London Brown breaks silence on Marvin Thomas' tragic fate before ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ finale
Marvin Thomas appears unlikely to return in present-day events after Kanan Stark shot him inside a church in the penultimate episode of 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Season 5. London Brown has not confirmed that Marvin will return in the series finale, and his comments after the episode frame the shooting as the character’s ending. A flashback or memory sequence remains possible, but neither Brown nor Starz has announced any such appearance.
The scene itself is one of the most emotional moments in the series. It begins after Marvin quietly leaves money with a priest for Jukebox, seemingly preparing for the possibility that he will not survive what is coming. When Kanan arrives with a gun, there is no surprise on Marvin’s face. Instead, there is acceptance. He understands why his nephew is there and what the moment means for both of them.
Before Kanan pulls the trigger, Marvin delivers a final warning that lingers beyond the scene. “You’re gonna see me in your nightmares,” he says, adding that Kanan will eventually be “so dead inside by then.” He also tells Kanan that he will die alone because he will have “nobody left.”
The exchange underscores the emotional collapse of their relationship and the cost of Kanan’s growing ruthlessness. Brown told People in an interview that he did not expect Marvin’s story to end in the church. “I didn’t see that coming,” he said. “I didn’t know Marvin was going out like this. I’m just glad it lasted this long.” Brown also noted that major characters in the 'Power' universe are often killed off without warning and said he understood that risk from the beginning.
Brown consistently referred to the scene as Marvin’s death and even shared a personal creative thought about how he might have played it differently. “If I had to do another take, I wanted to flip Kanan off right on my last breath. I would’ve done that,” he said. Though he stopped short of calling it a regret, Brown said, "I always think about that," suggesting it was more of a creative instinct than a missed opportunity.
Brown also admitted he has no knowledge of what the finale holds. “I don’t know about the finale. I really locked in on what Marvin had going on, so I couldn’t even try to worry about things I couldn’t control,” he said. “That’s going to be another surprise. I don’t know what they got lined up.” His statement leaves no indication that Marvin will reappear in present-day events.
In a separate Deadline interview published the same day, Brown expressed appreciation for the role and hinted at wanting more time with the character. "I wish we could have gotten at least one more season out of Marvin, but something else is on the way. Marvin was fun to play; he really was." He also reflected on Marvin's mindset leading up to the shooting, saying, "Marvin's not afraid," and suggesting the character had already accepted his fate.
With both of his uncles, Lou and Marvin, now dead at his hands, Kanan is increasingly isolated. Brown said this shift is significant, telling People, “It just really shows how menacing Kanan is.” The finale will ultimately determine whether Marvin’s warning about Kanan’s emotional downfall comes true, as the young gangster is left to face the consequences of eliminating the last people who once tried to guide him. The ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ series finale premieres August 7 on Starz.
