"As far as actors coming back, there's always so many different forms in which they can come back, but that's all I'll say," Holland Roden tells PEOPLE

Teen Wolf Crew on Old Cast Members Returning in Season 5: 'As Long as You Have Your Head On, You're Fine'

Fans have been speculating about seeing a familiar face this season on Teen Wolf, and in a sit-down with PEOPLE, the cast and executive producer Russell Mulcahy teased that there might be an “appearance.”

Could it be Allison (Crystal Reed) in a flashback? Jackson (Colton Haynes) visiting from London? Derek (Tyler Hoechlin) stopping by Beacon Hills?

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“As far as actors coming back, there’s always so many different forms in which they can come back, but that’s all I’ll say,” Holland Roden, who plays Lydia, told PEOPLE at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

“The people that didn’t die, there’s a chance they may come back. But I don’t think we raise from the dead,” Mulcahy said before being corrected by his stars – Peter! Kate! – and joking, “What happened to my mythology?”

“As long as you have your head on, you’re fine,” he clarified.

Season 5 means senior year for Lydia, Scott (Tyler Posey), Malia (Shelley Hennig) and the rest of the gang – sorry, pack. The new school year is going to expose a lot of insecurities for the characters beyond the daily battle of good vs. evil, and it brings to the forefront a dreaded question every teen TV show eventually faces: What to do after graduation?

Posey, 23, said he’s excited to see how everyone handles the transition.

“It’s such its own character in the show, the high school. It s been there since the beginning, and most of our scenes are in the high school,” he said. “It’s definitely their home. But I think it’s going to be cool. I don’t think it will hurt the quality of the show at all. I think it opens doors. We can do different things. Maybe we can go to college. We’ll just transfer high school to college. We’re not going anywhere.”

But first, Mulcahy, 61, promises the season 5 premiere – which is told in retrospect with time jumps – is “probably one of the scariest, action-packed episodes we’ve done,” as well as “one of the most emotional episodes we’ve done for a while. It really deals with the characters’ hearts and emotions and the trials that they re going through.”

“The first episode feels like a finale,” added Hennig, 28. “And you don’t get bored after, it’s just more information and action-packed stuff.”

Here’s what she, Posey and Roden had to say about what’s happening with their characters when the series returns:

Scott

• He’s going to be okay without Derek.

“Toward the end of Derek’s time on the show, he really realized that Scott turned into an alpha. Derek was thinking, ‘He doesn’t need me anymore.’ And I think that’s kind of what ignited Derek to want to leave – his time was served,” Posey said.

“There’s always stuff to learn, and there s always a good ally in Derek, but I think Scott knows that he doesn’t need him anymore and he can handle stuff on his own. He s definitely sad and bummed about it, as I am, but I think he’s good.”

• There’s a bump in his relationship with Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) – but that’s normal.

“They’re best friends. I mean, Dylan and I, I love that man so much. We’re pretty tight, and we’ve had a couple of arguments along the way. Because you know, we lived with each other,” Posey said. “But literally only two arguments, and then later we talk about it and we’re like, ‘I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry, dude.’ ”

As for their characters?

“Best friends go through things, and Stiles and Scott are very different in their beliefs and their ability. Scott’s a werewolf, Stiles is a human, and it gets in the way a lot,” he said. “Scott is very stubborn about his beliefs, and sometimes Stiles isn’t able to do things the way Scott can.”

“Or to understand,” Hennig chimed in. “It’s hard for Stiles to understand what Scott’s mentality is.”

In the end, “It’s just normal friendship. I like the fact that they are doing it, and it shows true colors and friends,” Posey said. “Dylan and I have some great stuff coming up this season.”

Lydia

• She’s kicking butt like never before.

Roden, 28, amped up her fighting skills with the help of the stunt coordinator, but she said it remains to be seen what happened to Lydia.

“You will find out later in the season if this is a supernatural aspect or if this is just a human-learned-skill aspect,” she said. “So that’s to come.”

• She’ll learn to control her banshee powers more.

“Yes, I think so,” Roden said coyly.

Malia

• There will be some growing pains with her and Stiles.

“First we need to see if Malia can even make it into her senior year. That is something you learn a little bit about in the first episode. As you know, she struggles with math and probably other classes, probably all of them, but she’s working really hard because she wants to stay with her pack,” Hennig said.

She continued, “As far as their relationship goes, I think every relationship is going to be tested this season, with the human side, it just being senior year. What are Malia’s plans? What are Stiles’ plans? Who knows. And Scott’s been there before Malia, so I’m sure Scott and Stiles have their plan, and Malia’s just trying to follow along the same path, but it may not be possible for her. I actually have no clue.”

• The season will explore Malia’s family and heritage.

“The Desert Wolf is something we mentioned at the end of season 4, and it’s definitely a story line that will continue,” Hennig said. “You’ll learn more. I can’t tell you when, or how soon.

“Malia, she s got so many parental issues. Who’s ya daddy? Who’s ya mama?” she added, laughing. “She never knows.”

“It s like a good old Maury episode,” Roden quipped.

“Classic Maury, Jerry Springer,” Hennig said. “And I don’t even think she realizes it, which is funny.”

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