‘For All Mankind’ Season 5 Feels More Like ‘The Expanse’ Than Ever

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When For All Mankind first came out on Apple TV+ in 2019, it seemed very different from The Expanse. While both were science fiction shows set in space, that’s where the similarities ended. But as For All Mankind has developed, many fans have started to see it as a kind of backstory to The Expanse. The new trailer for Season 5 strongly suggests that the two shows could actually take place in the same universe.

The science fiction series The Expanse originally aired on Syfy before moving to Prime Video, running for six seasons between 2015 and 2022. This meant there was a time when both The Expanse and For All Mankind were in production simultaneously. However, because they were made by different companies, the two shows don’t share a connected storyline, and likely never will. As of 2026, that remains the case. Interestingly, even though For All Mankind continues to be made and doesn’t appear to be ending soon, it’s also unexpectedly helping to keep interest in The Expanse alive.

Why ‘For All Mankind’ Season 5’s Trailer Feels So Much Like a Prequel To ‘The Expanse’

Much of what makes The Expanse’s world so rich is the conflict between Earth and Mars. While Mars has become independent by the time the show takes place, The Expanse reveals the struggles and violence it took to establish the Martian Congressional Republic. The trailer for For All Mankind Season 5 shows a remarkably similar situation unfolding between Earth and Mars – almost exactly like the history we see in The Expanse, centuries earlier. There’s even a quick glimpse of a uniform that looks like it’s from the Martian Congressional Republic.

The tension between Earth and Mars has been building in For All Mankind, particularly in Season 4. While people on Earth have always seen the Mars colony as a temporary project, those living on Mars now consider it their permanent home and the key to humanity’s future expansion. By Season 5, Mars is nearly self-sufficient, though still somewhat dependent on Earth. This is causing frustration on Earth, as significant resources have been directed towards the Martian colony while Earth itself faces challenges. The parallels to the fictional history in The Expanse are striking.

‘For All Mankind’ Will Only Feel More Like ‘The Expanse’ as It Continues


Syfy/Prime Video

I’m really enjoying the latest season of For All Mankind! It jumps ahead to 2012, which is still quite a bit before the main events of the show really kick off. What’s interesting is how the show explains the advanced technology. Remember how the Soviets beat the US to the moon? That created a continuing space race, and it’s allowed the show to fast-forward tech development in a believable way. Honestly, the 2012 tech in the show is way more advanced than what we actually had back then, but it totally works given the show’s alternate history!

Ronald D. Moore, the creator of For All Mankind, has said he envisions the show lasting seven seasons. Given that each season ends with a roughly ten-year time jump, the final season could be set in the 2030s. At that point, the show’s direction and themes might become very similar to those of The Expanse, essentially making the two series feel like companion pieces. While both shows aim for realism despite being science fiction, For All Mankind can only deviate so much from the established groundwork of The Expanse. However, there’s still potential for the two shows to become increasingly aligned in their storytelling.

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2026-02-27 02:02