Billions Star's Sudden Exit Leaves Fans Reeling

On the heels of the "Billions" Season 5 finale, which aired October 3, fans of the Showtime series got an additional shock on top of what happened to their favorite characters. While a new trailer promoting the forthcoming Season 6 — which will premiere on January 23, 2022 — dropped the same day the finale aired, it wasn't enough of a cushion to the blow of bigger news: the show's main star does not plan to return.

The series stars British actor Damian Lewis as Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, a brilliant but shady hedge fund manager who's been known to use insider trading to increase his vast wealth. Lewis previously played King Henry VIII in "Wolf Hall," and mysterious Iraq War vet turned sleeper agent Sergeant Nicholas Brody in "Homeland," earning him a lead acting Emmy. Close on Axe's tail is Paul Giamatti's New York Attorney General Chuck Rhoades, who, as Showtime officially describes, is "leading the fight against financial corruption," even while his wife works for Bobby's company, Axe Capital. But now, things will change as Lewis has announced that he will not be appearing in "Billions" Season 6.

Filming on Season 5 of the show had to be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic, and when the postponed season aired, it did so in two parts: the first seven episodes aired in May and June, and the final five episodes in September, with the finale on October 3. Keep reading for more on Lewis' departure and how the fans reacted.

Damian Lewis' departure from "Billions" comes after a difficult time for the actor. Lewis faced tragedy earlier this year as his wife of nearly 14 years, "Harry Potter" actor Helen McCrory, died of cancer at age 52. Lewis, who is 50, and McCrory had two children, 14-year-old daughter Manon and 13-year-old son Gulliver, according to Hello!. McCrory passed shortly after "Billions" Season 5 started filming, and Lewis filmed many of his scenes remotely from his England home. "We wouldn't ask him to come to America in that situation — right after the love of his life passed away," showrunner Brian Koppelman told The New York Times.

Viewers last saw Bobby "Axe" Axelrod — spoiler for the S5 finale! — on the lam in Switzerland, having once more escaped Attorney General Chuck Rhoades, and being welcomed in the famously neutral country. The antihero is well-loved, despite frequently doing horrible things. "When I'm walking down the street in New York, it's: 'Axe, you the man!'" Lewis told the Times. "He's a really despicable human being, but no one seems to care."

While Axe's final scene was open-ended, perhaps allowing a chance for Lewis to return, it seems unlikely. "It's difficult to keep mining, creatively," Lewis said of Axe. "We know who he is." Lewis also explained that he had signed a contract for five seasons and "always just assumed that would be enough." It also is "self-evident" that Lewis wants to spend more time with his children in the wake of his wife's death.

While showrunner Brian Koppelman expressed "incredible joy to spend five years working so closely with the great @lewis_damian," thanking him for "the work, of course, and the fellowship, and for all you sacrificed to come do this with us," not all the fans are as pleased about Damian Lewis leaving. In fact, many of them are shocked. Various tweets, from innocently asking if he's leaving, to "Omg. No! Seriously?!" to "Wait WHAT?!?!?!?" flooded Twitter in response to Koppelman's message, which he shared along with The New York Times interview. One fan asked an interesting question about stars and their series, "I love Damian...but shouldn't it be the writers who get to talk about the future?"

While some fans understood Lewis' decision after the heartbreak of losing his wife, saying "family will always come first and God bless him," many others feel it's something of a death knell for the show. "I will miss his presence on the show," one fan tweeted. "It will not be the same without him." Another agreed, saying "Without Lewis, there is no Billions." Others were angrier about it, with one simply saying "No... I'm not allowing this" (as if they had a choice), while another wrote "Sorry to say that billions will now fail. There is no show without Axe 'Damian'. 5 will be my final season." At least one fan seemed to understand: "Great character, great actor. That episode felt like a valedictory for Axe and this, sadly, confirms it. It was a great ride."