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIb3Y5KOwJI[/embed]

One suggested that Samantha passed away from the coronavirus because she refused to social distance.

Another questioned if she had fallen out with her best friend, Carrie.

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Meanwhile, a third said she might have moved to LA to be with Smith Jerrod.

But others were concerned that Samantha's cancer may have returned.

Sex and the City first aired back in 1998 (Credit: HBO / Screenshot)

Did Samantha's cancer return in Sex and the City?

The most popular theory behind Samantha's disappearance is that her cancer had returned, and she had tragically lost the battle.

"She died of cancer. It came back. The show opens at her funeral," tweeted one fan.

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Another corroborated: "Oh gosh are they going to make her die of breast cancer? Like it comes back or something?! I hope they choose another storyline."

A third added: "Cancer came out of remission, recently deceased, the girls are heartbroken and processing."

"The only way this would work is if they have it be about the girls solving Samantha's murder. They could probably convince Kim to narrate the show from beyond the grave," posited another. 

Parker had clearly been reading the discussion on Twitter, and revealed that she'd been taking notes.

"Pen and paper at ready. X," she tweeted, saying that she was overwhelmed by the response, and wanted to elaborate but couldn't. "Exceeding all expectations. I am summoning discipline though desperate to suggest hot/cold."

Kim Cattrall played fan-favourite, Samantha Jones (Credit: PA)

Will Kim Cattrall be replaced?

While some fans thought that Samantha's character may be recast, Parker appeared to quash these rumours.

"No disrespect to Kim, but if she's not participating please please please recast Samantha with the awesome Jennifer Coolidge." commented one fan on Parker's post about the revival. ''I would line up and pay good money to see Jennifer as Samantha.''

The 55-year-old actress replied: "We have some new stories to tell. We are excited." And in response to another fan, who wrote "we will miss Kim / Samantha", she added, "we will too. We loved her so."

Back in 2017, Cattrall implored the creative team behind Sex and the City to recast the role with a non-white actress.

"It’s a great part,” she told Piers Morgan during an interview. "I played it past the finish line and then some, and I loved it. And another actress should play it. Maybe they could make it an African-American Samantha Jones, or a Hispanic Samantha Jones."

The original cast pictured at the premiere of Sex and the City 2 (Credit: PA)

Why wasn't there a third Sex and the City movie?

Plans for a third Sex and the City movie were thrown out of the window after Cattrall publicly distanced herself from the franchise.

A source told the Daily Mail that the actress had held up production on the film as she had wanted her own solo projects financed by Warner Bros in exchange for her participation. According to Cattrall, this was not true.

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"Woke up to a MailOnline s***storm," Cattrall tweeted. "The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film....& that was back in 2016."

And during an appearance on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, she doubled down, and said that Parker "could have been nicer" about the situation.

"It’s quite extraordinary to get any kind of negative press about something that I’ve been saying for almost a year of ‘no’ that I’m demanding or a diva," she said.

"The answer was always no and a respectful [and] firm 'no'. I never asked for any money, I never asked for any projects. To be thought of as some kind of diva is ridiculous."