For All Mankind season 5 will be set in the 2010s after the latest time jump at the end of season 4. Although this doesn't necessarily mean the end of the line is near for one of the show's best characters, it does make it unlikely that their time on the show will last much longer. I'd love to see them return for season 6 — if Apple TV renews the show — but I'd also fully understand if they met their end in the upcoming run of episodes, despite my devastation.
Even among Apple TV's impressive array of sci-fi shows, For All Mankind is a standout project. Its generational, character-driven storylines give it a level of heart that's difficult to find in other space operas. While the show technically belongs in the sci-fi category, it's easy to ignore the genre label and focus on the story's emotional center.
That being said, For All Mankind isn't an especially high-profile show, despite how great it is and the fact that it's been on Apple TV since the platform was launched back in 2019. Either way, it has continued to be renewed, proving Apple TV's faith in what is a criminally underrated franchise. When spinoff Star City adds to For All Mankind's sprawling timeline, it'll be an even more compelling saga — regardless of who survives the parent show's next batch of episodes.
Why I think Ed Baldwin probably won't survive For All Mankind season 5
Joel Kinnaman is one of the few remaining members of For All Mankind's original cast, playing Ed Baldwin since the show's first episode. Because the time jump at the end of each season is roughly a decade long, Ed is in his eighties in For All Mankind season 4's final scene — even if he doesn't actually appear onscreen after the time jump. While living safely on Mars throughout season 4 with no plans to return to Earth, the show's most recent run has already started to chronicle his physical decline.
So, add another decade onto Ed's life and he's likely to be more frail than ever. I initially doubted Ed would factor into season 5's plans at all, but it has already been confirmed that Kinnaman will reprise the role when For All Mankind returns. As such, we'll presumably get to see the legendary Ed Baldwin in a later stage of his life than ever before, assuming he doesn't only appear via flashback.
In an interview with Collider, For All Mankind's co-creators talked about a major element of season 5's storyline. In short, it's a matter of Earth vs. Mars. It's not been confirmed whether the political tensions brought about by the asteroid-stealing twist at the end of season 4 will turn violent, but it's not completely unreasonable to assume that this will be the case.
If so, an 80-year-old Ed Baldwin is perhaps even less likely than his younger Martian allies to get out alive. Should Ed make it to the end of For All Mankind season 5, another time jump would put him in his ninth decade of life. The show's makeup department has done a commendable job of aging Kinnaman up so far, but there is only so much that can be done to continue to make the illusion convincing. This is a secondary reason why I think his role on the show could also be nearing its end.
Ed's potential death in For All Mankind season 5 might not be the last we see of Kinnaman's character
Let's imagine for second that Kinnaman does make his exit in For All Mankind season 5. While it will invariably be a dramatic and hopefully heroic death for Kinnaman's character, the show's formula doesn't make it impossible for the actor to come back. Although there aren't many flashbacks, For All Mankind has used them before. As mentioned earlier, this storytelling mechanic could allow Kinnaman to make occasional cameos going forward, as versions of Ed from various points in his timeline.
However, there's another option that could welcome Kinnaman back into the fold if Ed dies in season 5. Star City will retell portions of For All Mankind's storyline, but from the Soviet Union's point of view in the wake of their Space Race victory in 1969. Because Ed has been part of the story since the beginning, he's one of the few characters still active in the parent show who could also appear in the spinoff. Unlike For All Mankind, Star City won't be as concerned with time jumps, meaning younger versions of Ed Baldwin could be featured several times in the spinoff.
For All Mankind season 5 currently has no official release date, but is expected to premiere in 2026. The same is believed to be true for Star City.