The Beast In Me Season 2 Is Official But Netflix Has One Major Problem

Published Oct 1, 2026, 7:03 PM EDT

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

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The Beast in Me season 2 is officially in the works at Netflix, but the streamer still has one major problem to fix. The Beast in Me was one of Netflix's biggest streaming hits of the past year and was successful in just about every conceivable way. It earned a strong 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, winning over both critics and audiences, and was viewed more than 43 million times worldwide, holding a spot on Netflix's Top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. These achievements bred more success, resulting in seven 2026 Emmy nominations and two wins.

The Beast in Me season 2 is an exciting development after its big night at the 2026 Emmys, but it faces one obvious problem: it will be without its Emmy-winning star, Matthew Rhys. Unless there will be some type of flashback or ghost narrative device in play, Claire Danes (who was also exceptional) will have to carry the weight of the second season without Rhys. This suggests that another star actor could and should assume his villainous role that won Rhys one of his two 2026 Emmy Awards.

The Beast In Me Season 2 Is Official With Claire Danes Returning

The biggest takeaway from the announcement of The Beast in Me season 2 is that its star, Claire Danes, will be returning as the primary protagonist, marking a major win for the budding thriller franchise. Danes has proven time and time again that she is one of the most talented actresses in the industry, starting with her breakout role in My So-Called Life and continuing with prestigious works such as Romeo + Juliet and Homeland. While The Beast in Me may work as an anthology with a new season 2 cast like Beef, Danes' return will maintain a massive part of the Netflix series' proven formula.

Danes' protagonist, Aggie Wiggs, provides the investigative engine throughout The Beast in Me as a successful novelist who is looking for her next great idea. That inspiration comes from Matthew Rhys' Nile Jarvis, a wealthy yet odd man who has taken a particular interest in Danes and her tragic backstory. Even with Nile presumably out of the picture in The Beast in Me season 2, Aggie is expected to dive headfirst into another mystery that could potentially revolve around another eccentric public figure with a dark past and violent tendencies, which could provide the source material for another best-selling hit.

Netflix Has To Replace The Dynamic That Made Season 1 Work

Chris Saunders/©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Netflix not being able to include Rhys in The Beast in Me season 2 provides the biggest problem for the series, as Rhys is one of the most prominent television actors in the business right now. Losing a major actor like him runs the risk of producing a less entertaining second season, especially when he has been marketed as the face of season 1 for nearly a year and is the show's most iconic character. Netflix will have to double down and find a perfect new antagonist for Aggie to investigate if The Beast in Me season 2 has any hope of success.

What Netflix should avoid doing is forcing Rhys' Nile Jarvis back into the story just to draw viewership or attach his recent Emmy wins to the second season's promotion. The series is not the type of psychological thriller that entertains supernatural occurrences, like Rhys' other winning series Widow's Bay, so featuring a ghostly return of Nile Jarvis to accompany Aggie through her new investigation would be too great of a tonal and genre shift for The Beast in Me to sustain.

Netflix does face a challenge in replacing Rhys, but thanks to its overwhelming success, The Beast in Me season 2 should draw a lot of attention from other great actors, especially those who can nail a villainous role.

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The Beast in Me