Patrick J. Adams Exiting ‘Suits’ but We May See Him Again Soon

Patrick J. Adams will be walking away from his Suits role in the spring, but that does not mean Mike Ross is gone for good.

Following news that the hit USA Network legal drama will be coming back for an eighth season, fans of the show also got confirmation that stars Adams and Meghan Markle would be exiting the show at the end of season 7.

Returning for Season 8 are fellow original cast members Gabriel Macht (Harvey Specter), Sarah Rafferty (Donna Paulsen) and Rick Hoffman (Louis Litt), joined by Dulé Hill (Alex Williams), who was promoted to a series regular after recurring this season.

Viewers will say goodbye to Adams and Markle at the end of the upcoming second half of the show’s seventh season, during a two-hour season finale special, which will also include the planned Suits spinoff pilot starring Gina Torres, the finale will see Adams’ Mike Ross and Markle’s Rachel Zane long-anticipated wedding.

However, as Deadline reports, while Adams is departing as a series regular, that does not necessarily mean that we we will never again see Mike Ross on the show.

“Both of us are open, under right circumstances, of him coming back,” Suits boss Aaron Korsh told Deadline, noting how “overcome with emotion” he was when a video of Mike’s best Suits moments was played as they were wrapping production. “Suits is an onscreen and offscreen family, and family members are always welcome back; we just have to come up with the right storyline.”

Korsh provided some clues about where the show will go next season. “Season 8 will have everything from shifting alliances and internal power plays, to secrets, betrayals and fiery relationships,” he said. “Keep an eye out for an adversarial new character that will give Harvey a run for his money.”

Upon announcement of his departure, Adams released a statement to fans.

“It’s hard for me to imagine what words, in what order would sufficiently express my love and gratitude to all of the people who have made the last seven years possible. From my unbelievably talented cast mates to our relentlessly committed crew, to the brilliant minds at USA, UCP and Hypnotic, to the legions of fans all over the world, every one of them dedicating so much of their time, energy and talent to make Suits what it is today – one of the most beloved and successful shows on television. So I will choose the simplest words I have. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. It has been an honor working with and for each and everyone one of you.

“Mike Ross has taught me a lot about commitment, hard work and the power of believing in yourself and I feel blessed that now we both get to walk out into the lives that we never dreamed we would actually be lucky enough to live,” he continued. “I’m excited to now step across the screen and become solely a fan of a show that I know has much more in store in the years to come. I wish everyone involved the best and am excited to see what kind of trouble they’ll get themselves in and out of from here on out.”