"Castle" primarily traces the lives of Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Kate Beckett (Stana Katic as they solve various unusual crimes in New York City. (Photo : Facebook/Castle)
After much speculation, it has been confirmed that Stana Katic, who plays Kate Beckett, in ABC’s “Castle,” will not be returning to the show come season 9. Does this mean that the series will eventually get cancelled?
In an official statement, the network revealed that Katic will no longer be part of "Castle" season 9, along with co-star Tamala Jones (Lanie Parish). ABC thanked the actress for her talent and dedication and hoped that they will be able to work with another project sometime in the future.
It seems that the Katic and Jones' decision to leave "Castle" is something that even the cast has not prepared for. Several of them, including creator Andrew Marlow, took to Twitter to express their disappointment with the stars' decision. Jon Huertas (Javier Esposito) and Susan Sullivan (Martha Rodgers) both wrote that they were surprised about Katic and Jones leaving the series.
Rumors of Katic leaving "Castle" to pursue other opportunities started even before season 8 started. The actress previously told TV Line that she will only reprise her role as Beckett if the story is compelling enough. She pointed out that she does not want to continue playing the role if there is nowhere else to go creatively, adding that she has always prioritized art over finance.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC actually thought of writing out Beckett's story early on but decided to change gears when the sudden death of Patrick Dempsey's Derek Shepard from "Grey's Anatomy" was met with much criticism. Turns out, the network is reportedly looking for ways to cut costs on "Castle."
With Beckett gone, an insider told the publication that the focus of the show will shift from the Caskett love angle to more of a case-of-the-week format. An insider also told THR that Katic had been unhappy for a while and had been clashing with co-lead Nathan Fillion. The titular character is currently in negotiations with the network to reprise his role. If ABC decided to renew "Castle," the show will reportedly only have a 13-episode order, which will definitely help the network alleged budgetary woes.
"Castle" airs Mondays on ABC.
