'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Star Iain De Caestecker Gets Tough Career News

De Caestecker's 'The Winter King' has been canceled after one season.

By Megan Behnke

Iain De Caestecker just got some bad career news. The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. alum has been starring in the MGM+ historical drama The Winter King, which premiered in August 2023. Based on Bernard Cornwell's novel trilogy The Warlord Chronicles, The Winter King has officially been canceled, according to Deadline. News comes on the heels of its cancellation by ITVX in the U.K.

The Winter King is a retelling of the Arthurian legends and takes place in Post-Roman Dark Age Britain, where warlord Arthur Pendragon (De Caestecker) has been banished while Saxons invade, and a child-king is on the throne. The ensemble cast also includes Stuart Campbell, Ellie James, Steven Elder, Valene Kane, Simon Merrells, Ken Nwosu, and more. The reason for the cancellation is unknown, but since it had been a year since the show premiered, the longer it dragged on, the less likely a renewal seemed.

The series was one of De Caestecker's first main roles since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ended in 2020. The Marvel and ABC series ran for seven seasons, with the Scottish actor portraying Leopold Fitz/The Doctor. Other recent credits include The Control Room, Roadkill, Us, Overlord, and more. While it is a disappointment that The Winter King has been canceled, he actually already has another one coming up. According to IMDb, he's set to star in the upcoming series The Undertow alongside Thalia Dudek, James Watson, Issy MacDonald, and Anthony Bradley.

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The Winter King is not the only show to be canceled. Sci-fi psychological thriller Beacon 23 also was axed by MGM+ after two seasons. Based on the best-seller by Hugh Howey, the series centered on two people brought together by fate at the end of the known universe. Lena Headey and Stephan James starred, along with Marnie McPhail, Daniel Malik, and Carolina Bartczak.

As with any show, there's always the possibility The Winter King could be revived elsewhere, but there's confirmation that it's being shopped elsewhere. It doesn't help that it was also canceled across the pond, but you never know what could happen. For now, fans will just have to settle with the 10 episodes they were able to get. Even though it took a while for the news to come about the cancellation, at least fans finally know its future.

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