Outlander exec talks season 8 return for two popular characters: “It just felt fitting”

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Fans of Outlander were thrilled to learn that Lauren Lyle and César Domboy will be back for season 8.

Everyone is familiar with the main characters, Jamie and Claire, but fans also love Fergus and Marsali. Now, these popular characters are returning to the show.

During a set visit, Outlander executive producer Maril Davis explained to TopMob and other media that both actors chose not to appear in season 7 because they had other projects they wanted to pursue.

We had a plan for the story, but Outlander has always presented challenges due to its large cast of characters.

Lyle continues to lead the ITV crime series Karen Pirie, following previous roles in The Ridge, Toxic Town, and The Bombing of Pan Am 103. Meanwhile, Domboy has appeared in SAS: Rogue Heroes and the Prime Video series Culte.

When asked about whether Jamie, Claire, Roger, and Brianna would be back for season 8, Davis explained that while those four characters are central to the show, they have many others and limited episodes. This makes it difficult to give everyone enough screen time.

Lauren and César were actors who hoped to have roles that lasted beyond just a few episodes.

Last season, we let some characters go because we didn’t have enough story for them. For our final season, we really wanted to reunite the core group.

Davis explained that they had a compelling story to tell for the final season, and it felt right to bring back the surviving original characters. He acknowledged that many characters had died throughout the series.

I’m so excited for season 8 of Outlander! It looks like Jamie and Claire are coming home to Fraser’s Ridge, but things aren’t as peaceful as they’d hoped. The war has followed them, even to their little settlement, which has actually grown a lot while they were away. It’s amazing to think about how much Fraser’s Ridge has flourished!

After years apart and with new faces appearing, the Frasers must decide how much they’re willing to give up for their home – and, even more crucially, how much they’d sacrifice to remain a family.

Despite appearing strong and united when facing outsiders, the Fraser family is now being threatened by secrets revealed from within. Though they escaped the Revolutionary War, their struggles are far from over as they begin to build a life at Fraser’s Ridge.

Sam Heughan, Caitríona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, and Richard Rankin will all return as the main characters for season 8. Joining them will be familiar faces like John Bell (Young Ian), David Berry (Lord John Grey), Charles Vandervaart (William Ransom), Izzy Meikle-Small (Rachel Hunter), Joey Phillips (Denzell Hunter), and the actors who play Marsali and Fergus.

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Season 8 of Outlander will premiere on MGM+ in the UK on Saturday, March 7, 2026, and on Starz in the US the day before, on Friday, March 6. The books by author Diana Gabaldon are available for purchase on Amazon.

Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

As someone who lives and breathes TV and movies, I’ve been following Morgan Cormack’s work at TopMob for a while now. She’s their Drama Writer, which basically means she’s all over everything happening in the world of television dramas and streaming series. Before TopMob, she was writing about entertainment at Stylist, and she’s also got a background in content marketing and freelancing. Plus, she studied English Literature, so she clearly knows a thing or two about storytelling – which makes perfect sense considering what she does!

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2026-03-06 13:46