There's been a lot of buzz about "Glee" Season 4 since rumors of departing cast members and a crushing season finale. But at Comic-Con on Saturday night, cast members Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn), Naya Rivera (Santana), Kevin McHale (Artie), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina), Darren Criss (Blaine), and executive producers Brad Falchuk, Ian Brennan, and Dante DiLoreto cleared up all the rumors and offered the Comic-Con crowd scoop on Season 4 of "Glee."
Season 3 ended with the heartbreaking split of Finn and Rachel and much like Finchel fans, Michele wasn't happy about it, at least initially. "I was so mad when I read it in the script," she told the Comic-Con fans. "I cried all day during filming. But after reading it over and over and over again I finally understood that he was doing the right thing for Rachel."
When "Glee" Season 4 picks up, it's September and school is starting for Rachel at NYADA and back at McKinley, life goes on in the choir room.
As for new "Glee" guest star Kate Hudson, who plays a NYADA dance instructor, Falchuk said, "It's a really fun character. It's the difference between the Will version of teaching and more negative reinforcement."
Rachel is exploring the challenges of being in New York and being there alone. Michele added Rachel will be competing with "1800 other Rachel Berrys" at NYADA.
Kurt will be back in Lima, but mentally and emotionally, he's in an "interesting place," according to Falchuk. He wouldn't say explicitly if Kurt will still follow Rachel to New York, but he added, "Those two are best friends so it'd be hard to keep them apart."
What about Klaine? A full-bearded Criss said, "I think we all want to see them together for as long as possible. The inevitable pitfalls of a long-distance relationship produce a lot of conflict. I don't know, I'm just an actor! The new format of the show is gonna shake everything up."
As for Santana, she's a cheerleader at UC Louisville, but not much else of her storyline has been established. And Brittana? "I don't know, I think right now as we left it, they're really good and they definitely love each other so I hope they'll make it," Rivera said.
Like Klaine and Brittana in "Glee" Season 4, Mike (Harry Shum) and Tina (Ushkowitz) are also trying to maintain a long distance relationship.
Meanwhile, Finn is preparing for bootcamp and Falchuk said, "We're gonna shave his head next week -- let's do it right now!" But Michele said, "First is Darren's beard. That's coming off right now." Criss joked, "I got it from the 'Game of Thrones' panel."
The New Directions are "underdogs again, desperately trying to get 12 kids for sectionals," Brennan told the Comic-Con fans. McHale said Artie hopes to be the big man on McKinley's campus. "It's anybody's game right now. I'll roll over anybody's feet to get that crown," McHale said.
Does that mean we'll get to see more of Artie? "I've been pitching a story for Artie's mom since literally the first episode," Brennan explained. "I want her to be a hoarder." McHale said Katey Segal of "Sons of Anarchy" has really been pushing that and he's "all for that." McHale added, "Harry Connick Jr. could also be my dad."
Falchuk said that "everyone who was a season regular last season ... will be back next year," although almost no one will be in every episode since the characters are so spread out. Of that challenge, Brennan said, "We've had the characters at different locations before. It's just a matter of making sure those stories talk to each other. They're in this adult world with adult relationships and paying rent ... it's evolution."
Falchuk hopes more characters will be part of that evolution: Chord Overstreet and "The Glee Project" alum Sam Larsen (Joe) and Alex Newell (Wade/Unique) are in talks to become series regulars.
What music can we expect to hear in Season 4? "It's a great combination," Falchuk said. " There's classic rock in there, there's stuff I've never heard of and more modern." Criss worried about having to sing "Call Me Maybe" and Michele wanted to sing Robyn's "Dancing On My Own." She also said Ryan Murphy gave her the wrong Celine Dion song last season. She wanted "To Love You More," but was too embarrassed to tell him when he gave her "It's All Coming Back To Me."
The second episode of Season 4 is "Glee's" second Britney Spears episode, which Falchuk called "hilarious." "It'll be interesting to take the Britney theme in the choir room and move it to New York and [see] how it affects Rachel and her story," he added.
What about the word on the street that we'll meet Puck's brother in Season 4" Falchuk would only say, "I've heard that rumor too."
Will there be a wedding for Will and Emma? "They're engaged. They're not gonna get married right away," Falchuk said. "They're living together and love each other and doing things."
As for what the cast has going on off the set of "Glee," Rivera said she's working on an album. "We have a single. It's dance-pop and it's called 'My Heart.'" Criss talked about his role in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." "I never thought I'd be working on TV, much less Broadway," he said. "There's no one who deserves it more than this one," Michele gushed to the Comic-Con crowd.
Catch a clip from the "Glee" panel below:
"Glee" returns to Fox in the fall on a new day and at a new time: Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
