@HyperNerd  
@PoniiAndii  
This is the only video of the panel I’ve been able to find:  
http://youtu.be/FfPxAa2waiw?t=37m21s  
Jayson is the one who definitively answers “no”, after Meghan spends a moment appearing to think to herself uncertainly. Someone (not sure if it’s someone from the panel or from the audience) suggests “Season 5!” out loud, to which Jayson seems to indicate with a gesture that it’s within the realm of possibility.

@PoniiAndii  
Maybe they’re already working on the second movie, and this time it’s Pony all the way down.

Is there a recordig of the Comic Con panel somewhere? Or can anyone tell me what exactly they said about Babs? I find it kinda hard to believe she won’t be in season 4. Not only because she’s an important character having a Manehatten branch of the CMC, but also at EFNW Michelle Creber got asked a question about her. Before answering, she asked if it was right that Babs only appeared in 2 episodes so far, and seemed quite relieved that she didn’t make a mistake. To me this looks like a hint that there will be more Babs Seed.  
Or maybe they’re already making season 5…?

@Background Pony  
The comic writing/editorial staff have specifically said that the comics are intended to be their own self-contained continuity, but are written whenever possible so that they don’t conflict with anything from the show, and could either be treated as separate or considered part of the same continuity if that’s how fans want to see it.
 
@PonyPon  
I couldn’t find the source now to stop Sweetie Belle from being eaten by ants, but I remember one of the Big Names (Lauren? Wootie? Jayson?) saying that they had intended there to be a then-undefined Big Bad out there somewhere that was responsible for things like Luna NMM-ing out, Discord going nuts, etc..

@HyperNerd  
I’m certain they meant S4. They wouldn’t have anything beyond the current season set in stone at this point, let alone whether or not they would bring back a particular secondary character - they’ve said before that they typically plan out only what’s needed for the present so that they leave open plenty of options for the future. It makes no sense for them to write off a possibility for the entire future of the show unless there’s something objectionable about it.

I wish they had clarified when they said “no more Babs Seed” whether that meant just for season 4 or for the rest of the show, period.

@Background Pony  
Me too.

I hate the idea of Nightmare Moon being a separate entity from Luna.

@Splinter17  
By now, the show staffers have ALOT of content from the past 3 seasons, plus some of the stuff from the comics to cram into season 4. And on top of all of the stuff from the past 3 seasons, I am sure they want to add new content and keep things original.  
The way I see it, the evil spirit, if it is a spirit, that infected Luna and turned her NNM is a big deal. Its not just that Luna’s emotions got the best of her and turned her NNM, its that a sentient evil being that is some how associated with the moon wanted to conquer Equestria. After being defeated in season 1, it came back in the comics and wanted revenge on Ponyville. I would like to know exactly what it is, and if it can ever be totally defeated, once and for all.  
At this rate, every one seems convinced its coming back for a third time around, a second time around if you are like some people who chose to ignore the comics.

I don’t care much for Nightmare Moon, and I’m not happy with Babs being tossed out like stale bread. I mean, with Babs wanting to found start her own CMC crew in Manehattan, we could have gotten, say, the CMC visiting her.
 
If there’s a single terrible episode this season, I’ll just remind people that we got insert horrible episode here instead of Babs Seed returning.

In regards to Babs Seed, she lives in Manehatten, not Ponyville, so yeah.  
In regards to NMM, its real hard to judge from a short snippet, but I will throw my own opinion into the speculation frenzy…  
What if the Nightmare Moon thing is just a flash back, but the purpose of the flash back is to prepare Twilight for Rarity turning Nightmare Moon?  
Granted the Nightmare Rarity thing was so far just a comic thing, and I for one enjoyed the comics so far…  
But going from a short clip of Princess Luna angsting and shouting, the context of the episode it pertains could be ANYTHING.

@Theater Critic  
Translation: stop having fun.

@Background Pony  
I don’t really don’t get why there would be any.

@Background Pony  
How so? There’s literally nothing pointing one way or the other yet.
 
@PonyPon  
I’m excited about this too, I’m happy we’re getting more insight about the world regardless of medium

There’s NMM returns drama? Seems odd.

@Background Pony  
The comics aren’t doing a great job of presenting themselves as being in the same continuity, so I’m inclined to disregard them.

@Background Pony  
okay, I’ll grant we got info there.  
But still. The show.

@PonyPon  
I was speaking in negative terms.  
I’m personally hyped as all hell to see how NMM came to power.

Did everyone forget about the comics all of a sudden?

@MooseMcgillycuddy  
The point is we get to see her again. Plus, they’re finally putting their toes into that “explanation” thing they’ve been dodging for God knows how long.

I don’t know why people would be spazzing out over NMM “returning”… it all looks and sounds like a flashback from Celestia’s perspective to me, especially since it’s the old castle of the Pony Sisters in the Everfree from the pilot episodes (if you took the time to look at the setting in the animatic).

@Takashi.0
 
It’s ok. Your tears will be with the Alicorn Twilight and the Equestria Girls tears jar.

@Yurp  
The staff said so.
 
And FYI OP, Babs being gone caught my interest a lot more than NMM-drama.
 
…I has a sad now. :(

Oh gosh or what… what if Babs is gonna be the central topic of a very special episode :.(

@Yurp  
They said so directly at the panel.