Why did they kill off Mr. Big on And Just Like That? Reason behind Chris Noth’s exit, explored

HBO's romantic comedy drama Sex and the City premiered with a reboot series in 2021 with And Just Like That, which saw the return of main heroines Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte.

The parent series became a cultural phenomenon when it was released in 1998, with people hailing it as a modern classic, which redefined femininity. Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw was a much-loved protagonist and fans were excited to see her return to the reboot series.

Now in her 50s, And Just Like That saw Carrie married to Mr. Big (Chris Noth), her long-time romantic interest from the parent series. However, audiences were in for a shock as Mr. Big dies of a heart attack while working out in the premiere.

Since then, fans have wondered why the character was killed off in the reboot's premiere. While Mr. Big's death was shocking, Noth's exit was always planned. Showrunner Michael Patrick King discussed how Mr. Big's death was important to Carrie and how it started her quest for self-discovery.

More on Mr. Big's death in And Just Like That in our story.

And Just Like That creator always planned on killing Chris Noth's Mr. Big in the premiere

While fans were excited to meet Sex and the City characters in 2021, they were shocked when Mr. Big suddenly died in the And Just Like That premiere. Proving true to its title, while Carrie seemed happy with her husband, Mr. Big dies just like that in Episode 1.

Discussing Chris Noth's character's trajectory in an interview with Vanity Fair, writer-director-showrunner Michael Patrick King revealed:

"Dying was the origin story. Nobody wanted to come back if [the show] was not going to be different.''

He added:

"When I told Chris that Mr. Big dies in the first episode, he definitely knew it wasn't [going to be the] same. The more we talked about it, the more he understood that it was for Carrie — and Carrie's storyline is it's better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all."

King discussed how Noth was initially reluctant to join in the reboot but Mr. Big's tragedy was already planned for And Just Like That and it was the first event that set Carrie's second life in motion.

In Sex and the City, Carrie went through many ups and downs with Mr. Big, until she finally got married to him in the reboot series. And while she got her happily ever after, King knew the reboot needed her to rediscover herself and Mr. Big's death was the starting point of that self-discovery.

Fans might think that the decision to kill Noth's character in And Just Like That was instant, but as King revealed, he based the reboot on this event:

"I couldn't have done the show without him. I wouldn't have done the show without him. I wouldn't have done the show if Mr. Big didn't die in the last five minutes [of episode one]. And I also wouldn't have the show if he wasn't so charismatic and charming and alive in the first 40."

When King discussed this storyline in And Just Like That, Noth agreed because it would benefit Carrie's character and the reboot was planned that way. King wanted to explore the Sex and the City characters in their 50s, but not happily married, as he discussed:

"It's also really interesting to me because 55 and single is a whole new ballpark. You thought 35 and single was a story. 55 and single is a story as well."

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Also Read: Why wasn't Samantha in And Just Like That?

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