Josh Dallas Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
Manifest’s final descent has the cast just as emotional as Us —especially Josh Dallas.
“When we did the final table read, I was in tears the whole time,” the 44-year-old, who stars as Ben Stone on the supernatural hit, told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published shortly before the second half of season 4 premiered on Netflix on Friday, June 2. “It’s twofold, right? It’s bittersweet because we’re saying goodbye to these characters and this world, and also to the TV family we’ve created, the crew and everyone we’ve worked with for the past five years. It was charged.”
The Once Upon a Time alum added: “But as far as the ending, Jeff [Rake, the show’s creator] has known how he wanted to end this story since the very beginning.”
Dallas also noted that he avoided learning how the story would wrap up since filming the early episodes of the pilot, a sentiment that he has frequently shared amid the series’ success.
“I don’t know why you would want to know the answers until the episodes come on,” the Thor actor — who directed an early episode of Manifest season 4 — previously told Hollywood Outbreak in April 2021. “I mean, that’s part of the joy of following any story, whether it’s on TV or in a movie or in a book. You don’t want to know the end before you get there, and ultimately, once you get to the end, it’s going to be so much more satisfying when you don’t know the answers going into it.”
Josh Dallas as Ben Stone and Melissa Roxburgh as Michaela Stone in Manifest Season 04. Peter Kramer/Netflix © 2022
Manifest — helmed by Rake, 56 — premiered on NBC in September 2018, starring Dallas, Melissa Roxburgh, J.R. Ramirez, Athena Karkanis, Luna Blaise, Jack Messina and Matt Long. The mystery chronicled the reappearance of an airplane five years after all passengers were declared missing. Amid their return, the group — known as the 828ers — received an array of “Callings” designed to help save both their own lives and the greater world.
Despite widespread fan hype for Manifest, NBC canceled the show in June 2021 after its third season ended. Netflix swooped in to save the drama nearly two months later, ordering a super-sized final season. The first half of season 4 premiered in November 2022, followed by another 10 episodes on Friday.
While the seasons-long mystery reached its conclusion on Friday, Dallas has plenty of follow-up ideas to keep the universe alive.
“I think there’s major sequel or spinoff potential here,” the Kentucky native — who shares two sons with wife Ginnifer Goodwin — theorized to THR. “Maybe we go into the future and see Eden [Ben’s youngest daughter] at 21 or so as she’s navigating the world, or we follow the younger passengers. Maybe we go back to 2013 and deep dive into the investigation with [NSA director] Vance.”
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All episodes of Manifest are currently streaming on Netflix.
