What happened to Richard Armitage's Dr Matthew Nolan in Red Eye?

Red Eye is back for a second season on ITV1 and ITVX, but fans of the hit thriller will notice one major absence from the cast.

Richard Armitage co-led the first instalment, starring as medical doctor and alleged murderer Matthew Nolan, who was extradited to China with detective Hana Li (Jing Lusi) as his police chaperone.

A large portion of those initial six episodes was devoted to uncovering whether Matthew was innocent or guilty, with a conclusive answer being revealed in time for the season finale.

Perhaps that's why Red Eye creator Peter A Dowling felt the character didn't need to be brought back for this sequel, but his absence is sure to be disappointing to fans of the Missing You and Fool Me Once star.

If this major cast change has left you confused, here's a refresher on where we left Matthew Nolan at the end of Red Eye season 1 (spoiler alert), and some theories on why Armitage's character wasn't brought back for season 2.

What happened to Richard Armitage's Dr Matthew Nolan in Red Eye?

Dr Matthew Nolan narrowly escaped Red Eye season 1 with his life – he was last seen in hospital, recovering from a gunshot wound, with one-time police escort Hana Li by his bedside.

The relationship between the two of them was highly contentious to start with as Matthew had been accused of murdering a Chinese woman whilst attending a medical conference in Beijing.

Hana regarded Matthew with great suspicion over the charge, but as passengers on the extradition flight from London to China began being picked off, it became apparent that there was more to this case than meets the eye.

The truth was that the good doctor had become a pawn of both British and American intelligence.

To the Brits, he was unwittingly used as a courier for intel on Chinese medical technology, but he was framed by the Americans, as collateral damage in a plan to weaken ties between the UK and China, on the eve of a landmark nuclear deal.

The conspiracy was exposed, with disgraced CIA agent Mike Maxwell (Mido Hamada) going down for his involvement, but not before landing a near-fatal shot on Nolan.

When he awoke in hospital, the doctor asked Hana if she would go on a date with him – having endured quite an ordeal of a 'meet-cute' – but turns to find that she has fallen asleep. Opting not to disturb her, he simply lets her rest.

Given this ending, which hinted at more ground to cover in Hana and Matthew's relationship, it's somewhat surprising that the latter makes no appearance in Red Eye season 2.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the time of the show's debut, Armitage even suggested a path forward for his character should the espionage thriller be recommissioned.

"Matthew, in season 1, is very much the prisoner and is trying to prove his innocence," he said. "I would like to see him utilised, perhaps by the British government; activated by the British government because of where he's been and what he knows."

Why isn't Richard Armitage in Red Eye season 2?

No official reason has been given for Richard Armitage's absence in Red Eye season 2, so it may well simply have been the wish of creator Peter A Dowling to go in a different direction with the show.

The screenwriter has enlisted Line of Duty icon Martin Compston to co-star opposite Lusi in the latest episodes, playing a figure from her past who becomes a key player in the next unfolding crisis.

It will be interesting to see whether the cast is switched up once again in the event that Red Eye is renewed for a third season (note: there's no official verdict on that just yet). If so, Armitage's exit would make more sense in hindsight.

If Matthew's last-minute suggestion that he and Hana should date seemed random – which it did, in this viewer's opinion – we can rest assured that there won't be a forced romance plot between herself and Compston's character, Clay Brody.

During an appearance on ITV's This Morning to promote Red Eye season 2, Lusi said it was "refreshing" to read a male-female relationship on screen that wasn't destined to end in a smooch.

"Actually, we can just be platonic and we can just be professional, so that was great," she summed up.

At the time of writing, Red Eye is yet to clarify precisely what became of Dr Matthew Nolan, but for now, we'd assume he has returned to his important day job and drawn a line under his stressful run-in with the intelligence community.

Red Eye season 2 premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on New Year's Day 2026.

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