Gillian Anderson Leaving Starz ‘American Gods,’ Is Season 2 in Trouble?
Gods be cruel. Starz’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods may have hit another snag on the road to Season 2, as fan-favorite addition Gillian Anderson is reportedly leaving after the exit of series creator and showrunner Bryan Fuller.
Starz has yet to formally name a replacement for Fuller and co-producer Michael Green, who abandoned the series over conflicts with producer FremantleMedia late last year. Either way, it appears that Anderson’s role as the god “Media” was contingent on working with her former Hannibal showrunner, as The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson will not return for Season 2:
One of [Anderson’s things to do], unfortunately, will not be appearing again as the new god Media in the second season of ‘American Gods’ on Starz. Anderson says the departure of showrunners Bryan Fuller and Michael Green means she will not return to the show.
Anderson’s exit comes on the heels of word that she’d retire her role as Dana Scully after FOX’s latest X-Files revival, potentially ending the series with her. Anderson isn’t the only American Gods star whose future with the series remains in question, as Kristin Chenoweth also told Variety after Fuller’s exit that “When Bryan was the showrunner, I was coming back for several episodes, but I don’t know now. It depends on who it is and if they think I add value or not.”
American Gods has thus far been a notably troubled production. The first season scrapped multiple episodes over storytelling concerns, and had already taken three years from announcement to premiere. A second season was never guaranteed to air in 2018, though Gaiman remained confident the series would continue without Fuller and Green.
Starz may yet update the status of American Gods Season 2 in the coming days, but who else might jump ship?
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