Shadow and Bone's Patrick Gibson plays a young Dexter Morgan in prequel series Dexter: Original Sin

It's official! Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel series to the original Dexter show that debuted in 2006, has found its leading man!

The series will star Patrick Gibson, recently seen in the sadly canceled Netflix series Shadow and Bone. Gibson’s turn as privateer turned royal Nikolai shows he has the charm and skill to pull off the part and showcase the dark side of Dexter’s nature. 

Joining him is veteran actor Christian Slater as Harry (played by James Remar in the original show). The star of scores of movies and a Golden Globe winner for Mr. Robot, Slater has the experience to pull off the complex role of Harry, a cop trying to “tame” a young killer.

Filling out the main cast is Molly Brown as Dexter’s sister, Morgan (Jennifer Carpenter in the original). It’s the biggest role for the young actress whose credits include the 2022 comedy Senior Year. James Martinez as Angel Batista (originally played by David Zayas), Christina Milian as Maria LaGuerta (originally played by Lauren Vélez, and Alex Shimizu as Vince Masuka (originally played by C. S. Lee) round out the cast. These three are all familiar characters from the original too. While it’s up in the air just how hungry folks are for a new Dexter, showing how he started on his path to this life is intriguing. 

The new project has just been announced since it's not known when production is going to start, or when the release date on Paramount+ with Showtime will be just yet.

What was Dexter about?

Dexter was a sensation when it first premiered on Showtime and ran for eight seasons. Based on the novels by Jeff Lindsay, the show followed Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), who had been traumatized by his mother’s murder into becoming a sociopath. Recognizing this, his adoptive father, Harry, tried to channel Dexter’s desires in a unique way. In the present day, Dexter is a forensic tech for the Miami PD who hunts other murderers and uses his skills to dispose of the evidence.

The show’s mix of dark humor and thrills made it a hit, earning Hall a Golden Globe and winning a Peabody award. It ended in 2013 with what was sadly seen by fans as a huge letdown as Dexter faked his death to live as a lumberjack in what soon became a mainstay on “worst series finales ever” lists. But, a sequel series did end up happening. More on that below. Hall did an amazing job, and now the mantle is passed on to Patrick Gibson. Learn all the details below!

What is the prequel about?

After being buzzed about for a while, Paramount announced Dexter: Original Sin takes place 15 years before the main series and follows how Dexter began his crusade. There will be a total of 10 episodes in this new thriller. Check out the synopsis:

"Set in 1991 Miami, DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN follows Dexter (Gibson) as he transitions from student to avenging serial killer. When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Slater), he adopts a Code designed to help him find and kill people who deserve to be eliminated from society without getting on law enforcements’ radar. This is a particular challenge for young Dexter as he begins a forensics internship at the Miami Metro Police Department.   "

In 2021, Showtime revived the original series for Dexter: New Blood, picking up with Hall once more engaging in some murders and seemingly ending with Dexter’s death. While that was interesting, I'm more interested in seeing Dexter's younger years which we're finally getting. This will add more to the backstory!

Dexter and Dexter: New Blood are streaming on Paramount+.