The Axe is back. Fans of the hit Showtime series Billions were thrilled to learn that British actor Damian Lewis will be returning to the show for its upcoming seventh season<. Lewis, who departed the show at the end of season five, will reprise his role as the shrewd and calculating Bobby "Axe" Axelrod. The news was officially announced by Stan today, and paparazzi photos have already shown Lewis on set with his former co-stars.
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Lewis will once again be donning the role of Axe, opposite the likes of Paul Giamatti, Corey Stoll, and Maggie Siff. The show is currently in production in New York, and Lewis’ return has already been leaked through some sneaky paparazzi photos that captured the actor back in character with his old Billions co-stars. Lewis, who is currently starring alongside Guy Pearce in the MGM+ series A Spy Among Friends, is rumoured to appear in six of the twelve episodes set to air next season.
So what can we expect from this upcoming season? Well, according to Showtime, “alliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends. And Bobby Axelrod returns, as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.” We’ll also see the likes of David Costabile, Asia Kate Dillon, Condola Rashad, Jeffrey DeMunn, Sakina Jaffrey, and Daniel Breaker on our screens once again. Plus, Toney Goins, who plays Philip, has been promoted to a series regular for Season 7.
Now, you might be wondering how Lewis’ return is possible given the events of the Season 5 finale, No Direction Home. Well, let us refresh your memory. In the finale, under pressure from law enforcement, Lewis’ Axe hightails it to Switzerland with a boatload of cash to avoid prosecution in New York. But hey, this is Billions, and as we all know, anything is possible. Season 6 of the hit TV series aired last year, with the season finale on April 10, 2022, and season 7 is set to hit the streaming platform sometime later in 2023.
Lewis is no stranger to Showtime, having won an Emmy for his role as U.S. Marine Corp. Sgt. Nicholas Brody on Homeland from 2011 to 2013. He returned to the pay cabler for Billions, which premiered in January 2016.
As Showtime merges with Paramount+, the network recently announced that up to four new Billions spinoff series are in the works. That includes Billions: Miami, a new instalment set in the world of private aviation; Billions: London, set in the world of U.K. finance; Millions, featuring diverse, 30-something financial mogul wannabes in Manhattan; and Trillions, based on fictional stories of the richest people in the world.
Billions is created, executive produced, and show-run by Brian Koppelman and David Levien. Beth Schacter also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Andrew Ross Sorkin also created the series. Lewis announced his return to to the show on Monday night’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and fans of the show can’t wait to see what the future holds for the money-hungry hunk.