Spoilers for The Madness lie ahead, so read on at your own discretion.
At this point, a number of avid viewers may be looking towards what lies ahead on the 2025 TV schedule, though there are still some sweet entries from this year’s lineup to chat about. Netflix’s The Madness is one of them, and it would seem that the Colman Domingo-fronted limited series is really striking a chord with audiences. Given that, one has to wonder whether this could become an ongoing show. Domingo recently revealed to CinemaBlend that he’d love to make more seasons, and I dig his reason for wanting to do so.
The drama series centers around the character of Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo) a CNN pundit who’s framed for murder of a white supremacy leader after a trip to the Poconos. Daniels later learns that he’s been set up and seeks to prove his name and, while attempting to do that, he becomes wrapped up in a conspiracy involving a mega-corporation called Revitalize. By the end of the eight-episode season, Muncie manages to avoid death, clear his name and seemingly restore his relationships with his kids and estranged wife.
What’s more is that Muncie also decides to check out of his personal “madness” by quitting his job as a media pundit and becoming a teacher. Daniels does indeed seem to achieve his happy ending, though there could be more to the story. I spoke to Mr. Domingo ahead of the show’s premiere and asked whether he’d be open to reprising his role as Muncie. Needless to say, the Sing Sing actor’s answer was quite clear:
Listen, I told my entire team, my showrunners, I believe I've told Netflix. I told my co stars. It's the show that — I come from the theater. I like doing limited runs of things, because I like to move on and discover something new. But I felt like I could discover even more with Muncie. I can go on and on. I actually thought, really, I could do a Season 2 of this.
As of this writing, a second season has not been announced. Yet I’d say that the chances of renewal are solid, as The Madness spent a little over a week as the No. 1 streaming TV show in the U.S. amongst Netflix subscription holders. And, even now, it sits in second (only behind new highly-rated original Black Doves). So there’s certainly a chance that the powers that be will give Season 2 the green light. What’s also exciting is that the Euphoria star name-dropped a famous fictional character when making his case:
He sort of, I think, in my mind — it's funny, he's sort of like my James Bond, you know? I think he's got skills that he didn't even know he had, you know, but he's willing and willing to be wiley and speak to different people. And because of his work, being a pundit and also being a college professor, he knows people. He knows how to try to figure out what they need, what they want. And so I think that he can be a force of good, fighting for good in our world. So I think he's a modern-day superhero.
I like his thinking here, as he seems to be conveying that Muncie is a character that can be dropped into a number of conspiracy-related circumstances. Those who’ve seen the James Bond movies likely know 007 has had a vast array of self-contained adventures throughout his illustrious cinematic history. Some may wonder if Daniels’ further exploits could be as thrilling as Bond’s, but let’s remember that Muncie did leap off a cliff to escape death and took part in that swamp fight. As for story ideas, Colman Domingo told me this:
And I even sort of like, you know, soft pitched an idea how it could continue, because [Muncie had to figure some things out. He and his family, and they form a new bond by the end of the series, and a lot of things go down. But I feel like now that he has these attributes, and he knows what's possible and what he can, you know, advocate for in the world and use his mind, body and soul for, I feel like that's limitless. I feel like we could take him somewhere else and get caught up in another situation.
Like with the conspiracy thrillers that inspired Colman Domingo, The Madness truly put Muncie Daniels through the wringer, and there are certainly ways to continue his story. There were, after all, a few loose plot threads, like the continued rise of Revitalize and that member of white supremacist group The Forge, who evaded capture when the police busted his sector of the group. I, for one, am curious to see what lies ahead for this show.
You can stream The Madness now alongside the best shows on Netflix. Also, be on the lookout for any news regarding a second-season renewal.
