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‘House Of Cards’ Season 5 Release Date, Major Cast Member Not Returning

By Frank Yemi
Published on: 11:22 PST, Sep 10, 2016

Netflix’s longest-running original House of Cards is returning for Season 5. It is slated for release next year in 2017. The first three seasons premiered in February and Season 4 was released early in March.

2017 Update: House of Cards has an official release date on the 30th May 2017 and it was announced after President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony. Watch the short teaser below:

House of Cards Season 5 release date is in late May; however, it is not clear why Netflix is releasing its longest running series later than usual. The teaser features an upside down flag, which may be a reference to President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings as he takes office or it could signify the dark turn the series took at the end of season 4.

Frank Underwood will have one less problem to worry about. Original cast member Mahershala Ali, who plays Remy Danton, will not be returning.

However, Ali is not done with Netflix as he is featured in Luke Cage, which has a release date in about two weeks on September 28, 2016.

According to Digital Spy, Ali feels that his character Remy Danton doesn’t have much else to offer the political drama.

“There wasn’t really anything new to offer the show, and there’s a lot of people on that show! It’s not fair for me to say, ‘Hey, I want to do more,’ because that might not work for the show. It’s a narrative that’s bigger than you. But I do want to do more in my career, and that kind of aligned with the character running its course, and with how the show was framed.”

Lobbyist Remy Danton has a relationship with Jackie Sharp, who went into hiding with her on-and-off lover when the Washington Herald released the article written by Hammerschmidt in Season 4.

Ali believes that his character had reached his shelf life, suggesting that there isn’t much to explore after four seasons.

“I’ve said this before: every show has a shelf life. House of Cards might work for seven or eight seasons, it might be done after six, I don’t know – but my character also has a shelf life. It was just time to close that storyline out while it still meant something to people.”

Despite the cast shake-up, the biggest change coming into House of Cards Season 5 is that it will be the first season not to feature creator Beau Willimon, who has been the showrunner since the inception.

Republican nominee for president and Governor of New York Will Conway, played by Joel Kinnaman, is likely to return in Season 5. A GOP candidate was a fresh plot in Season 4 and is likely to continue on.

Conway is a young, popular candidate; however, Frank Underwood has more experience.

House of Cards is a popular Netflix original and has been praised by critics. The Emmy-award-winning series received numerous nominations for its current season.

House of Cards received 13 nominations in the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, which included Outstanding Drama Series; Kevin Spacey for Outstanding Lead Actor; Robin Wright (Claire Underwood) for Outstanding Lead Actress; Michael Kelly for Outstanding Supporting Actor; Reg E. Cathey, Paul Sparks, and Mahershala Ali as Remy Danton for Outstanding Guest Actor; and Ellen Burstyn and Molly Parker (Jackie Sharp) for Outstanding Guest Actress.

In a Meet the Press interview, Kevin Spacey revealed that the similarities between House of Cards and real political events are coincidental because the show’s plot is written and scripted prior to most of the electoral process.

When Chuck Todd brought up some similarities between Frank Underwood and Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s campaign, the actor responded, “Yeah, this has happened every season that we have shot House of Cards. We have decided on a story line, we have written it, we have shot it and just before the series gets dropped something very close to what we have decided to develop happens in real life.”

Are you looking forward to House of Cards Season 5? Leave your comments below.

[Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images]

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