Sam Heughan has found his next major television role following the conclusion of Outlander. The actor is joining Viola Davis in Ascent, a new thriller series coming to Paramount+.
According to Deadline, Heughan will star opposite Davis in the series, which is scheduled to begin production in Los Angeles in 2027. The casting gives the Outlander star a very different kind of role as he moves from the Scottish Highlands into the dangerous world of corporate crisis management.
Sam Heughan Is Trading Jamie Fraser for a Corporate Fixer
Heughan will play Conal, one of the top agents at Ascent Ventures. According to Paramount, the character is a charming and highly adaptable operative who uses social manipulation and ruthlessness to complete his assignments.
Davis stars as Catriona Vail, an elite corporate fixer whose clients include billion-dollar companies. When her estranged daughter is put in danger, Catriona has to turn the same skills that made her invaluable to powerful clients toward protecting her family.
The series comes from John Logan, the three-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind Gladiator, Skyfall and Penny Dreadful. He will serve as creator, showrunner and executive producer.
There is currently no premiere date for Ascent.
‘Outlander’ Was Just the Beginning for Sam Heughan
Of course, most viewers know Heughan as Jamie Fraser, the role he played throughout all eight seasons of Outlander.
The Starz series wrapped its eight-season run earlier this year, giving Heughan the opportunity to move on from the character who made him an international star. His work as Jamie earned him a People’s Choice Award, a Saturn Award and a Critics Choice Award nomination.
Heughan has also built an impressive résumé outside of Outlander. His film credits include The Spy Who Dumped Me, Bloodshot, SAS: Red Notice, Mr. Malcolm’s List and Love Again. He also hosted Men in Kilts: A Roadtrip With Sam and Graham alongside his Outlander co-star Graham McTavish.
More recently, Heughan received strong reviews for playing the title role in Macbeth with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is also set to appear alongside Anna Kendrick and J.K. Simmons in the upcoming political thriller Embassy.
‘Ascent’ Is Coming to a Strong Paramount+ Thriller Lineup
Paramount+ has found considerable success with high-profile thrillers and dramas including Lioness, Landman, and Tulsa King. Landman became Paramount+’s first series to surpass 1 billion minutes watched in a single Nielsen week in 2024, while Tulsa King finished its third season among the 10 most-watched original series across subscription streaming services.
Lioness has been particularly strong recently. Its third season averaged 8.5 million weekly viewers, a 62% increase over Season 2, according to Paramount’s internal measurements. The finale reached 9.7 million viewers in its first seven days, making it the show’s biggest episode yet.
Paramount+ has also had major success with newer originals. The Madison, another Taylor Sheridan series, delivered 8 million global views in its first 10 days, while Dutton Ranch became the biggest original-series debut in Paramount+ history with 12.9 million global viewers in its first seven days.
Ascent isn’t connected to those franchises, but the numbers show the kind of audience the streamer has been able to build around ambitious, star-driven dramas. And now it has added a familiar Outlander face to the lineup.
