Hulu’sParadisehas easily been one of 2025’s best new shows, and a major update regarding James Marsden opens the door for a major return in season 2. The thriller’s interesting premise about a small underground community surviving a world-ending event managed to earn the show four Emmy nominations, including being up for Outstanding Drama Series.
Sterling K. Brown and Julianne Nicholson were both nominated for their stellar performances, as was James Marsden. Despite the plot revolving around President Cal Bradford’s (Marsden) murder, he continued to appear through flashbacks which offered clues to who his killer was, withParadiseseason 1’s endingfinally uncovering this mystery, setting up another dramatic installment in the process.
However, with Cal’s storyline complete, it seemed like there would be no place for him inParadiseseason 2, but new details suggest this isn’t the case. Marsden will thankfully remain involved with the project, and not only is this great news for fans of his character, but it also suggests another fan favorite can return despite their tragic fate.
Marsden’s Character Was An Influential Part Of The Story & Will Once Again Feature Through Flashbacks
Image via Hulu
Despite the uncertainty,Sterling K. Brown confirmed that James Marsden will feature inParadiseseason 2. He claimed, “We see a little bit more of Marsden. We get a chance to see him in different time periods”, and considering how important he was in season 1, it’s a relief knowing the actor will be back among the action.
Given that Cal was killed off in the very first episode, most of his story was told via flashbacks, something that became a staple for the series.
Given that Cal was killed off in the very first episode, most of his story was told via flashbacks, something that became a staple for the series. Marsden’s role in the next installment would therefore indicate that flashbacks will once again be a key storytelling technique going forward, which makes this update all the more welcome since these sequences were extremely compelling.
Paradise’s best episodeleaned heavily on these recollections by focusing on the day the world essentially collapsed, and Marsden’s performance was a key part of making it so memorable. He perfectly captured the emotional weight of being the President during the end of the world, and his character’s moral complexity was on full display, making him feel flawed yet sympathetic.
How he fits into the narrative going forward will be interesting to see, but givenCal had personal relationships with many of the show’s major characters, his presence shouldn’t feel forced. Crucially, he isn’t the only deceased character that can appear through flashbacks, meaning another fan favorite will hopefully get another shot in the spotlight duringParadise’s second season.
Paradise Continuing Its Flashback Sequences Makes Me Hopeful Billy Pace Will Return
Billy Was A Prominent Part Of Season 1 & Can Still Be Utilized Despite His Death
WithParadiseseason 2 looking set to continue focusing on the past, there is no reason Billy Pace can’t return. After initially being presented as one of the main suspects for President Bradford’s murder, it turned out that he was hiding a major secret, but it had nothing to do with Cal’s death.
Instead, the show revealed he was picked by Sinatra to join the underground society because of his violent background and was tasked with killing those who found out the outside world still had survivors. Upon regretting these actions, he cut ties with the antagonist and was ready to expose her, but was killed by his girlfriend Jane on Sinatra’s orders.
At first glance, it looked like his death would be the end of Jon Beavers' character, but with Marsden returning, Billy could be part ofParadiseseason 2’s flashbacksequences as well. He is still a huge factor in Jane’s story, which will only become more interesting after her villain reveal, and he also had a strong relationship with Xavier and his family.
Additionally, his history with Sinatra remains an interesting subject to explore, giving the show plenty of reasons to feature him once again. Despite his moral flaws,Billy has been one ofParadise’s best characters so farand connected with audiences, making me hopeful that we get to see more of him when the drama series returns.
His Role In The Outside World Feels More Important Than Ever In Season 2
As season 2’s story transitions into Xavier exploring the outside world, Billy Pace remains a major part of the plot despite no longer being around. He played a direct role in protecting Sinatra’s secret and even killed to ensure no one found out about the survivors, meaning these flashbacks could once again come into play.
His experience outside the underground community after disaster struck puts him in a truly unique position, asBilly could have left secrets and offered guidance from beyond the grave, just like Cal did in season 1. This means it would be a strange decision for the show to forget him entirely, making him too important to ignore.
Although he was sidelined after season 1’s fifth episode,Jon Beavers’Paradiseinterviewconfirmed that it’s not impossible for us to see Billy return in the second season. His appearances may be more sporadic next time around, but the agent’s connection with Sinatra makes it hard to believe his story is completely finished.
Paradiseseason 2 began filming in March 2025, just weeks after season 1 concluded. No details about the show’s return date have been revealed.
Knowing how important the central mystery was to the first installment makes it all the more likely that Billy’s dark past helps drive the plot forward in season 2, andParadiseshould bring him back to maximize the show’s full potential.
