Charlie Sheen has been fired, but his character is dead.

"Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre has confirmed that Sheen’s character, Charlie Harper, will be killed off, reports our good friend Michael Schneider at TV Guide.

Writes Mike in his article, "When ‘Two and a Half Men’ returns from its lengthy hiatus on September 19, a lot will have changed. First of all, the reports are true: Charlie Harper is dead, killed in France under mysterious circumstances. Without divulging details, [show creator Chuck] Lorre and the actors say the season premiere’s dark humor is in line with what viewers have always expected from ‘Men.’ ‘It’s still a show that veers into the vaguely unacceptable,’ Lorre says. [Jon] Cryer enthuses: ‘We’re known for incredibly poor taste. We’re aware of that. With pleasure.’ "

Furthermore, the article gives these details about the character Ashton Kutcher will play on the show: "Kutcher plays Walden Schmidt, an Internet billionaire who’s whip smart but lacking in social grace. Nursing a broken heart over his split with soon-to-be ex-wife Bridget (new recurring star Judy Greer), Walden buys Charlie’s Malibu beach house. The extremely needy Walden, sensing instant companionship, convinces Alan (Cryer) and teenage son Jake (Angus T. Jones) to stick around and continue to live in the compound they’ve called home for the past eight seasons."

Adds Cryer in the article, about Kutcher’s character, "He’s so maladroit socially, it allows me to form a sort of mentor relationship with him, which is, of course, ridiculous, because my character is such a mess as a human being. I’m no longer the student, I’m the teacher. It’s my Yoda moment."

While there is no doubt that the season premiere will draw huge ratings, the big question is if longtime fans will stick with the show over the season.

What Lorre says in the article is what he does know is how well the live taping of the season premiere went: He calls it "electric" and then continues, "The audience just went crazy. We were all giddy and humbled by the experience. It was one of the most memorable moments in my career."