Picture: Netflix
One of the sci-fi highlights of 2018, Netflix’s Altered Carbon will return this February! It’s been a long wait, but we can now confirm that the second season is on the way soon. Below, we discuss the release date and everything else about season 2, from casting news to trailers and what to expect.
We’ll provide you a recap of the first season as a gentle reminder of the events that took place, not to mention some small background information for anyone wanting to watch Altered Carbon for the first time spoiler-free. Alongside other incredible Originals like Stranger Things, and Sense 8, Altered Carbon has already solidified its place as one the most captivating sci-fi series on Netflix. Paying homage to the future-noir stylism that is much credited to Blade Runner, as a whole Altered Carbon is a visual spectacle.
In the not too distant future humanity is overcome death by transferring one’s consciousness into a new body. Known as “sleeves,” these bodies are taken from convicts and other deviants. Awakening from a 100-year sleep, Takeshi Kovacs is recruited by the richest man on earth to solve his own murder.
Season 2 Release Date
We finally have confirmation that the second season of Altered Carbon will be available on Netflix on February 27th, 2020.
What does the ending of Season 1 tell us about Season 2?
One of the key story arcs throughout is the underlying UN resolution, which would affect the business practices of Takeshi’s sister. At the end of season one, the new family (or pack) revealed the truth and Bancroft and Ray’s business went down for exploiting grounders.
It was also revealed how Reiker was framed, which is likely going to be a key plot going forward into season two. Kovacs could also potentially bring back his ex-lover from 250 years past, Quell, as it was revealed her stack is still out there.
Has Netflix Renewed Altered Carbon for Season 2?
Official renewal status: Renewed
At long last, Netflix gave the green light to season 2 in July 2018. What took so long? It’s likely that having to recast the lead role was necessary, and as we’ll see below, the second season is going to be a big one.
How many episodes will the second season feature?
It has been confirmed that the second season of Altered Carbon will arrive with 8 episodes.
We also have the episode titles for Altered Carbon season 2:
| Episode Number | Name | Director | Written By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phantom Lady | Ciaran Donnelly | Laeta Kalogridis |
| 2 | Payment Deferred | Ciaran Donnelly | Sarah Nicole Jones |
| 3 | Nightmare Alley | MJ Bassett | Michael R. Perry |
| 4 | Shadow of a Doubt | MJ Bassett | Sang Kyu Kim |
| 5 | I Wake Up Screaming | Jeremy Webb | Cortney Norris |
| 6 | Bury Me Dead | Jeremy Webb | Adam Lash & Cori Uchida |
| 7 | Experiment Perilous | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Nevin Densham |
| 8 | Broken Angels | Salli Richardson-Whitfield | Alison Schapker & Elizabeth Padden |
Plot and Casting Changes
One possible reason for the delay in announcement is because of the fact that they may or may not be skipping the next Takeshi Kovacs novel. Season 1 told the complete story of the first novel but according to Variety, the next season may skip over book number two as it’s simply too ambitious.
The showrunner spoke about the book saying: “The second book involves a worldwide war with nuclear explosions, some space travel, a giant alien dreadnought and an interstellar fight between aliens. It is prohibitively expensive in scope.”
Kovacs could return in season 2
Regarding Joel Kinnaman’s Future
From early on, there were rumors of Kovacs’s return in the second season but that he’d be “re-sleeved.” That’s now come to fruition, as Joel Kinnaman won’t be returning for season two.
The re-sleeving mechanic of the show allows Netflix to refresh its cast regularly. One cast member even considered it a “wet-dream” to the show creators. The show’s main star also re-iterated this, stating:
“I don’t know if I would be in the second season. I think there’s a big chance that Kovacs would be re-sleeved if there was a second season…”
A New Lead
It has been confirmed that Avengers and Captain America star Anthony Mackie will replace Joel Kinnaman as Takeshi Kovacs. Considering the nature of the lore in Altered Carbon, it is no surprise that Kinnaman was set to be replaced.
The full cast for season 2 has been confirmed with the following actors:
| Role | Cast Member | Where Have I Seen/Heard Them Before? |
|---|---|---|
| Takeshi Kovacs | Anthony Mackie | The Hurt Locker | Avenger’s Endgame | 8-Mile |
| Quellcrist Falconer | Renée Elise Goldsberry | One Life to Live | Pistol Whipped | Enterprise |
| Governer Danica Harlan | Lela Loren | Power | Snitch | Reign Over Me |
| Trepp | Simone Missick | All Rise | Luke Cage | Jinn |
| Poe | Chris Conner | American Crime Story | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | Walk of Shame |
| Dig 301 | Dina Shihabi | Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan | Altered Carbon | Daredevil |
| Ivan Carrera | Torben Liebrecht | Operation Finale | X Company | Duel of the Brothers |
| Tanaseda Hideki | James Saito | Always Be My Maybe | Modern Love | Eli Stone |
Production Status for Season 2
The production of season two was officially announced on the 22nd of February, 2019. NXonNetflix confirmed this in February 2019.
With the release date announced, it’s safe to say that the production will be in the last stages of post-production as Netflix prepares for the release.
Could there be a Season 3 of Altered Carbon?
Without a doubt. There’s still a lot of material in the original novels, and given some of the changes the showrunner and writers made for season one, there’s no reason they couldn’t come up with their own stories in this universe, too.
What should you watch on Netflix in the meantime?
If you’re looking for something else to watch on Netflix while you’re waiting for Altered Carbon season 2, here are some suggestions. Let’s begin with the Netflix Original library. We’ve already mentioned Stranger Things and Sense8 as standouts in the sci-fi library.
One possibly even closer to Altered Carbon is the British sci-fi series Black Mirror. The anthology series blends different sci-fi concepts into an often bleak future. Lost in Space is also a good series to watch with your kids. It’s set in the far future and has effects rivaling Altered Carbon.
Looking at other providers, there’s no sci-fi series on the type of scale of Altered Carbon. Timeless from NBC is possibly a good alternative, as is Terra Nova (which is still streaming on some Netflix regions).
Are you looking forward to Altered Carbon returning to Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
