The ending of Altered Carbon season 2 on Netflix sets up another recasting of Takeshi Kovacs in season 3 - here’s who should take on the role. Joel Kinnaman was given the lead role in season 1, but stepped aside for a new adventure and new body in season 2 provided by Marvel actor Anthony Mackie. Takeshi is known throughout the show as “the last Envoy,” a member of an elite fighting corps led by revolutionary Quellcrist Falconer. The Envoys were dead set on limiting the lifespan of “cortical stacks,” implants containing one’s consciousness and life. With enough money, one could create infinite clones or keep buying new bodies to place their stack in, effectively living forever to the disgust of the Envoys.
Throughout both seasons of Altered Carbon, we see Takeshi and his Envoys as masters in the art of “resleeving” many times without succumbing to the effects of DHF frag, a type of personality dissociation that comes with switching bodies too often or quickly. This skill allows the fighters to travel vast distances of space via needlecast and acclimate to their new sleeve almost instantly. Seasons 1 and 2 both show Takeshi acclimating to his new sleeves by immediately looking into a mirror and screaming in pain. While Takeshi is a proven master at this skill, it is far from foolproof and the lead actor in Altered Carbon season 3 will most likely be Takeshi’s singular sleeve, barring a small appearance like Jihae’s in the beginning of season 2.
Given that Takeshi intentionally destroyed Anthony Mackie’s sleeve at the end of the season 2, episode 8, “Broken Angels,” it is most likely that Mackie will not be Takeshi’s main sleeve in Altered Carbon season 3, if it is commissioned by Netflix. In the surprise twist at the end, an amnesia-stricken Poe reveals to Miss Dig that he has a copy of the “real” Takeshi’s DHF code, and we see his stack recreated by the AI. The fact that the original Takeshi was not killed off at the end of the season is almost a guarantee that Netflix will produce a third season following such an open ended finale. Given the likelihood that Netflix will recast Takeshi in the hypothetical third season of Altered Carbon, due to Mackie’s destroyed sleeve, here’s who could replace him as Takeshi.
Sebastian Stan
What better way to follow up one notable Captain America actor than with another? Stan plays Bucky Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a close friend of Captain America and a hero in his own right. He is even starring in the upcoming Disney+ series, The Falcon and Winter Soldier, alongside Altered Carbon season two star Anthony Mackie. Stan already looks like a hero, is experienced in fight choreography as well as action movie styled sarcastic humor, which are all strong attributes for a potential Takeshi. Stan is familiar with playing the role of a troubled hero, which is exactly who Takeshi Kovacs is in Altered Carbon. He would provide a more brutish charisma that would be an interesting contrast to Mackie’s more suave version of Takeshi. Altered Carbon season 3 could use a more rugged and edgy presence that would bounce off of Takeshi’s less jaded birth sleeve well, and Sebastian Stan would certainly provide that.
Penn Badgley
Penn Badgley plays the protagonist of the Netflix series You, the bookstore manager and murderous, obsessive lover Joe Goldberg. Badgley’s character isn’t a typical psychopath murderer, in You he believes he commits violence as a last resort. Badgley would bring a different element to Altered Carbon than we’ve seen from its protagonist. His Takeshi would be more effective at reflecting the emotional damage he has suffered over his multiple-centuries long life. He may be able to provide more finesse and nuance compared to the more conventional acting types of Mackie and Kinnaman. While there is plenty of violence to be had on-screen in You, he hasn’t had much experience in the martial arts choreography that comes with the role of playing the last Envoy. That being said, it is certainly possible for Penn Badgley to learn and be successful in the role due to his impressive acting chops.
Anya Chalotra
Anya Chalotra plays the famed sorceress, Yennefer of Vengerberg, in the Netflix series The Witcher. Yennefer is one of the most powerful mages on the continent and she shows many times in The Witcher that Yennefer is a truly a woman to be feared. Chalotra shows a wide range of emotions in The Witcher, from near unstoppable rage and power to tenderness and desire for a child of her own. Given Altered Carbon’s penchant for body switching and the fact that Takeshi opened season 2 in a female sleeve, it is not at all out of the question that a woman could pick up where Anthony Mackie left off and take the lead role in season 3. Chalotra demonstrates an ability to project a potent aura of confidence and power, something necessary to playing Altered Carbon’s main killing machine. There is no doubt she is up to the task of playing such a strong-willed, powerful character, as she has already made a name for herself playing that role.
Jacob Anderson
Jacob Anderson played the Unsullied soldier, Grey Worm, in the HBO series Game of Thrones. Grey Worm was a loyal servant of Daenerys Targaryen until the very end. Anderson has plenty of experience in armed combat on-screen in Game of Thrones, mainly with a spear, but also became a more fleshed out character when he fell in love with Missandei, advisor to the Queen. He shows confidence and incredible strength and dedication to the task that would work well as Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon. His performance of unshakeable loyalty and love would work very well with Altered Carbon’s love story between Takeshi Kovacs and Quellcrist Falconer. It is easy to envision him willfully following the orders of Falconer and being content to kill and die for her as well. Grey Worm’s calm demeanor, coupled with his constant readiness to defend the ones he loves, would make for a great Takeshi Kovacs.
Antony Starr
Domhnall Gleeson
Domhnall Gleeson is an actor who has truly been busy the last few years. From acting in blockbuster franchises like Harry Potter and the Star Wars sequel trilogy, to less conventional projects like Ex Machina and Black Mirror, he has played an impressive amount of different characters in different time periods and universes. Domhnall Gleeson would have no trouble at all stepping into the shoes of Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon season 3. Ex Machina is a whole film about AI, fake bodies and mysterious plots. Given Altered Carbon’s cyberpunk setting and presence of multiple AI characters in big roles, he would feel right at home. Gleeson has not necessarily played a Takeshi-like hero before, but his ability to slot into universes, particularly sci-fi, proves he is more than equipped with the talent and drive to join Altered Carbon. Gleeson would provide a true Hollywood journeyman’s perspective, free of typecast and possessing the ability to seemingly play any type of character. Unlike actors like Mackie and Stan that are associated with superheroes, Gleeson would be able to perfectly mold himself into what the Altered Carbon writers and directors want from Takeshi Kovacs that season without it being jarring to viewers.
More: What To Expect From Altered Carbon Season 3
