Shonda Rhimes wasn’t kidding when she said Lexie Grey and Teddy Altman might not be the only departures coming for the series. TVLine has confirmed today that Eric Dane, who portrays Seattle Grace’s Dr. Mark Sloan (aka McSteamy) on Grey’s Anatomy, will be leaving the series at the beginning of the upcoming ninth season, set to premiere Thursday, September 27. Dane reportedly made the decision alongside series creator Shonda Rhimes, deciding that he was ready to move on to new projects and the right time had come for Sloan’s story to end in the aftermath of his love Lexie Grey’s death at the end of the eighth season.
However, despite the fact that Mark was last seen trapped in the woods with several other doctors, TVLine notes that the character will more than likely end up surviving the crash and will be on board for several of the first few episodes of the season in order to not only give Mark a proper goodbye after six years on the show, but also to leave the door open for a return in the future.
What do you think about Eric Dane’s departure from Grey’s Anatomy?