It took a long road for the Perry Mason reboot to arrive on HBO, and former Marvel superstar Robert Downey Jr. has been involved with the project for years. Back in 2011, news of Downey reviving Perry Mason made headlines, and the show debuted nearly a decade later. Now, even more good news! Perry Mason has been renewed for Season 2!
Robert Downey Jr. is an executive producer on the HBO series after initially planning to star as the title character. The Americans’ Matthew Rhys now has that honor, and he will continue to have it. Downey celebrated the news that Perry Mason was renewed for Season 2 on Twitter with the following message:
Someone cleverly worked in Perry Mason’s thematic elements for the celebratory tweet. (I love it!) Robert Downey Jr. seems pleased by the news that the HBO series will be sticking around for Season 2. After all, Downey did share that new look at the show back in April. Perry Mason debuted on June 21.
A month after its premiere, Perry Mason is getting the green-light to keep investigating. The dark take on the classic series is winning viewers over. The original Perry Mason aired from 1957 to 1966 with nine seasons under its belt, so there are quite a few more seasons for the reboot to go before breaking that record. Raymond Burr played the title role on the predecessor series, making Mason an icon.
In the end, it was not in the cards for Robert Downey Jr. to take over the reins despite years of build-up. Matthew Rhys explained why he wanted to join the reboot, and one of the upsides he pointed to was solving a single case over one season. Will Season 2 follow suit? It has been a winning formula, so why not?
Robert Downey Jr. has to be pleased that Perry Mason’s first outing has been such a success. Downey has been circling the project ever since 2011, and nearly a decade later, the one-time movie project is on television, enrapturing viewers with its season-long mystery. The reboot is set in Los Angeles circa 1932, following Mason as he handles a high-stakes kidnapping trial.
While many may be wondering what might have been if Robert Downey Jr. took on the title role, Matthew Rhys is an Emmy-winning talent doing the part justice. Rhys is a television veteran who first blew me away on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters as Kevin Walker.
As for Robert Downey Jr. on TV, news broke last year that he would be reprising his role as Iron Man for Disney+’s What If…? series. The catch there is that you will only hear from Downey, as the show is animated. In the meantime, you can enjoy seeing Downey’s name in the credits for Perry Mason in Season 2.
New episodes of Perry Mason air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. While you anticipate Season 2’s arrival, check out this fall’s premieres.
