Airbenders: Why does Barry Keoghan only appear in three episodes?

Warning, spoilers. Before continuing reading this article, it is recommended to watch Episode 3 of Masters of the Air.

Year-end event series: Masters of the Air, the new production from the trio of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Gottzman following Band of Brothers and The Pacific, is making a splash on Apple TV+.

Based primarily on Donald L. Based on Miller’s eponymous book and memoir by a true war hero, this 9-episode mini-series tells the incredible story of the 100th Bombardment Group (the “Bloody Hundred”) of the US 8th Airborne. The force responsible for bombing Nazi Germany during World War II.

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Among the distinguished cast of Masters of the Air, including Austin Boulter, Callum Turner, Nkuti Gatwa, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafe Lowe, Bel Paul and Joanna Coolig, we meet one of Hollywood’s newest stars on a meteoric rise: Barry Keoghan.

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The Irish actor, who can be seen in The Killing of a Stag, Dunkirk, The Eternals, Batman, The Banshee of Inishreen and most recently Saltburn, also appears on screen in Masters of the Air, in which he plays Lieutenant Curtis Biddick.

After two promising first episodes, full of humanity and action that won over viewers, serious news begins in the third episode of the series, available on Apple TV+.

Why does Barry Keoghan only appear in 3 episodes of Masters of the Air?

The group engages in its biggest mission: the bombing of vital aircraft factories in the heart of Germany, including Schweinfurt, Regensburg and Frankfurt. And this dangerous attack, which splits the group into 3 simultaneous forces, turns out to be a near-suicide mission, as many men do not return.

Some ended up in Algeria, some were collected by French and Belgian resistance fighters, and some simply died. This is the case of Lt. Curtis Biddick, who died at the scene, both suddenly and violently.

Barry Keoghan, known in London, returned to AlloCiné after his character’s disappearance and explained why he only appears in 3 episodes, despite being one of the main faces of the series:

“I could only do three episodes because I was filming another movie. So it was nice to be able to be a part of it because I knew I could do it for three episodes. The timing was perfect. But I think Biddock is going to make his mark on the series and in the hearts of the people.”

“We are investigating real events, we must remember that. Bidok brings a certain depth, he’s a guy who really exposes himself and is brave to the end.”

Filming between Batman and Inishreen has been halted

It was filming for The Banshees of Inisherin, which began in summer 2021, which prevented Barry Keoghan from filming more episodes of Masters of the Air, which began filming in February 2021. The actor had already arrived late. The series began filming after he wrapped filming on Batman, which wrapped in March 2021.

Thus, this left a short window for the actor to participate in Masters of the Air. That’s why the role of Lt. Curtis Biddock was perfect for him and allowed him to participate in the adventure, even if he couldn’t follow the whole training process:

“I wasn’t able to attend the training camp. It wasn’t on purpose, but I arrived a little late. But at least I was able to familiarize myself with the cabinet, learn all the controls and switches, and make it look natural on the screen. And because of my professional conscience, I wanted to know as much as possible.”

The first three episodes of Masters of the Air are available on Apple TV+, the platform and through myCANAL.

Find all the series available on Apple TV+.