Dan Stevens is setting the record straight about talks that he's going to be in the "Downton Abbey" movie. The actor made it clear during the Television Critics Association panel interview that he is not going to cameo in the series' big screen offering.
Stevens told Deadline that he's not aware how talks of his return on "Downton Abbey" started. But it might be the actor himself who spurred the rumors after he posted a photo with his former "Downton" co-stars, his TV wife and brother-in-law, Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary) and Allan Leech (Branson).
The actor even cheekily captioned the image to refer to his character, Matthew Crawley. He posted the mini-reunion at a time when the cast was filming the "Downton Abbey" film at Highclere Castle.
But Stevens has not been back on "Downton Abbey" since his character's death in the third season. He left the show at the height of its success to pursue bigger plans of doing projects for the big screen. He did snag the unforgettable role of Beast in Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) with Emma Watson. Stevens is still very much remembered for his role in the British series.
In August, Phyllis Logan (Mrs. Hughes) sat down with the hosts of "Loose Women" to talk about the film. The actress said that despite what stories and speculations might have emerged, Stevens' character wouldn't be back in the "Downton Abbey" movie, not even as a ghost on the estate.
The "Downton Abbey" movie is expected to premiere theaters in September. The U.S. screening will take place one week after the release in the U.K.
Meanwhile, Stevens' other series, "Legion," is going to have its third and final run this summer on FX. The actor shared via Rotten Tomatoes that he's raring and ready to close the show. He can't wait for the viewers to see the final "weird and beautiful" moments on "Legion" season 3.
The actor plays David Haller in the series, and he's the secret son of Professor Charles Xavier, the leader of the X-Men. The character also suffers from mental illness, but he realizes, as the show moves on, that he might have mutant powers and not a psychiatric condition.
"Legion" season 3 has not yet filmed the final episodes, but Steven said he'd got ideas about the ending. In fact, "Legion" creator Noah Hawley told him some months before the show had to return to production about how the whole story ends.
