Jennifer Carpenter Addressed Her Possible Return For Dexter: Resurrection, And I Have A Fun Idea For What Could Happen

Spoilers for anyone who isn’t caught up with the current goings-on in the Dexter franchise, which is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.

Showtime’s Dexter-verse has given a signature tweak to a classic idiom by proving you can teach an old dog old tricks in new and unexpected ways. The Original Sin prequel nearly broke my brain by re-introducing arguably Dexter’s best villain, Brian Moser, to 2025 television, which followed New Blood’s finale seemingly killing Michael C. Hall’s character off after bringing Jennifer Carpenter back as the angel counterpart to Dexter’s Dark Passenger. It’s been a lot.

More is on the way in the form of Dexter: Resurrection, the next chapter of the saga that was surprisingly set up by Original Sin’s premiere. While we know of a trio of returning stars — David Zayas, James Remar, and Jack Alcott — fans are no doubt curious to learn whether or not Carpenter has plans on reuniting with her former TV fam after her current journey with the Dutton clan on Taylor Sheridan’s 1923. When asked by People about reprising Debra Morgan, the actress said:

Such a response may sound disappointing upon first glance, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a downer. I have a fun idea for how Jennifer Carpenter could return in a way that would presumably be more meaningful than seeing more of Dexter's subconscious personified as Debra.

Jennifer Carpenter Should Play Dexter: Resurrection's Antagonist

I think we can all agree that creator Clyde Phillips is totally down with giving viewers as many big jolts as possible, especially when it comes to seeing familiar faces returning. (Or in the case of Original Sin, non-familiar faces that look exactly like the previous cast.) And with Brian Moser's return throwing all expectations into the wind, why not bring Jennifer Carpenter back as a fully breathing character that has nothing to do with Debra Morgan?

Rather than continuing to explore Dexter's widlly complicated relationship with his dead sibling, I would love to see Carpenter and Michael C. Hall develop a dynamic that's different from anything we've seen before, even during those wild complications. We've seen Dexter at odds with both loved ones and strangers before, but what about a stranger that looks exactly like a loved one?

Really, though, I wouldn't even want the show to address the idea that Debra would resemble any new characters that Carpenter might play. I"m fine with all the other meta nods, but for this hypothetical situation, I just want to see Carpenter playing Debra's complete opposite, and to see how that might thwart the killer-killing vigilante.

Unfortunately, we'll likely be waiting a while to hear any updates about Dexter: Resurrection until filming is nearing completion, so fans will have to check out Jennifer Carpenter on 1923, which drops new episodes every Sunday on Paramount+.