Nevertheless, his supposed absence is a huge plot point to get revealed this early, and it also gives fans a lot to speculate about.
According to the slightly hard-to-read article, Veidt is only being declared dead, after not having been seen in many years.
Of course, there is also the issue of whether he is indeed dead or not.
With so few confirmed plot details to go on right now cluing fans in on how Damon Lindelof is remixing the original story, that is a crucial one to have.