The After franchise has always centered on Hardin and Tessa, but one supporting character quietly held the emotional glue together for years: Landon Gibson, portrayed by Shane Paul McGhie. Calm, loyal, and often stuck between chaos and conscience, Landon became a fan favorite not because he was loud — but because he was constant.
That’s why news surrounding After Everything and the next chapter of the franchise has hit fans unexpectedly hard:
Shane Paul McGhie will not be returning in the new season.
For longtime viewers, this feels like the end of an era.
Landon was never the headline character, yet he consistently left an imprint on the story. He was the voice of reason when Hardin spiraled, the quiet support system when emotions ran too high, and the one character who felt genuinely grounded in reality. Over time, McGhie’s understated performance became essential to the franchise’s emotional balance.
His exit isn’t being framed as dramatic or explosive — which somehow makes it worse.
There’s no major on-screen farewell, no definitive closure to Landon’s arc. Instead, After Everything appears to move forward without him, creating a noticeable emotional vacuum in a story already defined by instability and heartbreak.
But the real shock comes with what happens next.
Rather than writing Landon out completely, the franchise is reportedly recasting the role, and the replacement is a bold — almost risky — choice. The new actor is said to bring a sharper, more confrontational energy to the character, signaling a deliberate shift away from the gentle, stabilizing presence fans associated with McGhie’s Landon.
In other words, this isn’t just a casting change.
It’s a character transformation.
Where Shane Paul McGhie’s Landon absorbed conflict and diffused tension, the new interpretation leans into friction. That creative decision suggests the After universe is no longer interested in emotional safety nets — even if that means alienating fans who grew attached to the original performance.
Online reactions have been split. Some viewers argue Landon should have been left untouched rather than replaced. Others believe the franchise needs to evolve and that recasting gives the character a second life instead of a quiet disappearance.
Still, one truth remains undeniable: Shane Paul McGhie’s absence will be felt.
Because After Everything isn’t just losing a supporting actor — it’s losing the calm in the storm. And as the franchise moves forward into its next phase, fans are left wondering whether replacing Landon changes the story…
Or fundamentally breaks something it can’t get back.
