High Potential has confirmed the departure of a main character following a storyline that suggested an exit due to an onscreen incident. The finale on Tuesday, April 7, depicted Wagner, played by Steve Howey, getting shot while Morgan, portrayed by Kaitlin Olson, attempted to save him. Although Wagner’s fate was left uncertain, Howey’s involvement in future seasons of Off Campus and Ransom Canyon has signaled his departure from the series.
Deadline has confirmed that the Season 2 finale was Howey’s last appearance as a series regular. His departure was anticipated as he had only signed a one-year contract. The possibility remains for Howey to return as a guest in the early episodes of Season 3 to conclude Wagner’s storyline.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly in September 2025, Howey discussed his character’s impact, stating, “Nick comes in and does ruffle some feathers. But his motives and his intentions are not to do that. He wants to help and we start seeing that in different episodes.”
Howey added that introducing a new character to a well-established dynamic was a concern, saying, “That was my fear and my concern. When you have such a lightning in the bottle strong dynamic of these characters, throwing in another character can potentially thrown that off. I’m still working on not doing that. This is going to evolve into something really cool. We don’t know about the chemistry with Nick and Morgan. Obviously there is [something]. But as he’s incrementally gaining more trust with the department, hopefully it gets better and better.”
Expressing enthusiasm for being part of the show, Howey remarked, “The first season was amazing. It is not your usual procedure. I love the insert shots and I love their style. But I have friends in real life that are police officers and are part of the sheriff’s department. So I talked to them and they definitely made fun of me because that’s what they do,” he shared with Us. He explained that his character’s background in law enforcement and politics offered him a unique challenge.
When asked about his favorite aspect of playing Nick Wagner, Howey humorously mentioned, “The badge. I was like, ‘Does he get a badge?’ So I’m walking around like a little boy that has a new fireman’s hat on. I have the badge on my hip and I am flipping up my jacket. I’m in the mirror showing off for myself.”
It is never easy to unexpectedly say goodbye to your favorite characters — and 2026 has featured an influx of shocking departures on our TV screens from Grey’s Anatomy to Virgin River. Virgin River fans were surprised when showrunner Patrick Sean Smith confirmed multiple characters were written off the show after season 7. Marco Grazzini addressed […]
The future of Wagner’s character will be shaped by a new showrunner, whose identity has yet to be disclosed. Before the conclusion of Season 2, it was announced in March that showrunner Todd Harthan left the series to work on a live-action adaptation of Christopher Paolini’s YA book series The Inheritance Cycle. This project, titled Eragon, is developed in collaboration with Paolini, with Harthan and Todd Helbing taking on coshowrunner roles.
High Potential, which debuted in September 2024, was the brainchild of Drew Goddard. Goddard wrote the pilot and was set to executive produce alongside Sarah Esberg, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, Pierre Laugier, Anthony Lancret, Jean Nainchrik, and Alethea Jones.
Thomas was initially slated to be the showrunner but departed in June 2024, before the series’ premiere. Todd Harthan was later named the new showrunner and also served as an executive producer.
High Potential is currently available for streaming on Hulu.
