Medici season two (which is titled Medici: The Magnificent) will be released by Netflix tomorrow (Friday, January 25) with a mostly new cast. Richard Madden led the cast of the first series of Medici, but he is not in the new series of the Netflix show. Medici the Magnificent instead focuses on Richard Madden’s character’s grandson Lorenzo de Medici (played by Daniel Sharman).
Why is Richard Madden not in Medici season 2?
Richard Madden is not in Medici season two because the drama has taken a time jump between series one (titled Masters of Florence) and the new run (The Magnificent).
Medici: The Magnificent begins in 1469, 20 years after the end of the first season.
The real-life character Richard Madden played in Medici: Masters of Florence, Cosimo de Medici, died five years earlier in 1464 at the age of 75.
The official plot summary for Medici season two confirms the show is following the real-life timeline.
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The synopsis reads in part: “Medici: The Magnificent starts 20 years later [than Masters of Florence] in 1469.
“The series takes us to the heart of the Renaissance through one of the most important historical figures of all times, Lorenzo the Magnificent.”
Lorenzo’s grandfather Cosimo is now dead and his grandmother the Countess (played by Annabel Scholey in Masters of Florence) has withdrawn from public life.
Richard Madden is not the only actor who is not in the new series due to the time jump.
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For example, Lorenzo’s father Piero was played by Alessandro Sperduti in Masters of Florence but is played by Julian Sands in The Magnificent.
Also, Piero’s wife and Lorenzo’s mother Lucrezia has been recast from Valentina Belle to Sarah Parish.
Although Richard Madden is not in the new series of Medici, he is still credited on the show as an executive producer.
Since appearing in Medici, Richard Madden has become a household name since playing David Budd in Bodyguard.
The BBC series, which was one of the broadcaster’s biggest hits of last year, won Madden a Golden Globe for playing the titular bodyguard and became the bookies’ favourite to be the next Bond.
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Prior to Medici, Madden had been acting on screen since 2000 when he appeared in British film Complicity, which also starred his future Bodyguard co-star Keeley Hawes.
In the following few years, the Scottish actor appeared in Taggart, Hope Springs and Boy George TV biopic Worried About the Boy.
However, the actor came to many people’s attention after playing Robb Stark in the first three seasons of Game of Thrones
Though he is not in Meidi season two, Madden will soon be on screens as manager John Reid in the Elton John biopic Rocketman.
Medici season 2 will be released by Netflix on Friday, January 25