For All Mankindfans got a major scare in the Season 4 finale when Danielle Poole took a bullet during the climactic Mars skirmish. But the bigger question heading intoSeason 5is whether we’ve seen the last of her entirely. At San Diego Comic-Con 2025,For All Mankindco-creatorBen Nediviplayed it coy when asked by Collider’sSteve Weintraubif Dani Poole (Krys Marshall) would return next season.
“That’s for you to find out with Season 5. That’s part of the fun of the show — obviously, the characters every season evolve. The cast from Season 1 to now, it’s crazy to see how many people are left, and we bring in new people. We’re actually going to bring in new people for Season 5, as well. So I think we like to keep people around. It depends on their story and if their arcs are done. I think part of the fun is not knowing who’s going to be back, and we’ll keep it at that.”
Dani Nearly Died on ‘For All Mankind’
It’s a diplomatic answer — and maybe a smart one — considering that actress Krys Marshall nearly exited the series last season. In a 2024 interview withEntertainment Weekly, Marshall revealed that she actually asked to be written out. “Before Season 4 began, I sat down with Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert, our showrunners,” she explained. “We went to a Thai restaurant in Sherman Oaks, and I was like, ‘I have an idea about season 4. Danielle has to die.’”
Marshall said she loved the show, the writers, and the story being told — which is exactly why she felt Dani’s death would be a powerful moment. “By the end of season 3, I felt it from the audience… it would be the gut punch of the century if we just killed her. So I told them, ‘I think we should kill her.’”The writers even scripteda version of the finale where Dani died. But days before it was finalized, they changed their minds.
“Ben calls me on a Saturday morning, and he’s like, ‘Danielle’s not going to die,’” she said. “Of course, I’m secretly happy… He just said, ‘We’ve thought about it. The whole room was on board for it, and then it just felt like we couldn’t do it. It feels too overt, and it feels too painful… I think that leading the audience to thinking that she will die and then having her go on to live is a sweeter relief.’”
The Dani Poole’s remains unclear — but whether or not she appears in Season 5, it’s clear her presence in theFor All Mankinduniverse still looms large.
For All Mankind
