Why Damian Lewis Is Back In Billions Season 7 & How Many Episodes He's In

After taking a sabbatical from Billions, Damian Lewis is set to return as the snarky hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod in the show's last run.

Summary

• Damian Lewis' return to Billions for its final season is a necessary and poetic move, as he has been a fan-favorite character since the beginning and his absence was felt by audiences.
• Lewis' return will wrap up Bobby Axelrod's narrative and provide clarity on his whereabouts since season 5. It will also add more twists to the drama and increase the stakes for the other characters.
• Lewis will appear in six of 12 episodes in season 7, indicating that other cast members will have prominent roles. Vengeance seems to be the driving force behind Bobby's return.

Band of Brothers and Homeland star Damian Lewis exited the Showtime dramaBillions right after the fifth season. A main cast member for the first five outings, Lewis starred as Robert “Bobby” Axelrod, an overzealous billionaire and hedge fund manager who draws the ire of Paul Giammati’s U.S. Attorney Charles “Chuck” Rhoades. While the central conflict between these two characters anchored the narrative of Billions, Lewis’ sudden departure led to a change of plans for season 6. With Bobby Axelrod written off with a long vacation to Switzerland, the series had Corey Stoll’s business magnate Michael Prince take center stage.

Now with Billions ending its seven-season run in late 2023, Showtime announced in early February that Damian Lewis will be returning one last time as Bobby Axelrod. As for why Lewis left Billions after season 5, the actor revealed that his departure was on his mind for a few years before he finally took the step. The untimely death of his wife and Peaky Blinders actress Helen McCrory in 2021 also influenced his decision, as he decided to spend more time with his family in England. However, the Emmy-winner is finally back as Bobby, as is evident from the official trailer for Billions’ final season.

Damian Lewis Needed To Return For Billions' Final Season

As a fan-favorite character from the very first season, Lewis’ return to Billions is poetic and necessary to bring the show full circle. Along with Giamatti, Lewis has been the face of the show from its premiere to the season 5 finale, appearing in a total of 60 episodes. Even if other stars like Corey Stoll and Asia Kate Dillion continued playing some of the most delightfully toxic characters in Billions, Lewis’ absence was felt by audiences. Now, with him back to deliver Bobby’s sly charm, the final season is serving up some good fan service.

Lewis' return in Billions also wraps up the narrative, as sealing Bobby’s fate with a detour to Switzerland just wouldn’t do justice to his long-running feud with Chuck. The final season needs to offer clarity on the disgraced hedge fund manager’s whereabouts since season 5, as well as his strategies for regaining his business stronghold in New York. Season 6 increases the stakes for a disgraced Chuck, who is ousted from his public position as Michael devises his own plans to run for President. With so much happening, Bobby’s return will only add more twists to the drama.

Damian Lewis Will Be In 6 Episodes Of Billions Season 7

Lewis is supposed to appear in 6 out of 12 episodes of Billions season 7. With Lewis in only half of the final season, it is highly likely that other cast members like Giamatti, Stoll, Dillon, and David Costabile will feature prominently in the last outing. The trailer also reveals how Costabile and Dillon’s characters meet Lewis’ Bobby Axelrod at a lavish mansion, preparing for his return to New York. While the trailer doesn't tease Bobby’s long-awaited rendezvous with Chuck, there are high chances for a memorable verbal exchange between the two in one of the 6 episodes.

How Will Bobby Axelrod's Billions Season 7 Story End?

Vengeance seems to be the driving force behind Bobby’s return in Billions season 7. A lot has happened since Bobby left for Switzerland in the season 5 finale. As he finds refuge from extradition for his financial crimes, business magnate Michael Prince gets the opportunity to rise in power and take over Axe Capital in Billions season 6. Billions has always been a power struggle between Chuck and Bobby. But with Michael in the middle, the clash only intensifies further, to the point that Bobby’s business interests get jeopardized. The otherwise-confident Bobby even seems to have accepted defeat when he tells Michael, “So this is what it's like to lose.”

Matters grow worse for Bobby, with Michael rechristening Axe Capital as Michael Prince Capital. No longer the dominant alpha in the scenario, Bobby was bound to seek his revenge sooner or later. With the Billions season 7 trailer delving into Michael’s political rise, it’s clear that Bobby is back to outsmart his long-term legal nemesis Chuck and regain the empire that Michael snatched from him in season 5. If he doesn’t face another downfall this time, Bobby’s arc can either find him joining hands with Chuck to smear Michael’s presidential campaign or taking both of his enemies down once and for all.