"I do think that there's some missed storytelling there that could be intriguing," Benz said.
Now that we’re officially three episodes into Dexter: Resurrection, it's clear that this new chapter proves there was always more story to tell — especially beyond the sunny streets of Miami. The series has not only reimagined Dexter's world but also cleverly reintroduced familiar faces, both living and dead, through dream sequences and hallucinations.
These moments have managed to serve the plot, not just nostalgia, adding real emotional depth rather than feeling like hollow fan service.
So far, three brief key character returns — Arthur Mitchell, Miguel Prado, and James Doakes — have captivated fans. While undeniably fan-pleasing, their appearances make sense narratively. Each of them helps push Dexter forward psychologically as he struggles to reconnect with reality after a 10-week coma.
However, one major omission hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Despite her profound impact on Dexter’s life, one character was absent from these surreal visions: his late wife, Rita Morgan, played by Julie Benz.
Technically, Rita does appear in the first episode — during the dream-like bathroom scene where Dexter and Arthur revisit the moment of her murder. But instead of Benz, the show used a distant body double who merely resembled her. This choice mirrors a similar approach in Dexter: New Blood, when Harrison recalls his mother's death, and a lookalike was used instead of bringing Benz back for the scene.
So why wasn’t Julie Benz called to return?
In a candid new interview with BingetownTV, Benz revealed that she was never contacted about reprising her role — not even for the brief cameo in Episode 1.
“I knew they were using a clip. That’s all,” she said about the stand-in Rita scene.
Reflecting on the possibility of returning, Benz added, “I do think there’s some missed storytelling there that could be intriguing, but they never reached out or made that a plan.”
The actress didn’t hide her disappointment: “Am I a little heartbroken about it? Sure. But again, it’s not my show [laughs]. As an actor, I just tell everybody — I just don’t have the best of luck with reboots, I guess. It’s not in my karma, or whatever.”
She went on to say: “They just don’t feel that it’s important enough, which is sad. I think there is some storytelling that could be there.”
When the host playfully suggested that he was hoping for a vague “I can’t say” response — the kind actors often give when secretly involved in a project — Benz laughed and responded: “Well, no. But I really appreciate you advocating for Rita. It means a lot to me. I do think there’s some storytelling there that could exist.”
If it wasn’t clear before, it is now: Julie Benz is absolutely open to returning as Rita Morgan. In fact, she mentioned three times during the interview that she sees room for her character to be part of the story again.
And with Dexter: Resurrection already confirmed for at least three seasons, there’s still plenty of time for that door to open. Whether it happens or not will likely come down to series showrunner Clyde Phillips and executive producer Scott Reynolds.
Fans of Rita — and of Benz’s portrayal — will no doubt keep hoping for her return. After all, in the twisted world of Dexter, the past is never truly dead.