Y’lan Noel Teases Hopes for “Nemesis” Season 2 After Wild Cliffhanger (Exclusive)

Deirdre DurkanTue, May 26, 2026 at 3:56 PM UTC

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Credit: Netflix -

Y’lan Noel says he focused on his character’s grief and emotional wounds to make him feel human rather than simply dangerous

The actor reveals his background in track and field helped him tackle the show’s demanding action scenes

Noel hopes a potential second season delivers “more danger and more action” after the Netflix thriller’s dramatic finale

Y’lan Noel is ready for more danger.

The actor stars in Netflix’s breakout crime thriller Nemesis. The series, co-created by Courtney A. Kemp and Tani Marole, follows a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between a criminal mastermind and the relentless detective (Matthew Law) determined to bring him down.

Noel tells PEOPLE about finding the humanity beneath his character’s polished exterior, returning to the physically demanding action roles that first made fans take notice in The Purge, and why he’s already hoping for a second season after that jaw-dropping finale.

“I hope it’s more danger and more action,” Noel says of where he’d like the story to go next. “Watching the first half reminded me how far the story goes, and I can’t wait to see how much further these two men can take this rivalry.”

For Noel, making his character feel human rather than simply dangerous started long before cameras rolled.

Y'lan Noel on May 16, 2026
Credit: Lizeth Ramirez/Getty

“First, I think it started with the script,” he says. “Courtney and Tani wrote somebody who was allowed to be fully fleshed out. He wasn’t just one stereotype.”

“One of the bigger things I started with was how he comes across really smooth and really put together,” he explains. “There’s a meticulousness about him, which comes from him being a criminal. It’s a very chaotic job, so you’ve got to find some calmness.”

Beneath the tailored suits and carefully maintained image, however, Noel focused on something deeper. “I was very interested in finding the pain and the wounds that he has — how he navigates his grief and the things he was running from more so than what he was running toward,” he says.

The role demanded both emotional depth and plenty of physical endurance, but Noel says the challenge was one he welcomed.

“I definitely like to leave it all on the field, especially for this character,” he says. “But it was always fun. There was always a simple satisfaction at the end of the day, even with the running around and the emotional stuff.”

“You only have a limited amount of time to be as responsible with the character as you can,” he continues. “So there’s nothing wrong with a little exhaustion at the end of a long workday.”

That physicality proved especially rewarding for the actor, who revealed he once envisioned a very different future for himself.

Growing up, Noel’s life revolved around sports. He played soccer and basketball before eventually focusing on track and field, where he became captain of his high school team and earned a scholarship.

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“I was like, ‘OK, track and field is something I’d probably do until I’m 32 years old, and then I’d have to figure out my identity after that,’ “ he recalls. “Whereas with acting, it’s a gift that never stops giving.”

The athletic background came in handy while filming Nemesis, particularly during the series’ elaborate action sequences.

“The heists were the ones that got my blood going,” Noel says. “You get to feel what it’s like to be in that type of situation — which I personally don’t want to be in in real life. So being able to play at it was fun.”

He adds that longtime fans of his work may recognize some familiar energy.

“I know for a fact the athlete in me has been wanting to move around and handle weapons and drive fast and do all those kinds of things,” he says. “I think a lot of people who were fans of The Purge, particularly the one I was in, will be excited because they missed that energy from me on screen.”

Noel as Coltrane Wilder and Cleopatra Coleman as Ebony Wilder in 'Nemesis'
Credit: Saeed Adyani/Netflix

Filming across Los Angeles also helped shape the experience. Though Noel had recently moved away from the city before landing the role, he found himself quickly returning. “That’s kind of how things work — as soon as you leave somewhere, they want you back,” he jokes.

“We were in pretty much every corner of L.A.,” he says. “L.A. definitely plays like a third character in the show. It plays a huge role in this story.”

While Nemesis is packed with explosive action and tense confrontations, Noel believes the relationship between the show’s central adversaries is what truly drives the series.

“Part of the show is how much respect they have for each other,” he says. “They have so much respect for each other’s dedication because they see themselves in one another.”

Now, with audiences racing through the episodes and the finale leaving plenty of unanswered questions, Noel is hopeful the story isn’t finished yet. For him, Netflix’s global reach makes the show’s success even more meaningful: “To be able to participate in telling a story on a platform where so many people can see it is definitely a dream come true.”

“I think this story and this world that Courtney and Tani created deserve conversations,” he adds. “And they deserve it on the global scale that Netflix is able to give it.”

As for whether viewers will get another chapter? “I’m very, very excited for people to watch,” Noel says. “And maybe we’ll be back for a season 2. I’m hoping that might happen as well.”

Nemesis is now streaming on Netflix.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”