‘Altered Carbon’ Canceled By Netflix After 2 Seasons

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has opted not to order a third season of the mind-bending, body-swapping sci-fi series Altered Carbon.

The eight-episode Season 2 of the cyberpunk drama, which starred Anthony Mackie, was released on Feb. 27, followed by an anime movie on March 19.

I hear Netflix’s decision not to proceed with further seasons was made in April and is not COVID-related but stems from the streamer’s standard viewership vs. cost renewal review process. (Netflix recently canceled two previously renewed series, The Society and I Am Not OK With This, citing COVID-related circumstances.)

Altered Carbon was created by Laeta Kalogridis based on the 2002 novel of the same title by English author Richard K. Morgan. Its two-season Netflix run (and a movie) matches that of another boundary-pushing sci-fi series, the Wachowskis’ Sense8.

Season 2 of Altered Carbon began 30 years after the epic conclusion of Season 1, and found Takeshi Kovacs (Mackie), the lone surviving soldier of a group of elite interstellar warriors, continuing his centuries old quest to find his lost love Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry).

Mackie took over as Takeshi from Joel Kinnaman, who played the starring role in Season 1, run by Kalogridis. Alison Schapker was the Season 2 showrunner.

Altered Carbon came from Skydance Television. At Netflix, the company also has long-running comedy Grace and Frankie and a Jane Lynch/Cyndi Lauper comedy that had been heating up. On the feature side, Skydance is behind the recent Netflix hit The Old Guard.

Netflix’s sci-fi slate includes Another Life, which has been renewed for another season, and recent entry Away.

More from Deadline

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.