The Expanse season 5 is, officially, happening on Amazon, but details about the upcoming installment remain scarce. Now, the good news is that three recurring characters have been promoted as series regulars and they'll be playing a huge part once the new season arrives.
According to a report from Deadline, Keon Alexander will be a series regular in The Expanse season 5 and will reprise his role as Marco. It only makes sense the Amazon series made the character a regular since there are still more stories to tell in him.
Marco had a history with Naomi Nagata (plays by Dominique Tipper) and the two shared a son named Filip. Also, Filip will have a major part in The Expanse season 5, as Jasai Chase Owens, who portrayed that role, is also coming back as series regular in the new season.
Nadine Nicole was promoted as series regular as well; reprising her role as Clarissa Mao/Melba Koh. The character has been a prominent part of the third season and made a brief appearance in the fourth installment. Since she's now a series regular, the character will have a significant role this time.
Alexander appeared in four episodes in season 4, Owens guest-starred in one episode in season 4, and Nicole appeared in eight episodes over season 3 and 4. Meanwhile, Lily Gao returns to reprise her recurring role in The Expanse season 5. She recurred as Nancy in five episodes in the previous season.
Alexander, Owens, and Nicole will be joining other series regulars including Thomas Jane (as Joe Miller), Steven Strait (James Holden), Cas Anvar (Alex Kamal), Wes Chatham (Amos Burton), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Chrisjen Avasarala), and Frankie Adams (Bobbie Draper).
The official release date of The Expanse season 5 hasn't been revealed, but it looks like Amazon is aiming for far shorter turnaround time. Reportedly, the upcoming installment has started filming back in October 2018. And if ever, the new season will be released in late 2020 or early 2021.
In July 2018, Amazon Prime renewed The Expanse for a fifth season, even though season 4 premiere is still months away. The series was originally from Syfy, but the network canceled it after three seasons. Amazon saved and picked up the show in response to a passionate fan campaign.
The announcement of the fifth installment even before the fourth season began is a strong indication that Amazon has strong faith in the series. A lot of loyal viewers were happy after Amazon confirmed during the Television Critics Association summer press tour that the series is coming back for season 5.
