US EditionOscar-Winner Mahershala Ali Joins 'Task' for Season 2
Mahershala Ali joins as DEA agent Eddie Barnes, creating a complex dynamic with Mark Ruffalo's character in Philadelphia during the second season of HBO's acclaimed crime drama Task.
- On Monday, March 23, Deadline reported that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali has joined HBO's Task Season 2, starring alongside returning lead Mark Ruffalo as Agent Tom Brandis.
- Following the first season's success, producers sought a familiar face for the new season after Tom Pelphrey's character concluded, ultimately casting Ali to portray a rival DEA agent on the same side of the law.
- Ali will play Eddie Barnes, a respected DEA agent in Philadelphia whose team comes into conflict with Brandis's unit, complicating the operation as the target becomes increasingly unclear per the show's logline.
- Reuniting with HBO seven years after starring in the third season of True Detective, the two-time Academy Award winner joins the drama from creator Brad Ingelsby, who also helmed Mare of Easttown.
- Currently in pre-production, the second season follows the debut's 96% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, positioning Task as one of HBO's top three fastest-growing debut seasons.
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It is still in the pre-production phase, but just as it has happened recently with the follow-up of other successful projects such as The Secret of the Attendee, the second season of the Task series has already signed up to a new and blatant star: Mahershala Ali. Premiered in September 2025, the first round of episodes of fiction created by Brad Ingelsby was a resounding audience triumph on HBO Max.
Mahershala Ali Joins 'Task' Season 2 In Major Role Opposite Mark Ruffalo
Season 2’s cast for HBO’s Task is starting to take shape, with Mahershala Ali being tapped for a major role opposite returning series lead Mark Ruffalo. Right now, Ruffalo is the only confirmed returning cast member after several deaths in Season 1. While Task was never confirmed to be a limited series, it got a renewal for Season 2, opening up new possibilities. Who will Mahershala Ali play in ‘Task’? Per Variety, the logline for Season 2 is as…
Mahershala Ali Boards 'Task' Season 2
Mahershala Ali has boarded “Task” Season 2. Ali will star in the second installment of the HBO drama series, which was renewed in November and is currently in pre-production. He’ll join Mark Ruffalo, who starred in Season 1 as Tom Brandis, a former priest turned FBI agent. Ali will star as Eddie Barnes, a seasoned and well-respected DEA agent in Philadelphia whose team comes into conflict with Tom’s unit, per the official character description. …
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