It's unlikely we'll see a Season 7 of The Expanse, but we do have an idea of what might have come next. Here's why Amazon decided to end the popular sci-fi series after six seasons and a glimpse into what Season 7 could have included.
The Expanse has been a standout on Amazon Prime Video, frequently praised as one of the best sci-fi shows around. Often compared to "Game of Thrones in space," it's set centuries in the future where humans have colonized Mars and other parts of the solar system, with constant tension and the threat of war.Since its debut on SyFy in 2015, The Expanse has been a fan favorite. So, why hasn't there been any news about a Season 7, even years after Season 6 concluded? Because it isn't happening. But we can tell you what the plot would have been.
The Expanse Season 7 Won't Happen, And Here's Why
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, Amazon canceled The Expanse after Season 6. Actually, it hasn't been the first time the show "ended". The Expanse originally aired on SyFy, but was stopped after season 3 because of high production costs.
Amazon then came to the rescue, so fans could enjoy the story about the crew of the Rocinante and the mysterious protomolecule for three more seasons. On January 14, 2022, the last The Expanse episode aired on Prime Video, officially ending the series.
Since The Expanse is an Amazon Original, you can still stream all six seasons on Prime Video, provided that you got an Amazon Prime membership (there's a free 30-day trial available ).
As to why, showrunner Naren Shankar talked about this in his interview with Gizmodo: "I feel like we got great support at Amazon and Alcon to get the show to the end of book six, which was always, you know, a possibility that that was going to be an ending of the show because there’s a satisfying conclusion at that point."
When asked about the possibility of another revival of the franchise in an interview with EW Shankar responded by saying: "Right now, the future really lies with Alcon Television, which is the studio that makes the show, and Amazon, if there is in some form, an appetite for more".
Well, actually there are two important aspects here. Yes, the season's ending is really made in a way that it could well work as the whole series' ending. But besides that, the series generally sticks quite close to what happens in the books – and in the books, there's a big time jump of 30 years at the point where season 6 ended.
It would probably be quite challenging to change basically everything and everyone from The Expanse in a way that it looks like 30 years have passed, so this could also be a big reason for the producers to rather go for a clean break than for a possibly unconvincing sequel.
It seems like Shankar, as well as producer Ty Franck & the author of the original books Daniel Abraham would be up for it, though: “I’m certainly not betraying any confidence to say that Ty [Franck], Daniel [Abraham] and I – speaking for ourselves – would love to do it. It would be a remarkable thing to complete the whole book series that way. And I certainly hope we get to do it.”
What Would Have Happened In The Expanse Season 7 ("Persepolis Rising")
Thankfully, although the series is unlikely to get continued, you can still find out how things continue in the Expanse universe. The series is based on the books, and if you want to find out what happens after season 6, you can just switch over to the books. If you want to directly continue, you should go for the seventh novel Persepolis Rising .
In case you just want to know what would have happened right after season 6, here's a quick summary (Spoilers ahead!):
In "Persepolis Rising," the Expanse story leaps forward about 30 years after the happenings of season 6. The galaxy has changed. Humans have started using the alien rings to travel to new worlds and make them their home. But on a planet called Laconia (which was also introduced in season 6 of the TV series), a former part of the Martian navy rises to challenge the existing order. Led by the ambitious Winston Duarte and in control of advanced ancient alien technology, Laconia's aim is clear: to bring all of human-inhabited space under its rule.
The story gets intense when the Laconians send a powerful alien warship to Medina Station, the gateway to all the new ring worlds. This is their first step in conquering all the human colonies and even Earth itself. Our favorite crew aboard the Rocinante, including Captain James Holden and his team, find themselves in the middle of this new interstellar conflict. Even though they've aged and have been looking forward to a peaceful life, they can't stand by and watch. They decide to challenge Laconia's dominance, trying to protect a universe they love from this new and powerful threat.
Recommendations For The Expanse Fans
If you're looking for a sci-fi series similar to The Expanse, we can strongly recommend Battlestar Galactica to you. The space opera TV series aired from 2004 to 2009, starting as a miniseries in 2003. It follows a fleet of approximately 50,000 humans fleeing their twelve home planets after almost being wiped out by their own robot creations, the Cylons. Led by the last surviving warship, the Battlestar Galactica, they embark on a quest to find a new home known as Earth.
Throughout its four seasons, Battlestar Galactica explores the tense struggle for survival between humans and Cylons, blurring the lines of friendship, humanity, and artificial intelligence. The show delves into themes of faith, politics, and the complex relationship between humanity and technology. Action-packed space battles and intricate character relationships add depth to this award-winning series, widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi shows ever created.