Why Is “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” Ending? Inside the Decision to Conclude the Series After 5 Seasons

Samantha StutsmanSat, August 8, 2026 at 10:30 AM UTC

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Hailey Kilgore and London Brown in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’Credit: Starz -

Power Book III: Raising Kanan’s fifth and final season wrapped on Aug. 7

Showrunner Sascha Penn always intended for the series to run for five seasons

Its spinoff, Power: Origins, is in the works

After five seasons, Power Book III: Raising Kanan has come to an end.

The Starz series is a prequel to the original Power, exploring the early life of Kanan Stark, the drug dealer first played by 50 Cent in the original crime drama. Set in Queens, N.Y., in the 1990s, the series follows teenage Kanan (Mekai Curtis) as he is drawn into the criminal empire run by his mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller).

The Power Book III: Raising Kanan series finale aired on Aug. 7, concluding the story that creator and showrunner Sascha Penn has said he envisioned from the beginning. Miller also told Tucson.com in June 2026 that she feels fulfilled by where the series leaves Raq after five seasons.

“I fully got to live in my character and be powerful but also show extreme vulnerability. That was important for me,” she told the outlet. “We’ve gotten to do everything, and you can’t say that all the time about the projects you work on. Everything I wanted to do, I got to do on this show.”

Here’s everything to know about why Power Book III: Raising Kanan is ending — and what fans can expect from the upcoming spinoff.

Warning: Power Book III: Raising Kanan spoilers ahead!

Why is Power Book III: Raising Kanan ending?

Wendell Pierce and Erika Woods in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’Credit: Starz

Fans have known for over a year that Kanan’s story on Raising Kanan was heading toward its conclusion. In May 2025, Starz confirmed that the show’s fifth season would be its last, bringing Penn’s original vision for the series to fruition.

“It was always my intention that Raising Kanan would run for five seasons, and thanks to my friends and partners at Starz and Lionsgate, as well as the incredible cast, crew and writing staff, I’ve been able to tell the entirety of the story I set out to tell way back in 2019,” he said, per Deadline.

At the time, Penn also teased that the final season would raise the stakes for Kanan and his family.

“With the table we’ve set in this season finale, there is still an exceptionally intense and action-packed season left for the viewers to experience, and I assure you that the stakes for Kanan and the entire Thomas family have never been higher,” he added.

What has the cast of Power Book III: Raising Kanan said about the series ending?

Patina Miller and Mekai Curtis in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’Credit: Starz

Many cast members have reflected on the past five seasons of working on Raising Kanan.

Curtis, who has played Kanan since the series premiered in 2021, told ABC Audio in June 2026 that he feels “extremely blessed” to have had the opportunity to develop one character over such a long period of time.

“This is something that every actor dreams of ... to have a role that has not just layers on screen, but off the screen as well,” he added.

While speaking to Athleisure Mag in July 2026, Miller said she feels “very happy” with her five-season run as Raq.

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She also described the series finale as “a wonderful ending to a really great chapter in this series.”

Filming the finale, however, was particularly emotional for Miller. In August 2026, the actress told TV Insider that she was grieving the death of her brother while simultaneously saying goodbye to a character and cast that had been a major part of her life for years.

“It was very hard,” Miller shared. “It was very intense, and so that day for me was just hard and heavy, but there was something that was beautiful about being so supported behind the scenes so that you could do that work.”

London Brown, who played Raq’s brother Marvin, also spoke with Athleisure Mag and described being on Raising Kanan as an “actor’s gym session,” explaining that the role challenged him to explore parts of his craft he hadn’t tapped into before.

After Marvin was killed by Kanan in season 5’s penultimate episode, Brown told PEOPLE that he was surprised by his character’s fate but grateful to have made it nearly to the end of the series.

Still, there was one thing he thinks about doing differently in Marvin’s final moments.

“If I had to do another take, I wanted to flip Kanan off right on my last breath. I would’ve done that,” Brown said.

Will there be a Power Book III: Raising Kanan spinoff?

Mekai Curtis and Joey Bada$$ in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’Credit: Starz

Yes. Although Raising Kanan has ended, Kanan’s story will continue in the upcoming spinoff Power: Origins.

Starz officially ordered the series in July 2025, with Curtis set to reprise his role as Kanan, per Variety.

Power: Origins will shift the focus to the early lives of James “Ghost” St. Patrick and Tommy Egan, exploring how the pair rose through New York’s drug world alongside Kanan.

Spence Moore II will play the younger Ghost, while Charlie Mann will portray Tommy. The first season received an 18-episode order, and production began in late 2025, according to Variety.

The Raising Kanan finale directly sets up the new series by introducing young Ghost and Tommy to Kanan, creating a bridge between the two shows. The transition is especially seamless behind the scenes: Raising Kanan creator Penn will also serve as showrunner of Origins.

In July 2026, Starz released the first official teaser for the upcoming series, giving fans their first look at Moore, Mann and Curtis together in Origins. However, an official premiere date has not been announced.

How can I watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan?

Leslie Grossman in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’Credit: Starz

All five seasons of Power Book III: Raising Kanan are available to stream on Starz.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”