Taylor Kitsch Leaving 'Friday Night Lights'

Women will be weeping on the streets of Dillon tonight. 'Friday Night Lights' is set to lose another member of its original cast as hunky Taylor Kitsch will not be returning as a series regular next season, TV Guide confirms.

Kitsch, who plays resident bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold Tim Riggins, will be departing the series to focus on his upcoming big screen parts, most notably the titular role in upcoming sci-fi remake 'John Carter of Mars,' according to executive producer Jason Katims.Women will be weeping on the streets of Dillon tonight. 'Friday Night Lights' is set to lose another member of its original cast as hunky Taylor Kitsch will not be returning as a series regular next season, TV Guide confirms.

Kitsch, who plays resident bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold Tim Riggins, will be departing the series to focus on his upcoming big screen parts, most notably the titular role in sci-fi remake 'John Carter of Mars,' according to executive producer Jason Katims.

"Because this was a big opportunity for him, we wanted to let him do that," Katims says of Kitsch's movie role, which begins shooting next month. "We'll stay in close contact with production and try to get him for as many episodes as possible."

After stealing the show as Gambit in last year's 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine,' the movie offers have been pouring in for Kitsch, who will also appear alongside Ryan Phillippe in the upcoming apartheid drama 'The Bang Bang Club,' released later this year.

'Friday Night Lights' viewers will recall that another fan favorite, Adrianne Palicki, was expected to return to the show in multiple episodes to tie up her storyline this season, but starring roles in 'Legion,' 'Red Dawn' and 'Elektra Luxx' have kept her out of Austin (where the show films) thus far. Quarterback turned pizza delivery boy Matt Saracen (Zach Gilford) has recently moved away too, following on the heels of Jason Street (Scott Porter), Smash Williams (Gaius Charles) and Lyla Garrity (Minka Kelly). Katims refuses to confirm whether the Coach's daughter, Julie Taylor (Aimee Teegarden) will return next season after she (presumably) graduates this year. Aside from Teegarden, only geeky but loveable Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemons) remains to represent the original crop of teens from the first season.

It was hoped that Kitsch might continue to be a permanent fixture of everyone's favorite football town after the season opener revealed that college was not in Tim Riggins' future, and if Katims hopes to wrangle Kitsch for as many episodes as possible, it is likely that Tim's exit won't be a definitive door-closing.

While the new season has introduced a host of new and compelling characters, we're still happy to take all the Kitsch we can get. The series completes its DirecTV run in February and will return to NBC later in the year (perhaps sooner than we think, given NBC's still-developing primetime shake-up). 'FNL' is guaranteed a fifth season under the agreement between NBC and DirecTV, which Katims expects to be the show's last.


Do you think it's time for Taylor to move on, or would you prefer to keep Tim Riggins in Dillon to the end? Share your thoughts below!