FX’s adaptation of ‘Y: The Last Man’ finds its new lead

FX’s upcoming adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic comic,Y: the Last Man, has found its Last Man…again. The show has been working through some issues, with actor Barry Keoghan (Chernobyl, Dunkirk) leaving the project after filming the pilot, although we don’t know the details as to why.

Y: the Last Man follows Yorick Brown and his pet Capuchin monkey Ampersand, who are survivors of a mysterious plague that kills off everyone with a Y chromosome. That also includes animals. The Eisner-winning and Hugo-nominated series lasts a whole 60 issues before coming to a close, so there’s a lot of material to work with.

Per Variety, Ben Schnetzer will play Yorick. FX has ordered a 10-episode first season, so let’s hope they get past the pilot this time.

Losing a good actor like Keoghan was a blow, but it looks like FX has found a worthy successor. Ben Schnetzer starred in Oliver Stone’s Snowden, made his Broadway debut in The Nap, and played Khadgar in the movie adaptation of Warcraft.

And this isn’t the first time the drama has had to change things behind the scenes. In 2018, FX appointed showrunners Micheal Green (American Gods) and Aida Croal (Luke Cage) to manage the project, but they left after filming the pilot due to “creative differences,” Hollywood’s standard catch-all term. Now, Eliza Clark (Animal Kingdom) has taken the reins as showrunner.

Schnetzer joins a cast that includes Diane Lane (Unfaithful), Imogen Poots (Need for Speed, 28 Weeks Later), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Marin Ireland (Sneaky Pete) and Amber Tamblyn. And then of course there’s Yorick’s capuchin monkey, Ampersand. Late last year, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Ampersand will be played by Katie, the same animal who played the monkey Marcel from the classic sitcom Friends.

It’s understandable that fans could become irritated with these production delays, but at least now we have a solid direction.

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