In a significant twist, the character of Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis) obtained axed — or relatively, outmaneuvered by New York Lawyer Basic Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) and rival billionaire Michael Prince (Corey Stoll). Pulling one other double cross, Prince purchased out Axelrod’s pursuits, which allowed him to flee the nation whereas marking Lewis’ exit from the present.
In a tweet, collection co-creator Brian Koppelman thanked Lewis for his service, and the actor instructed the New York Instances that whereas the door stays open “possibly for me to return” sooner or later, for now, “Axe has been vanquished” and he’ll be leaving the collection.
Axelrod had been defiant going to trial all through the episode, earlier than stunning everybody by escaping to Switzerland. In his remaining scene with Prince, the character admitted defeat, musing, “Wow, so that is what it’s to lose.”
Showtime introduced that the sixth season will return in January, teasing upcoming episodes through which Rhoades has set his sights on toppling Prince as payback for depriving him the chance to place Axelrod behind bars. (The fifth season was offered in two components, with a niche in between, due to manufacturing delays resulting from Covid-19.)
The casting change comes at a time when the present had performed out a lot of its arcs, providing an opportunity to shake up these dynamics. Lewis’ departure follows the demise in April of his spouse, actress Helen McCrory, after a battle with most cancers.
The tease for season six makes clear that Prince and Rhoades will turn into the present’s new central combatants, supplanting the feud with Axelrod, which — in the course of the collection — noticed the 2 briefly turn into allies.
“Now you are my drawback,” Rhoades instructed Prince within the finale.
Lewis has a protracted affiliation with Showtime, successful an Emmy for the primary season of “Homeland.”
