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(SeaPRwire) –   Since 2019, the sci-fi alternate history series For All Mankind has centered on a space renegade—Ed Baldwin, portrayed by Joel Kinnaman. But Season 5 shifts the spotlight away from Ed; instead, his grandson Alex Baldwin (Sean Kaufman) is stepping into the show’s focal role. The timeline has moved from 1969 (where we first met Ed) to 2012, making Alex the new central figure.

As Alex finds his footing in For All Mankind and uncovers a Mars secret that upends everything, Inverse sat down with Kaufman to learn how he navigated the intimidating legacy of the series and the moment he realized he was taking on a major role.

Spoilers ahead for For All Mankind Season 5, Episode 4, “Open Source.”

In Episode 4, after Ed Baldwin’s death, Mars residents are trying to move forward—but tensions are rising. Alex’s close friend (and potential girlfriend) Lily Dale (Ruby Cruz) is ramping up her efforts for the Free Mars movement, while Alex takes a job with Helios, an aerospace firm run by Dev Ayesa (Edi Gathegi), an old family friend and tech tycoon. However, Alex soon uncovers a secret: Helios and another company, Kuragin, are plotting to replace Mars’ human workers with automation. This revelation sparks Alex’s rebellion, aligning him with the footsteps of his mother Kelly (Cynthy Wu) and grandfather Ed.

“It’s a changing and passing of the guard, but this is also extreme,” Kaufman tells Inverse. “I am a firm believer that it is on the younger generation’s shoulders always to create a revolution. These 18-year-olds on Mars are saying f*ck the system. And they’ve got good reason.”

Kaufman notes that For All Mankind stands out because Alex’s views align with his late grandfather’s. This isn’t a Mars-based “OK Boomer” generational clash; instead, Alex’s generation—equivalent to millennials in the show’s timeline—aligns with Ed’s (a Boomer-like figure) ideals. Dev, a Gen X character, is the exception in this conflict, but Kaufman adds that the show includes unique elements: Alex respects his family’s legacy but also feels overwhelmed by it.

“I felt like I came onto this show with a historic legacy, just like the Baldwin name, and all these great actors like Ed. I was so nervous and scared, but I realized that this is how Alex feels. So I decided to use that,” Kaufman explains. “Alex and I are very much in the same situation. It’s an arc, he’s finding himself, but you can still go back and forth on how you feel.”

Episode 4 marks a critical turning point for Alex: it’s when he realizes Helios and Dev are betraying not just his generation but all Mars residents. With Ed gone, the episode confirms the show’s intergenerational focus—and positions Alex as the new lead.

“No pressure!” Kaufman jokes, but does note that there was one specific moment where he felt Joel Kinnaman sort of pass the baton to him in a subtle, meaningful way. “I remember there was a scene where Joel and I were working together, and we were just talking about my nerves or whatever, and it was like a close-up of me. And he was like, ‘You got this,’” Kaufman says. “And at the end of the scene, he looked at me, and he’s in his old-man makeup, he looks at me like the Godfather, and nods his head and gives me a thumbs up and just… walks away. I got his approval. I was like ‘let’s go!’”

Talking about aging makeup, For All Mankind often requires young actors to portray older versions of their characters in later seasons. Kinnaman, 46, plays an 80-year-old this season; Cynthy Wu, 27, portrays Alex’s 46-year-old mother in Season 5; and Kaufman, 25, plays 18-year-old Alex—meaning his on-screen mom is just two years older than him in real life. Is Kaufman ready for Season 6’s time jumps, and does he know what’s next for Alex?

“I have never played older than my actual age in my life or in my professional career. And the chance when I heard that I could play like a 40-year-old man, I was like ‘Sign me up!’ I love the way that Coral and Cynthy do it, because it’s not as pronounced,” Kaufman says. “But no. I don’t know where this character is going. [The showrunners] have kept me totally in the dark. You’ll probably find out before I do.”

For All Mankind streams on Apple TV.