‘A Different World’: Will Joe Morton’s Senator Byron Douglas Return in Season 2?

Netflix’s A Different World returns to the hallowed grounds of HBCU Hillman University to see how a new generation of students navigates college life while carrying on the legacy of those who came before them.

And while the sequel introduces a new class at the center of the story, plenty of familiar faces return to Hillman — including Joe Morton as Senator Byron Douglas, whose history with Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) goes back more than 30 years.

What happened in the original series?

In the original series, Joe Morton played Byron Douglas III, a sophisticated, successful older politician and Hillman College alumnus who became engaged to Whitley Gilbert. In one of the key storylines of the series, while Whitley was at the altar, about to marry Joe, Dwayne storms the wedding, pledging his eternal love to Whitley, much to her mother’s chagrin. At the last minute, she leaves Joe for Dwayne, and they marry on the spot, as Joe and his family leave the ceremony in a huff.

What happened in the reboot?

Now, three decades later, Morton returns as Senator Byron Douglas, Whitley’s (Jasmine Guy) former fiancé from the original series. Whitley turns to Byron as Hillman faces a massive financial crisis, hoping his political connections can help the struggling school. Bringing her ex back into their lives also creates tension with Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison), who isn’t exactly thrilled to have Byron around again.

By the finale, however, Byron proves to be an important ally for Hillman. He and Congresswoman Lena James (Jada Pinkett Smith) successfully push through legislation earmarking federal funding for HBCUs, providing some much-needed financial relief.

But Byron is also there for one final twist: After thanking Dwayne for his work as interim president, the board reveals it has another candidate in mind for the permanent position, leaving Dwayne’s future at Hillman up in the air.

In addition to the wrench he threw into Dwayne’s plans, he was also a romantic rival for Whitley as her marriage to Dwayne hit rocky waters, and her getting her ex involved in helping the ailing university did not sit quite well with Dwayne.

Will Joe Morton return in Season 2?

At this time, Netflix has not yet officially renewed the A Different World sequel series for a Season 2, so no casting decisions have been confirmed. But since the series left the story on a bit of a cliffhanger, if the show were to return, one can only hope that Morton will return to continue his story with both Hillman and Whitley.

A Different World, Now Streaming, Netflix