Two Actors Leaving Castle… Say it isn’t so?!

After eight seasons of playing Kate Beckett, opposite of Nathan Fillion, actress Stana Katic is leaving ABC’s Castle.

Confirmed by Variety, the announcement was made by ABC and ABC Studios, that due to budgetary issues Katic was not being asked to reprise her role on the potentially renewed ninth season.

“Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series ‘Castle’ for the past 8 years. We are grateful for Stana Katic’s talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship,” ABC.

When speaking about the season finale, showrunner Alexi Hawley, told TV Guide that the eighth season would be ending with a major cliffhanger,

“We are planning the finale to end in a cliff-hanger, but in a worst-case scenario, there’s an additional scene we won’t say much about that exists in case they tell us we’re not coming back,” Hawley told TVGuide.com.

No word yet as to how they plan to write Katic’s character out of the show however there is always a chance they may write it so she can return at a later date. If the show is not renewed, fans can take solace in the potential for closure from the additional scene Hawley mentioned.

Tamala Jones, who has been a part of the series for the past eight seasons as well, was also not asked to reprise her role as medical examiner Lanie Parish. Although Jones thanked ABC for the opportunity to be a part of the show she also took to Twitter to relay her feelings about the decision.

Sadly, ABC isn’t the only network to say goodbye to their female leads. Fox also recently wrote off a major female lead. Nicole Beharie (Sleepy Hollow) was killed off last month after asking to leave the show due to no longer enjoying her time off screen.

ABC has created some great shows over the years (Once Upon A Time, Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy) but it looks like the numbers for Castle have been increasingly declining putting pressure on the studio. According to TV Line, the season eight premiere only raked in 6.8 million viewers total, thus having the all time lowest numbers for the show.

This is the end for two actors but is this the beginning of the end for Castle itself?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.