Christian Kane Brings His Greatest Hits to Leverage: Redemption Season Three

As season three of Leverage: Redemption makes its long-awaited bow on Prime Video on April 17, Christian Kane is back in action as Eliot Spencer, the team’s stoic, lethal “hitter” who can always be called upon to come out swinging when things get rough. The successful revival series picks up with the reformed criminals using their unique talents to fight for the underdog — this time operating out of New Orleans. Led by grifter Sophie Devereaux (Gina Bellman), the Leverage team hasn’t lost a step. For Kane, it’s all about the bond that’s formed over nearly two decades of playing Eliot.

“We’re still broken toys,” Kane reflects. “All of us are still broken toys. It’s just… to go back and watch, which I think I did last year — I went back and watched the pilot again — it’s so strange to see where we started. Nobody trusted anybody. And now all we do is trust people, because if not, we don’t live.” In Season 3 of Leverage: Redemption, the team resumes their mission to take down corruption and corporate exploitation. Their latest cons target a range of wrongdoers, from a power broker hoarding clean water to a crooked small-town mayor, a blackmailing pool hustler and an industrialist using child labor. Along the way, they’re confronted by a vengeful adversary from their past and must navigate the complications of evolving personal relationships.

That transformation — from a crew of mistrustful con artists to an inseparable found family — is at the emotional core of Leverage: Redemption. “We’ve created a family out of nothing,” Kane says. “Now we just root for each other. Eliot does it in a physical way, sure, but we all make sure everybody’s okay.” The physicality that Kane brings to his roles is front and center in every fight sequence, many of which Kane still choreographs himself. Known for doing his own stunts, Kane brings a level of authenticity that continues to impress even seasoned directors. “No one’s ever fought for me. No one’s ever doubled me in a fight in the history of my career — not just Leverage,” he says. “We shoot everything all at once, and we’re out of there in 15 minutes.”

The pace is made possible, Kane says, thanks to his close collaboration with stunt coordinator Lex Damis, a colleague whom Kane personally brought on to the series and who understands exactly how Kane moves and thinks. “He knows what I do and what I don’t do, what I can do and what I can’t do,” Kane says. “And so it’s become easier. When a new director comes in and sees how fast we do it, and that it’s all me, they’re just in awe.”

One standout fight this season — an all-in-one-take brawl with a gang of bikers — was directed by Beth Riesgraf, who also stars as the perpetually acrobatic thief Parker. The fight, shot in a sweltering jail set, pushed Kane to his limits. “I had just gotten back from Serbia, completely jet lagged, and I didn’t know how this was gonna work,” Kane laughs. “It was so hot. Everybody’s in jail. And we just did it. We must have done it three or four times… I was about to pass out.” But the result, Kane says, is probably “the best fight of the season.”

While the physical action remains top-notch, Kane also credits Leverage’s staying power to its emotional resonance — particularly in today’s chaotic world. “That’s why Leverage is still on the air. When we first started this show, it was a horrible economic time,” Kane says, noting that the original Leverage premiered during the recession of 2008. “Bosses were pounding on their employees, companies were just kicking the crap out of people. And we punched those people in the face — on screen,” Kane says. “You sit on your couch and watch us do it. You can’t do it in real life… but we do it for you.”

That catharsis, he says, is part of what keeps fans coming back, especially in difficult times. “Isn’t it always something, there’s always something we’re going through. And whenever a new season comes out, it just feels like we’re needed again,” Kane says. Despite industry slowdowns caused by the pandemic and recent strikes, Kane is confident in the show’s longevity. “I’m always feeling optimistic about this show. It’s a show that never dies. My boss, Dean Devlin, built a format where, even when we’re gone for a little bit… the heart still beats. And it’s the fans—they’ve stuck with us through thick and thin.”

Even as the show evolves — with Breanna Casey (Aleyse Shannon) stepping in while Alee Hardison (Aldis Hodge) expands the Leverage operation worldwide—Kane sees Redemption as more than just a continuation. It’s a home. “This is what we do for a living. This is how we get it done,” Kane says 

One significant difference this season is that a crucial member of the team, Noah Wyle, who players lawyer and “fixer” Harry Wilson, has moved from series regular to recurring guest star, balancing Leverage: Redemption with his duties as star and executive producer of the critically acclaimed drama The Pitt on Max. “I spoke with Noah Wyle yesterday,” Kane says. The two have been fast friends ever since appearing together on another Dean Devlin series, The Librarians and spare no superlatives praising each other. “He’s a whip. He’s just so unbelievably intelligent,” Kane says. “It’s tough to even see how he’s friends with me. I’m a Neanderthal, but we get along well. I think it’s a Yin and Yang thing. So great.”

In the end, even with Wyle doing double duty, season three of Leverage: Redemption is just what the doctor ordered: a fresh doss, scrappy, heartfelt, vicarious vengeance, with plenty of fists, fire and found family. For Christian Kane, it’s not just another job, it’s a place for coming together — and a cause worth fighting for. —Patrick Gibbs

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