It’s been two long years since Altered Carbon debuted on Netflix, but thanks to the recent reveal of Season 2’s release date, we don’t have to wait much longer to enjoy new adventures set in the imaginative world of Meths, Sleeves, and Cortical Stacks.
One of the most notable changes between Altered Carbon Season 1 and Season 2 is Avengers: Endgame star Anthony Mackie taking over the role of Takeshi Kovacs from Joel Kinnaman. But there are other major differences from Altered Carbon’s first outing, including a new showrunner, new characters, and more.
Read on to learn everything we know so far about Altered Carbon Season 2, including the release date, showrunner, the cast, and what Netflix has revealed about the plot of Season 2. Be sure to also check out everything we know about Wonder Woman 1984 and everything we know about The Batman.
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Altered Carbon Season 2 Release Date
All eight episodes of Altered Carbon Season 2 are currently scheduled to release on Netflix on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. The streamer definitely took its time with production this time around, especially considering that Season 1 premiered on Feb. 2, 2018. In our Season 1 review of Altered Carbon, we say, “At its best, Altered Carbon is a transporting sci-fi thriller that rivals Blade Runner in the depth of its universe. Aside from a murder mystery narrative that loses steam early on, the supporting characters and socio-political issues prove engaging from beginning to end. Anchored by a riveting performance from Joel Kinnaman, Altered Carbon is definitely binging material.”
Altered Carbon: Season 2 Cast and Crew
While Joel Kinnaman is no longer playing Takeshi Kovacs in Season 2, an impressive lineup of new and returning actors will fill the ranks. In the novels written by Richard K. Morgan, it’s not uncommon for Kovacs to change his sleeve. And if you’re wondering why Joel Kinnaman isn’t in Altered Carbon Season 2, remember how Season 1 ended: Kovacs is fulfilling his promise to Detective Ortega by giving back the sleeve (aka physical body) of Elias Ryker after clearing his name, meaning that his consciousness would need to be transferred into a new form just as a consequence of how Season 1’s plot was constructed.
Below, you’ll find a list of every character confirmed for Season 2, followed by a brief description about their respective roles:
- Takeshi Kovacs (Anthony Mackie) – A former Protectorate CTAC soldier who became a revolutionary Envoy, and then a mercenary for hire, Kovacs swears allegiance to no man or woman except one: Quellcrist Falconer. His undying quest to reconnect with her spans multiple centuries, planets and sleeves.
- Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry) – A fierce revolutionary leader with a deep bond to Takeshi Kovacs, Quell is driven by her desire to reset the balance between life and death.
- Governor Danica Harlan (Lela Loren) – Danica Harlan is the charming and ambitious governor of planet Harlan’s World. She has the support of the people, but keeps an uneasy grip on the political players who surround her.
- Trepp (Simone Missick) – An expert bounty hunter, Trepp is known for her ability to track down anyone in the Settled Worlds, for the right price.
- Poe (Chris Conner) – A centuries-old, highly-evolved A.I. and loyal companion to Takeshi Kovacs, Poe strives to understand what it means to be human. He is a true companion to Kovacs and also may have a new friendship this season.
- Dig 301 (Dina Shihabi) – An out-of-work A.I. programmed to assist human archaeologists, Dig finds a new purpose when she meets Poe.
- Ivan Carrera (Torben Liebrecht) – The dogged leader of a Protectorate Special Forces unit known as the “Wedge,” Colonel Carrera is on the hunt for Takeshi Kovacs.
- Tanaseda Hideki (James Saito) – A centuries-old Yakuza boss, Tanaseda controls organized crime on the planet of Harlan’s World and shares a history with Takeshi Kovacs.
Watch an Altered Carbon Season 2 cast announcement video via Netflix’s Twitter page below.
New Sleeves incoming—and some popular models back in stock. #AlteredCarbon pic.twitter.com/L6quSIA0vQ
— Altered Carbon (@AltCarb) February 22, 2019
On the creative side of things, Alison Schapker (Fringe, Lost) will serve as showrunner for Season 2, however, Season 1 boss Laeta Kalogridis will stay on as an executive producer and writer of episode 1, titled “Phantom Lady.”
While you wait for Season 2 of Altered Carbon, check out 5 anime coming to Netflix that sound awesome in the video below:
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Altered Carbon: Season 2 Plot
Here’s how Netflix describes Altered Carbon Season 2 in its synopsis:
“Season 2 of [Altered Carbon] finds Takeshi Kovacs (Anthony 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). After decades of planet-hopping and searching the galaxy, Kovacs finds himself recruited back to his home planet of Harlan’s World with the promise of finding Quell. Haunted by his past and responsible for investigating a series of brutal murders, Kovacs is stunned to discover his new mission to solve the crime and his pursuit to find Quell are one and the same. With the help of his loyal A.I. Poe (Chris Conner), Kovacs must now partner with new allies to outwit his enemies and find the truth: Who is Quellcrist Falconer?”
Altered Carbon is based on the three sci-fi novels written by British author Richard K. Morgan: Altered Carbon (Book 1), Broken Angels (Book 2), and Woken Furies (Book 3). Shortly after Season 1 debuted on Netflix, we spoke to executive producer Laeta Kalogridis about where the series’ story might go in Season 2.
“I’m pretty sure if we get a second season, it’ll be whatever Richard (Morgan) and I can come up with that we both like,” Kalogridis told IGN back in 2018. “I don’t think that it’ll be exactly the same as [Broken Angels], but I think the themes that the second book explores are things that both of us are fascinated by, and especially the idea of the Elder civilization and their texts and the footprint they’ve left on all of the settled worlds. It’s very, very interesting to me.”
Elder civilization relics and skeletons are briefly mentioned in the first season, but we still don’t really know what the Elders are, beyond the fact that they’re some kind of alien species. In the Season 1 finale, Miriam Bancroft showed off a fossil to a friend and wondered if that was where humanity got its understanding of angels from.
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Altered Carbon: Season 2 Trailers
No official trailers for Altered Carbon Season 2 have been released yet, but with a premiere date just over a month away, we can assume a trailer is coming in the near future. Netflix has revealed a short Season 2 teaser trailer which revealed the logo via its Twitter page.
Your re-sleeving is now complete. 2.27.20. #AlteredCarbon pic.twitter.com/h4VtaCp6Wh
— Altered Carbon (@AltCarb) January 21, 2020
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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Altered Carbon Season 2: Everything We Know So Far