diff --git a/scipy/linalg/_decomp.py b/scipy/linalg/_decomp.py
index 382eb6e6db00..c5746a153fd8 100644
--- a/scipy/linalg/_decomp.py
+++ b/scipy/linalg/_decomp.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 import warnings
 
 import numpy
-from numpy import (array, isfinite, inexact, nonzero, iscomplexobj, cast,
+from numpy import (array, isfinite, inexact, nonzero, iscomplexobj,
                    flatnonzero, conj, asarray, argsort, empty,
                    iscomplex, zeros, einsum, eye, inf)
 # Local imports
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 from scipy._lib.deprecation import _NoValue
 
 
-_I = cast['F'](1j)
+_I = numpy.array(1j, dtype='F')
 
 
 def _make_complex_eigvecs(w, vin, dtype):