John Lithgow Shares His Advice For Dexter Prequel's Trinity Killer Actor, Which Even He Admits Is Hard To Follow

Dexter star John Lithgow has offered his advice for the next actor to follow in his footsteps for the upcoming Trinity Killer prequel series. Serving as one of the original show’s most memorable villains, Lithgow’s season 4 antagonist is set to receive his own spinoff show in addition to the forthcoming Dexter: Resurrection sequel series, and the recently released Dexter: Original Sin prequel. In December 2024, it was also reported that Lithgow could potentially be returning to narrate the series in much the same way as Michael C. Hall lent his voice to the franchise’s current prequel show.

Speaking with Screen Rant at this year’s Sundance Film Festival for Jimpa, Lithgow was careful about confirming whether he would be narrating the Trinity Killer prequel series as reported. However, he does offer one succinct piece of advice to the actor selected to play his character’s younger self, namely to “just be on his side.” Lithgow also admits it would not be an easy task to achieve. Check out his comments below:

Just be on his side. [Laughs] Not an easy thing to do, with the Trinity Killer, but be on his side.

What Lithgow’s Comments Mean For The Trinity Killer Prequel

The Trinity Killer Remains One Of Dexter's Best Adversaries

Despite originally ending with Dexter’s controversial season 8 finale, recent years have proven there is still plenty of life left in the hit serial killer drama. Not only does 2021’s Dexter: New Blood and the forthcoming Dexter: Resurrection offer viewers a chance to continue following Hall’s fan-favorite character moving forward, but the franchise has already begun fleshing out the events that led to some of the original show’s biggest moments.

With Dexter: Original Sin becoming Showtime’s most streamed premiere on record, all eyes will be on the new Trinity Killer show to see whether it can keep the momentum going. However, with Lithgow’s Arthur Mitchell widely considered one of Dexter’s most engaging antagonists, whichever actor is chosen to play a younger version of the character will have a tough time proving himself worthy of the role. Much as Lithgow suggests, this will not be an easy task to achieve, but treating him as more than a one-dimensional villain will be key to creating a worthy prequel.

Our Take On Introducing Viewers To A Young Trinity Killer

The New Prequel Could Be A Distorted Reflection Of Original Sin

The Trinity Killer standing by Dexter in season 4.

Hall’s Dexter Morgan, and by extension, the younger version portrayed by Patrick Gibson, is such an intriguing character precisely because of the constant conflict between his need to conform to his strict code of ethics and his darker impulses. Yet, by comparison, Lithgow’s Arthur Mitchell is in many ways a dark reflection of what Dexter could have been without his foster father’s involvement and the code that was instilled in him from a young age.

With this in mind, the upcoming Trinity Killer prequel series could potentially provide a direct counterpoint to Dexter: Original Sin, and provide viewers with a distorted reflection of Dexter’s own journey toward becoming a serial killer. While audiences already have some idea of the events that led Arthur Mitchell to become the murderer they first met in Dexterseason 4, the actor chosen to follow in Lithgow’s footsteps will have a unique opportunity to not only expand the character’s lore but also to cast his homicidal impulses in a whole new light.