Amazon Prime Video’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith is returning for a new chapter and possibly a new beginning, with fresh blood being added to the cast to reportedly replace Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in the lead roles. Today, Variety reports that Mark Eydelshteyn will step into a major role for Season 2. Eydelshteyn is the first confirmed cast member for the upcoming season, marking a major shake-up from what came before. Glover does stay on as an executive producer, given that he created the series alongside Francesca Sloane, who will continue as showrunner.
Season 1 of Mr. and Mrs. Smith debuted to widespread critical acclaim in February 2024, garnering 16 Emmy nominations, including nods for Best Drama Series, Best Actor (Glover), and Best Actress (Erskine). The series ultimately secured wins for Best Stunt Coordination and Best Guest Actress (Michaela Cole). Per the official series description:
“In the first season of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ two lonely strangers land jobs working for a mysterious spy agency that offers them a glorious life of espionage, wealth, world travels, and a dream brownstone in Manhattan. The catch? New identities in an arranged marriage as Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. Now hitched, John and Jane navigate a high-risk mission every week while also facing a new relationship milestone. Their complex cover story becomes even more complicated when they catch real feelings for each other. What’s riskier: espionage or marriage?”
Who is Mark Eydelshteyn?
Eydelshteyn’s casting comes off the back of his breakout performance in Sean Baker’s Anora, which won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. He also has credits in Strana Sascha and the acclaimed Russian television series Monastery. In Anora, one of the favourites for next year’s Academy Awards, Eydelshteyn plays Vanya Zakharov, the impulsive son of a Russian oligarch.
Vanya ends up in a whirlwind romance with the titular character, played by Mikey Madison, an exotic dancer from Brooklyn. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the relationship hits a number of difficult roadblocks in the shape of Vanya’s affluent family sticking their nasty noses in, as they try to fracture the relationship. Eydelshteyn‘s performance was widely acclaimed, and the film was hailed for offering a novel and modern twist on the classic Cinderella story.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Mr. & Mrs. Smith and other exciting series developments. You can also watch Season 1 of Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Prime Video now.
via Collider