Every For All Mankind Character Recast for the Star City Spinoff (Including a Major History Change)

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I was so excited when Apple TV+ launched in 2019, and they really came out swinging with original shows! Of course, everyone knows The Morning Show, which has already won Emmys and is coming back for a fifth season soon. But they didn’t stop there – we also got See, a cool sci-fi series, the funny period piece Dickinson, and even Snoopy in Space! For me, though, For All Mankind is the show that really made Apple TV+ special. It’s this amazing alternate-history sci-fi drama that imagines a world where the space race never ended, and it’s completely captivating – it’s like getting a glimpse into a totally different past.

The fifth season of For All Mankind just finished airing, and while a sixth and final season is planned, the biggest news for fans is the debut of its spin-off, Star City. The first two episodes of Star City premiered alongside the season finale, offering a look at the Russian space program during the same Cold War era as the original For All Mankind. While the series features a new cast, some characters will be recognizable to longtime fans. Please be aware that the following contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Star City.

5) Irina Morozova

Irina Morozova is a notably cold and formidable character in For All Mankind, portrayed by Svetlana Efremova as a seasoned KGB operative and the head of Roscosmos in seasons four and five. The new series, Star City, introduces a younger Irina, played by Agnes O’Casey, showing her life before she became the ruthless and manipulative figure fans know. The first episode highlights how much Irina still has to experience, presenting a version of the character far removed from the hardened woman seen in later seasons of For All Mankind. The series also unexpectedly reveals Irina has a daughter, leaving the fate of both her and the child’s father a mystery for now.

4) Anastasia Belikova

A major twist in the alternate history of For All Mankind isn’t simply that the Soviet Union reached the moon first, but that they also sent the first woman there. That pioneering cosmonaut is Anastasia Belikova, portrayed by Rita Khrabrovitsky in the original series and now by Alice Englert in Star City.

As you’d anticipate, Star City delves into the events surrounding Anastasia becoming the first woman on the moon, and also what happened to her afterward. In For All Mankind, her story feels secondary, used mainly to advance the American narrative. However, Star City shows us that Anastasia wasn’t the original choice for the mission, and the Soviets even considered replacing her with a look-alike when she tried to share her own message from the moon. The series really explores Anastasia’s complex character, and Alice Englert is doing a fantastic job portraying this woman suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

3) Sergei Nikulov

Viewers of For All Mankind quickly connected with Sergei Nikulov when he appeared in Season 2, thanks to Piotr Adamczyk’s portrayal of his gentle nature, scientific talent, and sweet feelings for Margo Madison. However, the Star City storyline takes us back over a decade to a younger version of Sergei, now played by Josef Davies, set in the late 1960s. Even at this early stage in his life, it’s clear Sergei remains deeply passionate about science and space exploration, and he still finds joy in music, even if it’s banned by the government.

Josef Davies portrays Sergei as a rising talent in the Soviet Space Program. While not yet a leading figure, his intelligence has already impressed the Chief Designer.

2) Alexei Leonov

The story begins with a return to the world of Star City, and fittingly, the first scene mirrors the opening of For All Mankind, but shows things from the Soviet side. We see how Russians react to cosmonaut Alexei Leonov becoming the first person to land on the moon. While For All Mankind used an uncredited actor for Leonov’s brief appearance, Star City properly credits Sam Wilkinson for playing the role in this opening scene. It’s still unclear if Wilkinson will reprise the role, or if, like another key character Anastasia Belikova, Leonov is considered too valuable to risk in future missions.

1) The Chief Designer

A central figure in the Soviet space program and a key character in the series Star City is intentionally kept nameless. Rhys Ifans plays the Chief Designer, who leads the team at Star City and has big plans for Soviet space exploration. The show emphasizes that the Soviets believe the Chief Designer’s identity should remain a secret, so he is only ever referred to by his title in the first two episodes.

I’ve been fascinated by the rumors surrounding Rhys Ifans’ character! It seems many fans, myself included, believe he’s portraying Sergei Korolev, a hugely important figure in the Soviet space program. Interestingly, Korolev was known as the ‘Chief Designer’ – a deliberate attempt to keep his identity secret during the Cold War. In our timeline, he sadly passed away in 1966, but the show cleverly changes things! In the world of For All Mankind, Korolev lives on, and that’s a major reason why the Soviets actually reach the moon first. It’s a brilliant twist on history!

It appears very likely that actor Ioan Gruffudd (Ifans) will be playing the role of Korolev. We’ve already seen hints of this with scenes showing him dealing with health issues and having doctors attend to him. However, this also means the show is recasting the character. Korolev only appeared in two episodes of For All Mankind, originally played by Endre Hules.

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2026-05-29 23:18