‘Dexter’ Season 9 Villain Clancy Brown Weighs in on Show’s Original Ending

Dexter Season 9 will feature an all-new villain in the form of Clancy Brown‘s Kurt Caldwell, a vengeance-driven beloved local leader in Dexter Morgan’s (Michael C. Hall) new town. Brown has confirmed his role in the Showtime revival, but now he has spoken out a bit about his thoughts on the show’s original run and why he signed on for the role.

Brown — known for roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Highlander and Starship Troopers — made the comments to Collider while chatting about his new flick, The Mortuary Collection. He revealed that quarantining amidst the coronavirus pandemic got him itching to work again, accepting the Dexter role because he “got sick of sitting at home with nothing to do.” He had never seen Dexter before the offer was floated his way, but he soon binged it. In fact, the 62-year-old actor even said he didn’t mind the show’s initial ending, which many viewers despised at the time.

“I hadn’t actually watched (Dexter’s original run),” Brown said. “Once they started knocking on my door, I started watching it and I really liked it. I think it’s an interesting show, especially considering the time and place that it was on. I liked what they tried to do with every season. They had this overarching theme that they were exploring and I liked that idea. I don’t think this is any different. They’re doing that same thing. I don’t know why everybody was so upset with the ending. I thought it was okay.”

Brown, who is also known for voicing Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob SquarePants, will play a Dexter antagonist that we have not quite seen before. “Caldwell was born and raised in the town of Iron Lake. In fact, some consider him the unofficial mayor of their small town,” the character’s official subscription reads. “He’s realized the American dream by going from driving big rigs, just like his father did, to now owning several trucks and the local truck stop. Powerful, generous, loved by everyone – he’s a true man of the people. If he’s got your back, consider yourself blessed. But should you cross Kurt, or hurt anyone that he cares for… God help you.”

The Dexter revival is currently filming. While it essentially Season 9 (because it shares the initial show’s canon), Showtime is billing it as a standalone series. There is no release date set, but it is expected to premiere before the end of 2021.