This Apple TV+ Series Shows How The Expanse Season 7 Could Happen (& Overcome Its Biggest Challenge)

Although The Expanse season 7 hasn't been announced, it could still technically happen in the future, and while it wouldn't be easy, an Apple TV+ sci-fi show proves a continuation of Amazon's space opera would be possible. The Expanse season 6's ending marked what will be the final effort from the show for a while - if not forever. That being said, there are still more books that the series hasn't yet adapted for live-action. It would be a challenge to adapt the remaining source material, but one of the best shows on Apple TV+ arguably gives The Expanse fans hope.

The Expanse is based on a series of sci-fi novels by a writing duo known under the joint pen name of James S.A. Corey. The show was rescued by Amazon after Syfy canceled the project after season 3. Even though the live-action adaptation reached a natural stopping point, Corey's work continues beyond the events of The Expanse season 6's finale. Those associated with the show have been coy about whether it could return someday, but there has been no official confirmation. If another run is greenlit, there is already a shining example of how The Expanse season 7 could look.

The Expanse Season 7 Would Arguably Need A Casting Overhaul Thanks To The Books' Big Time Jump

The Amazon show would need to travel 30 years into the future

The next book that would logically be adapted to continue Amazon's version of The Expanse is set 30 years after the show left off in 2022. With all the characters aging three decades, the original Expanse cast would be unsuitable to reprise their roles. Of course, there is always the option of avoiding this time jump, but the adaptation has been very faithful to the source material so far. So, it wouldn't make sense to make such a drastic alteration for The Expanse season 7.

The core group of actors remained the same throughout most of The Expanse. Although several new characters came and went, the crew of the Rocinante remained the show's core focus. That being said, the exit of Cas Anvar's Alex Kamal for behind-the-scenes reasons marked a big departure from the source material. Therefore, it could be the show's writers would be willing to make further concessions to allow The Expanse to return. If the show's lineup has changed, the time jump could be next to go. Hopefully, that wouldn't happen, as it's a major component of the story.

Apple TV+'s For All Mankind Proves Generational Storytelling With The Same Cast Can Work (If It's Done Well)

The Expanse season 7 could learn from For All Mankind's actor-aging approach

Various movies and TV shows have formulated several techniques through the years to allow characters to remain part of the story despite actor age-discrepancies. A character can be perfectly cast, but if enough time passes in a particular universe, it often stops making sense for an actor to keep playing the role. Unfortunately, this would be the case for a big time jump ahead of The Expanse season 7. Thankfully, For All Mankind has provided The Expanse with a perfect workaround.

Every season of For All Mankind ends with a time jump of roughly ten years. At the end of For All Mankind season 4, certain stars like Joel Kinnaman are still present from the show's inception.

Every season of For All Mankind ends with a time jump of roughly ten years. At the end of For All Mankind season 4, certain stars like Joel Kinnaman are still present from the show's inception. Rather than recasting its characters as they age a decade at a time, For All Mankind has aged its long-serving cast members with makeup and prosthetics. This allows the story to be told over a greater length of time, and also with a far greater degree of consistency. This technique could easily have looked cheesy or underwhelming, but it has been achieved very impressively.

For All Mankind has a score on Rotten Tomatoes of 92%, and The Expanse is rated at 95%.

The Expanse season 7 would do well to imitate this technique. Plus, For All Mankind also introduces new characters each season to make sure the cast doesn't descend into a group of actors who all require aging with make-up. The unadapted Expanse books also bring new characters into the fold, so this is just something that would naturally happen anyway, but For All Mankind has also provided a live-action framework for this.

The Expanse Season 7's Alternatives Aren't Ideal

Makeup and prosthetics remain The Expanse's best option for its future

Copying For All Mankind's aging-up technique would be The Expanse season 7's best option. There are other avenues Amazon could explore, but they would hurt the adaptation. For instance, the show could completely overhaul the cast so age-appropriate actors would inherit the roles once played by the original stars. This wouldn't be many people's first choice, as the casting was perfect the first time around. Plus, it would run the risk of feeling like a completely new show rather than just a new season.

The other option is to simply wait for the original cast to age into the roles of their older characters. Obviously, this isn't realistic. Waiting thirty years to make a seventh season doesn't seem like something Amazon would be willing to do. In three decades, the show is highly unlikely to have the same level of demand as it does so freshly removed from its finale. So, The Expanse may never return at all - which is probably the most likely scenario.