The Real Reason Michael Shanks Left Stargate SG-1 For One Season

So much has changed since "Stargate SG-1" went off the air in 2007. Its ten season run, which consisted of more than 200 episodes in total, feels unthinkable in the streaming era. Perhaps that's why the show still maintains a loyal following nearly 20 years later. Audiences got to know the cast very well, with Richard Dean Anderson leading the way as Jack O'Neil, replacing Kurt Russell, who had played the character in 1994's "Stargate" film. But it was truly an ensemble piece, and Michael Shanks' Dr. Daniel Jackson was a key part of that ensemble. So, why did such a core piece of the puzzle depart the series briefly right in the middle of its run?

Shanks was one of the show's main stars alongside the aforementioned Anderson, as well as Samantha Carter's Amanda Tapping and Christopher Judge's Teal'c. However, after "Stargate SG-1" season 5, Shanks announced that he was leaving the show, with Jackson briefly (but not permanently) killed off. At this time, the show was playing on Showtime, which had few content restrictions and was doing very well.

That begs the question, why would a working actor leave something that was by all accounts a big success with a rabid fanbase? In an interview with Stargate Solutions after it was revealed that Shanks was leaving, the actor explained that he didn't see himself happy if he carried on with the show as it was:

"Although the decision to leave was mine entirely, I do mean it when I say it was with a heavy heart. We started something and built something very special and I'm not ecstatic to think that the show will be carrying on with me not part of it. But at the same time, I am a very stubborn, principled person and couldn't see myself being happy carrying on as I was. I knew that I was becoming a little more edged as time wore on and knew that whatever seeds of disenchantment were developing were going to come to fruition in a very negative way if I carried on."

In a separate, since-deleted interview with Stargate Solutions (via Screen Rant), Shanks further explained that he "had begun to think the show would work just as well without me." He also wanted his character to go in a different direction but "the writers disagreed with my point of view." So that was that, at least for a short while.

Shanks went on to work on other shows during that brief stretch, including the ill-fated 2002 revival of "The Twilight Zone." MGM's plan was to soldier on with "SG-1" without Shanks. They were going to pivot around the other characters and usher the show into its next era on the Sci-Fi Channel (before it became Syfy). What the studio didn't count on was the degree to which the show's fandom adored Dr. Daniel Jackson — and they were going to make that known.

As pointed out in a 2003 report by Salon, fans both online and in the real world made it clear they weren't happy with Jackson being killed off. Some of these fans even set up a website and took out protest ads in publications such as The Hollywood Reporter attempting to get Shanks back on the show. Even in an era before smartphones, Jackson fans were very vocal on the internet, with TWTID, meaning The Wonder That Is Daniel, appearing frequently. A fan by the name of Gen said at the time:

"When he gets excited over something, it's like it flows out of the TV screen and just grabs hold and takes me along for the ride. His passion for life is contagious."

MGM and Shanks eventually worked things out. He had a somewhat limited role in "Stargate SG-1" season 6, voicing a new character named Thor. He then made a full-fledged return in season 7, helping to see the show through to its conclusion in season 10. Shanks also reprised his role in other projects in the franchise, including "Stargate: Atlantis" the short-lived "Stargate Universe." Ultimately, it all boiled down to creative differences and Shanks wanting to explore other opportunities. It all worked out in the end.

"Stargate SG-1" is currently streaming on Prime Video, or you can buy the full series on DVD via Amazon.