I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I would loveThe Expanseseason 7 to happen, but the beloved space opera’s return would need to solve a sizable obstacle first. Although there are currently no plans to make more episodes, the live-action adaptation of James S.A. Corey’s sci-fi novels ended in such a way that it teased that there was still more story to tell. There is a very good reason for that:The Expanseseason 6 isn’t the end of the saga. That said, the show concluded at a very suitable and understandable stopping point.
The Expanse’s main source material is nine books long, but only six were adapted for the show. So, resuming production onThe Expansewouldn’t result in one of thoselive-action adaptations that go beyond the source material. Instead, it would probably feel like a very natural continuation from what also felt like a fitting finale. However, there’s a reasonable explanation forwhyThe Expanseseason 7 hasn’t happenedand why it’s unlikely to.
The Expanse Season 7 Would Have To Include A 30-Year Time Jump Per The Books
James Holden & company would be much older
The Expanseseason 6 ends roughly in line with the final pages of the sixth book, 2016’sBabylon’s Ashes. After book six, there is a 30-year time jump before the story continues. In the pages of a novel, this is far less of a challenge than in a live-action adaptation. While worldbuilding and other considerations can present a challenge while accounting for three decades of lost time in a book, doing so in a TV show likeThe Expanseis an entirely different beast.
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Corey also published several novellas set withinThe Expanse’s book canon
IfThe Expansehad been an animated show, I think making season 7 would have been a no-brainer. That is, of course, if that alternate route had resulted in the show being as successful as it was in live-action. Recasting the show to account for such a sizable time jump wouldn’t have been an issue, as the voice actors could simply have reprised their roles. I don’t think animation would have been the correct approach, but it would have at least avoided this challenge.
The live-action adaptation of James S.A. Corey’s work wouldn’t come back as it was
The Expanseis an incredibly character-driven story, with shockingly few sci-fi tropes for a show set in space. As such, the actors associated with the in-universe figures have become a big part of the show’s identity. ForThe Expanseseason 7, it wouldn’t have made any sense for them to remain in their roles unless they could be aged up to convincingly look thirty years older.
James S.A. Corey is a pen name for the writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
Plus,thirty years of in-universe innovation would push the world ofThe Expanseforward, which would give everything an entirely different feel. It wouldn’t be like stepping back into a familiar world, but rather like starting an entirely new sci-fi show. I’m not saying it wouldn’t still be good, but it’s a big ask for the show to endure so many changes that are faithful to the source material while also making it seem like a continuation set long afterThe Expanseseason 6.
How The Expanse Season 7 Could Work Despite The Time Jump
An Apple TV+ show has set a great example for how to pull this off
The final threeExpansebooks are brilliant, and their stories are worth telling in live-action. It wouldn’t be easy, but there are ways around the three-decade time jump that needs to be accounted for that wouldn’t wipe the show’s identity clean and start anew. Firstly, Apple TV+‘sFor All Mankindhas set quite a high standard when it comes to aging up actors with makeup. For example,Joel Kinnaman’s Ed Baldwin is about 30 years older inFor All Mankindseason 4compared to his debut in the first season. This approach could work forThe Expanseseason 7.
Alternatively, the older versions ofJames Holden and the crew of the Rocinante could be played by new actorsinThe Expanseseason 7, with the original cast returning sporadically in flashbacks set between the two eras. This would allow the lost time between books six and seven to be explored more thoroughly in ways that the source material sometimes avoided, offering a new experience to those watching who have already read the books. A combination of these techniques could also work forThe Expanseseason 7, but perhaps that would be a little too much.
