The Expanse star Cas Anvar won’t return for the show’s sixth and final season after an investigation into numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault this summer. The series, which was renewed by Amazon after an initial cancellation on Syfy in 2018, begins its fifth season on December 16th. The streaming platform recently announced that the sixth season has officially been ordered, and that it will be The Expanse's last.
Over the course of its first four seasons – three with Syfy and one (soon to be two) with Amazon – The Expanse has been one of the most lauded science fiction series on television. A big part of that praise comes from the show’s picture of a diverse and inclusive future that also reflects the social inequities and struggles of the modern day. The series’ high production values and multi-layered plots are accented by a strong cast of characters representing a range of racial backgrounds and sexual identities, which has assembled a dedicated fan base. Amazon’s renewal likely wouldn’t have happened without the passion of those who loved what the series brought to the world of sci-fi.
The string of allegations this summer against Anvar – who’s played lead character Alex Kamal since the first season – was a hard strike for many against what the show has stood for thematically. Production company Alcon Entertainment launched an official investigation into Anvar through an independent firm in the wake of multiple women’s personal accounts of harassment and assault. Per Deadline, it’s now been confirmed that Anvar will not return for the show’s sixth season. He will still be present for season 5, which wrapped production before the allegations arose publically.
Anvar’s removal is the latest such happening since the “Me Too” movement began, which has seen efforts across the film and TV industries to empower victims of sexual harassment and assault to speak up and be supported in ousting abusers. Of course, the film business still has major ground to cover in its goal of becoming a safer, more supportive, and more equitable space for all. Hopefully, the decisive action on behalf of The Expanse’s production team will be seen as another step in the right direction.
With season 5 still yet to be unveiled on Amazon, fans of the expanse now have a lot of upcoming content to look forward to. The company doesn’t necessarily have the strongest track record when it comes to canceling series (fellow sci-fi shows Sense8 and Altered Carbon come to mind), but it looks like they could be on the right track this time. The Expanse season 5 begins airing weekly on Amazon on December 16th.
Source: Deadline