‘Designated Survivor’ Shocker: [SPOILER] Exiting in Season 2

President Tom Kirkman was already having a tough go of things, but his life is about to get even more difficult when he loses his First Lady this season.

It has just been revealed that Natascha McElhone, who stars in Designated Survivor alongside Kiefer Sutherland, will be leaving the series sometime soon.

According to Deadline, McElhone has been given a leading role in The First, a new Hulu original series from the creator of House of Cards, starring Sean Penn. The role will cause the actress to leave her current show soon since filming begins this fall.

There are plenty of changes coming to Designated Survivor this season, with the showrunner having been replaced over the summer. A few cast members exited, while a few new faces came in. Now it looks as though McElhone has joined in the shake-up.

This shift could also help explain the big plot twist that has been teased for the political drama’s second season. Could Alex Kirkman be killed in the early episodes this fall?

All will begin to reveal itself when Designated Survivor returns to ABC on Wednesday, September 27 at 10 p.m. ET.