"House of Cards" season 4 is still a year away but a few hints and casting information have recently surfaced. According to a report from the Inquisitr, one such hint indicates that Doug Stamper (MIchael Kelly) might bite the dust in the upcoming season, leaving Frank Underwood with no close peers to support him. 

Doug Stamper was almost killed off at the end of season 2 when he was knocked in the head and left for dead by Rachel Posner (Rachel Brosnahan). He spent most of season 3 recovering and getting back to the White House, but right at the season finale, he got his revenge and seemingly buried Rachel alive. 

The show isn't shy about killing off major characters. Series creator Beau Willimon wrote off Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) as well as Peter Russo (Corey Stoll). This is something that Kelly does not deny, and he accepted that it also applies directly to his character in future seasons. 

According to a report from Venture Capital Post, Kelly isn't even sure if his character will survive season 4, let alone appear in future installments. 

"It's 'House of Cards,' right? They do not hesitate to kill great characters," Kelly explained. 

Willimon has been careful to not give away any spoilers about season 4, and according to the report, he avoids this because there are moments during production where things might suddenly change. 

"Sometimes the work happens on the day. We'll be rehearsing and I'll see or hear something that leads to a new idea, or they'll say 'Maybe we don't need these lines - maybe we can act these as opposed to saying them.' We're not precious about anything," Willimon stated. 

According to MovieNewsGuide, this rule of suddenly killing of major characters could also apply to Claire Underwood (Robin Wright). After all, season 3 ended with Claire and Frank going separate ways and if she poses as a threat to his presidential career, he might just kill her off. 

"House of Cards" season 4 premieres in 2016.