Warning: SPOILERS ahead for For All Mankind season 4 finale!
For All Mankind creator Ben Nedivi has opened up about Dani’s future in season 5 of the sci-fi drama series. In the final episode of season 4, Dani was accidentally shot during an attempted raid on a North Korean capsule. However, the astronaut lived through her injuries, healing on Earth and meeting her new grandchild.
TVLine spoke with Nedivi and co-creator Matt Wolpert, with the former detailing what Dani’s future in For All Mankind season 5 and beyond could be like. The creative explained how characters are liable to leave the series when their story arcs are complete, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of her return – or Ed’s – in future seasons. Check out what Nedivi had to say below:
[Laughs] Yeah, I think it’s pretty safe to say at that point. And it’s interesting, in our conversations with Krys [Marshall], we definitely told her like, “This is the end. Most likely, you won’t make it out of this season.” I’ll never forget her reaction to reading the script. She’s like, “Wait, I’m alive?!” [Laughs] She was almost disappointed. She didn’t have the tragic, heroic death I think she was expecting. But as she saw the episode, more and more to her and to us, it really made sense for that to be the ending. We don’t want it to be that the only way you leave the show is by dying or being killed. Like we did with Ellen earlier this season, we felt like it’s more realistic that some people leave the show, yes, because they died, but others leave maybe because their story arc is done, or their time in this job no longer makes sense, or they move on to other adventures. … We’re always also thinking about [how] for this show to work, you have to evolve the cast. You have to say goodbye to some of the characters and actors we love the most, and introduce new characters as we go, and that’s something that we’ve done with intention since Season 2.
At this point, we don’t want to say anything, honestly. Until a Season 5 [is ordered], until we’re able to sit in a room and really discuss what we want to do with a Season 5, we don’t like to commit to anything at this stage. So I would leave that open. … In general, the rule has been, for Matt and I at least, if we feel there’s no more story to tell with [a] character, and by story, I mean good, meaty story, then that’s usually the sign that it’s time to move on.
Will Dani Return In For All Mankind Season 5?
For All Mankind season 4 ended with a time jump to 2012, revealing Dev is still on Mars, seemingly confirming a larger colony on the planet will be featured in season 5. Given the number of knowledgeable people that would be needed to expand operations, it’s possible Dani could come back to be part of these. This could give her a new storyline following getting shot, updating the audience on what happened after she healed.
However, the series bringing Dani back to Earth is an indicator her storyline is complete. Nedivi’s words indicate the show won’t be bringing characters back unless the plot they contribute to also bolsters their arc. Since she is now back on Earth, the astronaut going back to Mars after her harrowing experience may not be as rewarding as her reunion with a new family member.
Even so, For All Mankind‘s unanswered questions – like who is running Kuznetsov Station on Mars in 2012 – could give Dani the opportunity to return in some capacity. While it doesn’t need to involve her going back to the Red Planet, it could at least showcase what she’s doing on Earth to further humanity’s exploration of space. Perhaps, despite her fate in season 4, she can still have a role to play in the ever-expanding story.
For All Mankind
Imagine a world where the global space race never ended – For All Mankind is a thrilling “what if” take on history that explores what would have happened in the race to the moon between the Soviet Union and the United States, as well as the space programs and the race’s effects on the astronauts and their families in the aftermath. The Apple TV+ series hails from Ronald D. Moore and stars Joel Kinnaman as a NASA astronaut. For All Mankind also features historical astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong.
- Release Date
- November 1, 2019
- Cast
- Michaela Conlin , jodi balfour , Coral Peña , Colm Feore , Sarah Jones , Wrenn Schmidt , Casey W. Johnson , Cynthy Wu , Shantel VanSanten , Michael Harney , Krys Marshall , Joel Kinnaman , Sonya Walger , Michael Dorman
- Genres
- Drama , History , Sci-Fi
- Rating
- TV-MA
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator(s)
- Ronald D. Moore , Matt Wolpert , Ben Nedivi
- Writers
- Ronald D. Moore , Matt Wolpert , Ben Nedivi
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Showrunner
- Ronald D. Moore
