'Orange is the New Black' Season 4 Updates: Caitlyn Jenner's cameo shelved, Jolene Purdy's role officially booked; Alex to return with a vengeance?

By Staff Writer

Oct 09 2015, 06:33 AM EDT

With preparations gearing up for the return of Netflix's hit series "Orange in the New Black" or OITNB, rumors about casting Caitlyn Jenner and the return of the recurring character Alex have finally been taking form. Jolene Purdy's inclusion to the show's season 4 has also been confirmed.

After months of speculations about her planned cameo, it has been confirmed that Caitlyn Jenner will not be making an appearance on the show. The rumor mills were abuzz with talks that Jenner was groomed to be Sophia's (Laverne Cox) buddy in Litchfield after the two supposedly met last August and "got along pretty well", as previous sources reported.

However, in a recent interview with Movie Pilot, Cox once and for all dismissed Caitlyn's addition on the show saying that she finds the rumors "pretty ridiculous".

"I have no idea about it, but I think that's pretty out there. I'm pretty sure that's not true. I'm not involved in casting of our show, but it is really funny the rumours...it's pretty ridiculous sometimes," Cox said.

Although we won't be seeing Caitlyn sassing it out with Litchfield inmates, OITNB makes up for it with the addition of a new face and the return a crowd favorite from last season.

Deadline Hollywood confirms that actress Jolene Purdy will be joining as a series regular. Purdy's role has not been finalized yet but the actress, who is best remembered as the reluctant cashier in "Breaking Bad" and recently as the coldhearted intern in "Benched", she can be a perfect fit as a prison guard to OITNB's relentless jailbirds.

Also making a triumphant return to the show is Alex, played by Laura Prepon. Season three has been quite nasty on Prepon's character but with a foiled attempt to take her down, Alex is expected to step up. Prepon assures fans that they should look out for a more "empowered" Alex. "In Season 4, we definitely don't see a timid side of Alex," Prepon tells TV Guide.

While Caitlyn Jenner won't appear in the show, at least the fans can see the arrival of Jolene Purdy and the return of Laura Prepon's Alex Vause. "Orange is the New Black" Season 4 is due to air on 2016, with the first three seasons available for streaming on Netflix.