The next chapter inThe Expanseis officially on the way, following the final season of the TV show withThe Expanse: A Little Death, to put Amos Burton in the spotlight of his very own series. And by entrusting this sequel to the actor who brought him to life on screen, Wes Chatham will get the chance to investigate Amos in the way he deserves, having spent years analyzing the hero even more than the franchise’s own fans.
The new comic book series from BOOM! Studios follows therecord-breaking sequelThe Expanse: Dragon Tooth, which set a high bar for fans of the novels and TV series. While writer Andy Diggle and artist Francesco Pisa are returning forA Little Death, the addition of Chatham as co-writer carries far more significance than most will realize. Chatham’s return isn’t just a treat for audiences, but a chance for the actor to turn his years of research into the character into its own original chapter ofExpansecanon. And one only he can tell.
The New EXPANSE Sequel Aims At The Heart of Amos Burton’s Character
The Origins of Amos Burton Are One of The Expanse’s Most Important Stories
Details on the official plot or story ofA Little Deathare still slim, with the published blurb teasing"a high stakes conspiracy when an old acquaintance of Amos Burton’s comes to him for aid,“leaving fans to draw their own conclusions and theories. The most likely explanation involves the residents of Baltimore, where Amos lived the most brutal years of his life. So it follows for Diggle to point to an iconic action movie when describing Chatham’s approach (via hisTy & That Guypodcast):
“‘Man on Fire’ is something you keep coming back to, I’ve noticed. In terms of the tone and the vibe. That’s what I’m really responding to: a sort of dark, noir, hardcore crime thriller… It’s not exactly a revenge thriller, but it has that kind of vibe to it. A noir revenge thriller.Just letting Amos go full Amos, I describe it as ‘Churn Mode.'”
It’s important for audiences to recognize the meaning behind Amos entering ‘Churn Mode,’ since a ‘take no prisoners, unstoppable force of nature’ is practically Amos Burton’s default approach to any deadly mission. But Diggle is referring to"The Churn,” a novella by authors James S.A. Coreydetailing the origins, upbringing, and price demanded of Amos to survive and escape his hometown. Which also happens to bethe most importantExpansestory to Chatham’s portrayal of Amos Burton, above all others.
On its surface, an actor who has come to love and appreciate the source material lending their voice to a new chapter is a rare thing. But as Chatham explains during a Q&A episode of hisTy & That Guypodcast, his portrayal of Amos goes much, much deeper. Not only was Amos the book character he hoped to play,but “The Churn” novella became Chatham’s guiding light while filming the TV series. A key to the character he now gets to expand, in ways never possible before:
“I end up reading the pilot, and had a great, special feeling about it. But the only question was, I didn’t know who they wanted to see me for. At that point reading the books, I was really fascinated by Amos, I was really drawn to that character. When I reached out to my team at the time, I said “Yes I’m excited for this, I want to go in for this. I don’t really know who they’re wanting to see me for, but I want to go in for Amos.” So I was lucky. Then when I got the job, through research I found out about “The Churn.”
“The Churn” is basically the foundation that I read every season. It connects me to where Amos came from, and what has happened to him in his past.I’ve given that book to therapists and we’ve discussed, “If this happened to somebody at this age, and this is how he’s behaving now, what’s going on?” Then they would explain it to me, and I would go read about that. So it is an endlessly fascinating character.”
Chatham’s Research Into Amos Finally Becomes Its Own EXPANSE Story
Nobody Knows Amos Better, Meaning Fans Everywhere Can Benefit From The Actor’s Perspective
Given the level of research and investigation Chatham describes in his pursuit of greater understanding, it makes perfect sense for Diggle to sayChatham having played the role in live-action is"entirely coincidental.“And with both Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham (co-creators ofThe Expanseunder the pen name James S.A. Corey) overseeing the project, they clearly support the decision as well. As Abraham previously toldLooper,Chatham’s unique insight into Amos is what landed him the part in the first place:
“Amos is a really easy character to misunderstand. He, especially in the first season, looks like the generic tough guy. And we had a bunch of people who auditioned for it who were playing generic tough guy.Wes had actually read the novella that has Amos’ backstory, and loved the character, and understood the character coming in.Everybody else was coming in and looking gruff and mean and looking for a fight. Wes was just coming in and going, “Yep. Ejecting you too.” It was perfect.”
There was never any doubt thatExpansefans would celebrate a cast member of the TV show returning to help shape their character’s next story, and the fan-favorite Amos chief among the options. But the opportunity being taken by Chatham is something else entirely, likely to dig into the trauma, the survival, and the damage that make Amos the most complicatedExpansecharacter, as well as beloved. It’s sensitive material, but clearly entrusted to the right storyteller.
The Expanse: A Little Death#1will arrive in 2026 from BOOM! Studios.
