Dexter: Original Sin - Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Prequel (2024)

The universe of Dexter continues to grow with the announcement of a prequel series, and there are already a ton of updates about the upcoming show, Dexter: Original Sin. Based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, Dexter debuted on Showtime in 2006 and follows the titular character who uses his forensic skills to artfully dispatch criminals who he believes weren't sufficiently punished by the legal system. With its twisting plot and intentionally gray morality, Dexter became one of the defining series of the Aughts and maintains a cult following years later.

Though the original series went off the air after 8 seasons in 2013, the Dexter franchise had already grown through the release of animated webisodes called Dexter: Early Cuts. It wasn't until the debut of 2021's Dexter: New Blood that fans were finally given a modicum of closure following Dexter's unpopular finale. Unfortunately, New Blood also proved to be divisive, but it didn't dampen the spirits of fans who still wanted more from the franchise. Now, a prequel is in the works that can finally bring back the chills, thrills, and twists of Dexter in the 2020s.

Dexter: Original Sin Latest News

Sarah Michelle Gellar Joins The Prequel

With filming already taking place on the upcoming prequel series, the latest news sees Sarah Michelle Gellar cast in Dexter: Original Sin. The iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer star will appear in the prequel series in a key role as Miami Metro Police CSI Chief Tanya Martin. Martin will presumably be in charge of the department that Dexter interns with, meaning she will have a lot of control over his burgeoning career. Considering Gellar's relative star power on TV, it's assumed that Martin will play a major recurring part in Original Sin.

Dexter: Original Sin Is Confirmed

The Project Was First Announced In 2023

News began to surface about a prequel to Dexter back in 2023, but little came of the original announcement until over a year later in 2024. Now, Dexter: Original Sin is in the works and will chronicle the titular character's life as a young adult. With filming already underway, it's only a matter of time before the show's production timeline and release date become more clear.

Dexter: Original Sin Cast

Patrick Gibson Plays Young Dexter

The role of young Dexter has already been cast, and The OA star Patrick Gibson will play the part originally played by Michael C. Hall. Dexter's younger sister Deb has also been cast, and Molly Brown will assume the role after making a name for herself on shows like Billions. Finally, Dexter and Deb's adoptive father, Harry, will be played by veteran character actor Christian Slater. Legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar will play CSI Chief Tanya Martin.

Continuing the trend of recasting original Dexter characters with younger actors, James Martinez has been cast as Angel Martinez. Likewise, Christina Milian will play Maria LaGuerta, and Alex Shimizu takes over the role of Vince Masuka. Reno Wilson has also been cast in the role of Bobby Watt, a new character that wasn't in the original series. Grey's Anatomy alum Patrick Dempsey will play Captain Aaron Spencer, the seasoned vet who runs the department while Dexter begins his internship.

The cast of Dexter: Original Sin includes:

Actor	Dexter: Original Sin Role
Patrick Gibson	Dexter Morgan
Molly Brown	Deborah Morgan
Christian Slater	Harry
Sarah Michelle Gellar	CSI Chief Tanya Martin
Patrick Dempsey	Captain Aaron Spencer
Reno Wilson	Bobby Watt
James Martinez	Angel Martinez
Christina Milian	Maria LaGuerta
Alex Shimizu	Vince Masuka

Dexter: Original Sin Story Details

15 Years Before Dexter

Since the show is a prequel, it was a given that it would take place before the events of Dexter, but more details of Dexter: Original Sin have been revealed. The show is set 15 years before the original and will follow the title character as he transitions from a student into a hardened serial killer. The series will see Dexter take an internship with the Miami-Dade Police Department, a move that will eventually begin his career in law enforcement.

The most important part of Dexter: Original Sin will involve the internal struggle within Dexter as he tries, and eventually fails, to control the murderous urges within him. Dexter's step-father, Harry, is the one who taught him "The Code", and that will likely be a large part of their relationship in the series. Likewise, Dexter's relationship with his sister Deb will also probably be an important thread, and Dexter: Original Sin could introduce new twists in the shocking tale of the Morgan family.

Dexter

Crime

Mystery

Drama

Where to Watch

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Based on the character created by author Jeff Lindsay, Showtime's Dexter follows Miami Metro Police Department's most skilled blood spatter analyst, Dexter Morgan, as he attempts to satisfy his Dark Passenger's need to kill by hunting down criminals who have escaped justice. However, using the rules his adoptive father taught him to remain undiscovered, Dexter must walk the fine line of seemingly blending into society while continuously feeding his dark urges. Dexter faces several serial killers as his facade slowly crumbles around him; with every problem solved by his Dark Passenger, another one arises for his suburban fatherly life. When Dexter takes things personally or feels that the law is failing, he takes matters into his own hands and even compromises the investigations of his co-workers. Dexter aired on Showtime for eight seasons before receiving a mini-sequel series called Dexter: New Blood, which picked up ten years after the show's events. You can buy each season for just $9.99 for Prime Day.

Cast

David Zayas , Michael C. Hall , Lauren Velez , C. S. Lee , James Remar , Jennifer Carpenter , Desmond Harrington , Julie Benz

Release Date

October 31, 2010

Seasons

8

Network

Showtime , CBS

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Amazon Prime Video

Writers

Jeff Lindsay , Scott Buck , Scott Reynolds , Tim Schlattmann , Karen Campbell , Melissa Rosenberg , Kevin Maynard , Wendy West , Manny Coto , Daniel Cerone , Jace Richdale , Drew Z. Greenberg , Chip Johannessen , Adam Fierro , Jim Leonard

Directors

Clyde Phillips

Showrunner

Clyde Phillips