While she didn't become a prominent character until Episode 7 of Season 4 of House of Cards, Dominique McElligott's Hannah Conway made an impression on not only Claire Underwood, but on the viewers. As the wife of presidential candidate Governor Will Conway, Hannah should be on Season 5 of House of Cards. Since the latest season ended in the middle of Frank Underwood and Claire Underwood's campaign run for President and Vice President, it would make sense that Conway — and his wife — would return to see through this presidential election come Season 5.
Although Hannah insulted feminists everywhere when she asked Claire Underwood if she regretted not having children, this feminist (me) found Hannah to be another fascinating female character on a series that is already full of them. Hannah and Will have carved themselves out a different ascent to power than Claire and Frank, with a loving household — complete with children — to put on display, but that doesn't mean the Conways are not just as calculated as the Underwoods. Hannah and Will are a power couple in their own right, and when Hannah told Will that she wasn't weak in one of the last episodes of Season 4, it was a hint of a power struggle, perhaps similar to that of Claire and Frank's, to come.
Although there hasn't been much word on casting for Season 5, Will Conway actor Joel Kinnaman already revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he has "a contract for a few episodes" in Season 5. McElligott hasn't made a similar announcement, but it wouldn't work for the plot if Hannah was not involved in Season 5 since her husband will presumably still be running against Frank as the Republican presidential candidate. Yet, the Irish actress may have a conflict when it comes to filming Season 5.
In early February, Variety announced that McElligott was cast as a series regular in the Amazon pilot The Last Tycoon, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel. Of course, this may mean a more decreased role for Hannah in Season 5, but I'm hoping she takes a page out of another House of Cards actress' book and doesn't skip the next season entirely. Kim Dickens managed to be the lead of the show Fear the Walking Dead this TV season while also continuing her role of Kate Baldwin in Season 4 of House of Cards, so could McElligott pull off the same thing?
Dickens' Kate was first introduced in Season 3 in a pretty substantial role as the hard-hitting journalist who ended up getting romantically involved with Tom Yates. As she told Vulture, Dickens auditioned for Fear the Walking Dead, the spinoff to the massively successful The Walking Dead, while she was filming House of Cards. Kate's role was much smaller in Season 4 than it was in Season 3, but she still showed up to put the bug in Tom Hammerschmidt's ear to continue pursuing Zoe Barnes and Lucas Goodwin's investigative work on the Underwoods. Since Dickens made filming another series along with House of Cards a possibility in one year, is it too optimistic to hope that McElligott could do the same? I mean, both of their characters have an affinity for Tom Yates and I don't want the similarities to end there.
Unfortunately, there is no official word on whether or not McElligott will definitely be returning. Yet, unless Hannah leaves Will temporarily like Claire left Frank in the beginning of Season 4, there would be no logical reason she wouldn't be around to continue their campaign to become the First Family. As I'd love to see Will and Hannah Conway's relationship explored more — especially as a lens to analyze the Underwoods — here's hoping that Hannah will be back in Season 5. If not for her relationship with her husband, then solely for the existence of more exchanges like this:
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