As we reported earlier, the rumored Stargate: Atlantis cast shakeup has become a reality.

Actor Paul McGillion, who portrays Dr. Carson Beckett, will no longer be a regular cast member after the completion of season three of the Stargate SG1 spinoff series.

We knew that with the addition of Amanda Tapping’s SG1 character, Samantha Carter, to the series that someone would probably be going bye-bye, but having it be McGillion came as a kind of shocker, but not a total surprise. Executive producer N. John Smith confirmed the news.

Months ago intuitive fans created a Save Carson Beckett campaign, so it appears they nailed it.

Beckett’s character will not die, but will mysteriously disappear, leaving open the possiblity for return to full cast status down the road or at least guest appearances. This is not an unprecendented move for the show. In order to make room for new regular cast member Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex), in season two producers did the same thing with actor Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford) who left the show only to return in multiple episodes.

“I think each character is beginning to find the different layers and sometimes the darker side of the characters,” McGillion recently told Eclipse Magazine. “I can tell you one thing for Beckett as a character in the second half of the season, there’s a lot of major plot lines that are developed throughout with Beckett in mind and I think the fans will be in for some big surprises.”

So, who will be the new CMO of Atlantis with McGillion’s departure? If the rumors continue to prove true Firefly/Serenity fans will love this. Actress Jewel Staite will play the recurring role of the new head medical doctor by the name of Dr. Keller. If she can fix bodies as well as she kept Serenity flying, the Stargate crew living at Atlantis will be in good hands.

All new episodes of “Stargate: Atlantis” are currently airing in Canada, and will begin on SCI FI Channel in the U.S. in March 2007.