The Final Chapter of For All Mankind: Legacy Characters Bid Farewell
By Published Apr 14, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Warning: SPOILERS for For All Mankind Season 1, Episode 3 - "Home" season 5 only has one actor remaining from the original cast that launched Apple TV's critically acclaimed sci-fi series. For All Mankind premiered in 2019 and helped kick off what was then branded as the Apple TV+ streaming service. Created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi, For All Mankind's very concept has the gradual loss of cast members and their characters baked in.
Starting with the moon landing in 1969, every takes place about a decade after the previous season. Thus, characters dying (or being written off) and actors exiting the series are inevitable. For All Mankind season 1's new frontier optimism for going to the moon gradually led to season 5's trouble on Mars, with five decades of space exploration and political strife on Earth happening in between.
said a fond farewell to Admiral Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman). The ornery 81-year-old astronaut and space hero was already dying of cancer when he risked his life for one more defiant act to save his friend, Lee Jung-Gil (C.S. Lee).
as a NASA astronaut, still married to Karen (Shantel VanSanten) and with Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman) at his side. Ed was one of the last two original For All Mankind actors still standing in season 5.
Wrenn Schmidt’s Margo Madison Is The Last Original Actor From For All Mankind Season 1
With Joel Kinnaman and Ed Baldwin's exit, Wrenn Schmidt's Margo Madison becomes the last remaining season 1 still kicking. A decade younger than Ed, Margo was born in 1941, which makes her 71-years-old in For All Mankind season 5, which takes place in 2012.
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Margo is in federal prison in For All Mankind season 5, having fallen far from her heyday as NASA's administrator. Margo defected to the Soviet Union at the after giving the KBG state secrets, and she lived in Russia from 1995 to 2003, eventually working for Roscosmos, the USSR's space agency.
When we catch up with her in For All Mankind season 5, Margo has spent the last 9 years incarcerated after she took the fall for Mars capturing the Goldilocks asteroid instead of the M-7 nations. The aged Margo remains as brilliant as ever, however, and still advises her protégé, Aleida Rosales (Coral Peña), from prison.
For All Mankind season 1's cast have all exited the series as time marched ever forward. Ed Baldwin, Gordo Stevens, Tracy Stevens (Sarah Jones), Karen Baldwin, Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger), and Deke Slayton (Chris Bauer) have all passed away. Still alive is former President Ellen Wilson (Jodi Balfour), but she hasn't been a primary character since For All Mankind season 3.
(Krys Marshall) after season 4. Marshall joined the cast of Hulu's Paradise, and it hasn't been confirmed if Krys will reprise Danielle in For All Mankind season 5. Dani may still be alive; she was born in 1944 and is 68 in 2012, but since she's not part of For All Mankind's main cast in season 5, Wrenn Schmidt's Margo is the last of the O.G.s
Cora Pena’s Aleida & Cynthy Wu’s Kelly Are The Last Original For All Mankind Season 2 Actors
Only two actors and their characters, Coral Peña's Aleida Rosales and Cynthy Wu's Kelly Baldwin, are still with the show after being introduced in For All Mankind season 2.
To be more precise, Aleida was a recurring character in For All Mankind season 1, where she was played between the ages of 8 and 13 by Olivia Trujillo. For All Mankind season 2 reintroduced Aleida in her twenties, with Coral Peña taking over the role and playing the brilliant engineer as an adult ever since.
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Kelly Baldwin is the adopted daughter of Ed and Karen Baldwin, and she was a teenager in For All Mankind season 2's early 1980s timeframe. Kelly eventually joined NASA and went to Mars, like her father. Kelly gave birth to Alex, who is a main character in For All Mankind season 5 as a teenager played by Sean Kaufman.
In For All Mankind season 4, Kelly and Aleida teamed up to leave NASA and join Helios Aerospace, working for billionaire Dev Ayesa (Edi Gathedi). For Kelly, jumping to Helios continues how she follows in Ed's footsteps, since Admiral Baldwin also turned on NASA and allied with Dev's innovative technology corporation.
It's possible that Margo, a proven survivor, will live into her 80s.
It's possible that Margo, a proven survivor, will live into her 80s and will be the only season 1 character still alive when For All Mankind ends with season 6. If Wrenn Schmidt does exit Apple TV's sci-fi hit, then Coral Peña's Aleida and Cynthu Wu's Kelly will become For All Mankind's old guard when the show concludes.
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