After all the attention and acclaim earned by Netflix's complex and visually stunning take on Richard K. Morgan's Altered Carbon novel series, the show seemed destined to get renewed for Season 2. And lo and behold, Netflix has made just such a fan-pleasing confirmation, with a new season now going into development. To be expected, Altered Carbon is recasting the identity-fluid role of Takeshi Kovacs, with previous star Joel Kinneman being replaced by Avengers: Infinity War star Anthony Mackie, who will take the lead in Season 2.
For Season 2, Netflix is giving Altered Carbon eight episodes, and you can bet they will be some of the most lavish and expensive installments of any Netflix series currently in production. And while the main actor and other things may be changing, things are looking to stay the same behind the scenes, with co-showrunner and executive producer Laeta Kalogridis sticking around to maintain those duties. She'll now be joined by new co-showrunner Alison Schapker, perhaps best known for working on shows such as Alias, The Flash and Fringe.
Altered Carbon fans knew a casting change was coming, as Joel Kinnaman's hesitation in discussing his future in the franchise (combined with the actual Season 1 ending) almost guaranteed a lead change was happening. Spoiler alert for those who haven't watched: while Joel Kinnaman played the physical body role of Takeshi Kovacs in Season 1, the character's form actually belonged to another man named Elias Ryker. Kovacs returned Ryker's body "sleeve" to Ryker's former partner at the end of Season 1, and was seen in the final moments with a new body masked in silhouette. Speculation had run rampant in the offseason about what actor or actress would play Kovacs next, and apparently, Anthony Mackie won the honor.
Mackie will presumably portray Takeshi Kovacs alongside actors Will Yun Lee and Byron Mann, who both portrayed the character in flashbacks in Season 1. Anthony Mackie's involvement in Altered Carbon is interesting, as the actor has spent a fair deal of his career in film as opposed to television, with the Marvel movies exploding his career. Of course, he's not the first film celebrity to hop into a Netflix series or television in recent years, so his casting isn't a total surprise, but it is just one of the major changes Altered Carbon will undergo in Season 2. Past speculation has indicated Season 2's storyline will likely take place on an entirely different planet, so we're pumped to see where the narrative goes next.
We're not yet sure when Altered Carbon (opens in new tab) Season 2 is going to hit the streaming service, but look for it probably in mid-to-late 2019 at the earliest. While waiting, head to our 2018 Netflix schedule and our summer premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows that'll be here much sooner. For more on Altered Carbon, check out how the showrunner justified the show's extensive nudity.
