Is Jack Lowden Leaving ‘Slow Horses’: What the Latest Renewal Does and Doesn’t Reveal
The question of whether Jack Lowden is leaving ‘Slow Horses’ has gained traction among fans in recent weeks. Apple’s announcement of another season did not include a full cast list and did not name Lowden, and some fans treated that omission as meaningful. The silence has been enough to set off a round of speculation.
Nothing confirmed supports the idea so far. There is currently no official indication that Lowden is exiting the series or has been cast as 007. What exists is a gap in an announcement and a long running rumor, and the two deserve to be kept apart.
Jack Lowden and the ‘Slow Horses’ Season Eight Announcement
Apple TV officially picked up an eighth season of the spy drama, and it will be adapted from ‘Clown Town,’ the ninth novel in Mick Herron’s Slough House series. That story has Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner facing off in their most explosive confrontation yet. The focus of the official summary is on those two characters.
The news arrived a day after the series won its third Emmy, for directing on the season five finale. It also landed just ahead of the sixth season premiere. A renewal timed around an awards win and a premiere reads as a studio promoting the show rather than detailing its cast.
One outlet reported that Gary Oldman and Lowden are expected to reprise their roles. Production on the seventh season is underway in the UK with a target release window of 2027, and the eighth season is expected to follow in fall 2028. That leaves a long runway before any casting detail for the eighth season would normally surface.
Apple’s Jay Hunt said the series continues to charm audiences around the world and that Lamb and his gang of misfits will be back. The language speaks to the ensemble as a whole, which fits a show built around a team of failed agents rather than a single lead.
Why Jack Lowden James Bond Talk Keeps Growing
Lowden is among the actors linked to James Bond in industry reports, which is why the timing of the announcement restarted speculation. The Scotsman has described him as among the frontrunners to succeed Daniel Craig, noting his Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the role of River Cartwright.
His name has consistently appeared near the top of bookmakers’ odds, and his castmate in the series is among those hoping he gets the part. Oldman has said it has been rumoured that Lowden is on the shortlist, and that his fingers are crossed for him. Amazon MGM has not yet officially announced the new Bond.
The Scotsman also reported that two major streaming services were said to be at odds over whether he could play two leading spy roles at once. The same piece named Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner, Paul Mescal, Jack O’Connell and Harris Dickinson among other actors said to be in the mix. Lowden is one name in a crowded conversation, and that is as far as the reporting goes.
What River Cartwright’s Future Looks Like
Audiences know Lowden best as the disgraced MI5 agent River Cartwright, who works alongside Oldman’s Lamb. River was sent to Slough House after a botched training exercise and was raised by his grandfather, a figure from MI5 legend. That backstory has made him a natural anchor for the series.
Lowden has spoken about the character’s trajectory in an interview with UPI. He said River will go through a lot no matter what, because he chases danger and drama. He added that what River wants most is to leave Slough House, and that he is forever trying to impress Taverner.
Even if Lowden were to land the licence to kill, River Cartwright is not going anywhere just yet. An Italian outlet has gone further and asked what would happen to the series if Lowden became 007, while noting that River remains one of its central characters. For now the evidence points to a rumor attached to a renewal, not a departure, so would you be ready to see Slough House without River Cartwright if Lowden did get the call from Bond?
