Severance season 3: everything we know so far about the wildly popular Apple TV+ show's next chapter

Severance season 3 might be the first and last thing on fans' minds after the hugely popular Apple show's season 2 finale. On the one hand, I suspect we need a day or seven to process what went down in the series' last episode. On the other, we're all desperate to learn what'll happen next

Thankfully, the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series will return (read more about that in this article's release date speculation section). I can't say where the story goes from here but, darn it, if I'm not going to try and answer those questions anyway!

Below, you'll find the latest information and rumors on Severance's third season. That includes my thoughts on when it'll be released, its likely cast, story possibilities, and more. Full spoilers follow for Severance season 2, so ensure your 'outie' and 'innie' proceed with equal levels of caution.

Severance season 3 release date: what we know

Severance season 3 hasn't entered full production yet, but Apple officially announced another season of Severance just hours after its forebear's finale.

Before Apple renewed it, director/executive producer Ben Stiller revealed work was underway on season 3's scripts. Considering it's the show that everyone's been talking about so far in 2025, I would've been stunned if it got canceled.

Even with season 3 being announced, there's no word on when filming may begin. Ahead of the season 2 finale, Dichen Lachman, who plays Gemma/Ms. Casey, provided a disappointing filming update on Severance season 3 by telling me she was "in the dark" over a possible start date.

However, with the main cast and crew assembling for a post-season 2 finale event in LA on March 22, we may learn more very soon. Indeed, speaking on the New Heights podcast, Stiller suggested the plan for season 3 would be revealed in the near future, so here's hoping an official announcement and filming start date are confirmed shortly.

So, when might season 3 launch on one of the world's best streaming services? Stiller hopes that, unlike season 2, which was shot amid the pandemic and 2023 Hollywood strikes, it won't take three years to make. Even with the best intentions – i.e., everyone's calendars lining up perfectly, principal photography starting sometime in 2025, etc – though, I can't see it arriving until early to mid-2027.

Severance season 3 trailer: is there one?

No. There won't be a trailer for Severance season 3 for a while yet. I'll update this section when one is released.

Severance season 3 cast: likely and rumored

Full spoilers follow for Severance season 2.

Here's who I expect to see again in Severance season 3:

• Adam Scott as Mark Scout/Mark S
• Britt Lower as Helena Eagan/ Helly R
• Zach Cherry as Dylan George/Dylan G
• Tramell Tillman as Seth Milchick
• Jen Tullock as Devon Scout-Hale
• Dichen Lachman as Gemma Scout/Ms. Casey
• Michael Chernus as Ricken Hale
• John Turturro as Irving Bailiff
• Christopher Walken as Burt Goodman
• Patricia Arquette as Harmony Cobel
• Karen Aldridge as Asal Reghabi
• Michael Sibbery as Jame Eagan
• Sydney Cole Alexander as Natalie Kalen
• Robby Benson as Doctor Mauer
• Merritt Wever as Gretchen George
• Claudia Robinson as Felicia
• Gwendoline Christie as Lorne
• John Noble as Fields

Some of the above character's returns are dependent on where the story goes next. I'll discuss season 3's potential plot later, but everyone up to and including Doctor Mauer is likely to be back next season. The final quartet's appearances hinge on Severance's continuing exploration of the real world and Lumon Industries' Mammalians Nurturable and Optics & Design departments.

There is one season 2 character who won't be back for more and that's Ólafur Darri Ólafsson's Mr. Drummond. He was accidentally killed by Mark in season 2 episode 10.

Mark's 'outie' unexpectedly shot Drummond in the neck as they crossed the severed barrier in the elevator leading to Lumon's testing floor. He did so because Mark's 'innie' was holding Drummond hostage – at gunpoint, FYI – as they descended in the elevator. Unfortunately for Mark (and Drummond), the switchover between Mark's two personas causes the fatality. Unless Lumon has a way of bringing people back from the dead, Ólafsson's time on one of the best Apple TV+ shows is over.

Severance season 3 story speculation

Full spoilers follow for Severance season 2.

Severance season 3's plot synopsis hasn't been revealed yet. Based on what happened in the season 2 finale, though, I can speculate on where things will go next.

For a full breakdown of what happened in last season's final episode, my Severance season 2 episode 10 ending explained piece answers many of your questions. From this point on, I'll guess where the story goes from here, so here's your final warning: full spoilers immediately follow for Severance season 2's finale. Potential season 3 spoilers are also discussed.

The biggest question on everyone's minds is what Helly and Mark S will do next. Rather than leave Lumon for good with Gemma, Mark's 'innie' decided to stay with Helly. The pair then ran off to an unknown location as a devastated Gemma watched through the exit door's tiny window.

Helly and Mark S can't leave the severed floor as their 'outies' – Helena Eagan, daughter of Lumon CEO Jame, and Mark Scout – would take over. Logic would dictate, then, that they'd find somewhere to hide. However, they're on Lumon's turf, so there's not really anywhere they can hide from the all-seeing, evil-minded biotech company.

If they're found and punished, they won't be the only ones who'll face disciplinary action. Dylan G, the other remaining member of the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) team, helped Helly and Mark S in the season 2 finale. He helped trap severed floor manager Seth Milchick in MDR's bathroom, so he's in line for some form of penalty, too.

Milchick is similarly up for the proverbial chopping block. Almost everything that occurred in the season 2 finale, titled 'Cold Harbor', happened on his watch. This isn't the first time the MDR team has put a spanner in Lumon's works during Milchick's time as MDR's boss, either, so I think his time as their manager might be coming to an end.

Outside of Lumon's walls, an emotionally crushed Gemma will likely seek out Mark's sister Devon, plus her husband Ricken, as they're the only family we know Gemma has.

If she reunites with them, she'll probably bump into former severed floor manager Harmony Cobel, too. The quartet could formulate a new plan to rescue Mark and/or find a way to permanently get the 'innies' out of Lumon, too. Could they enlist Asal Reghabi's help to reintegrate Gemma? It's certainly a possibility, especially if Cobel has any insight into what might make the procedure more successful and/or less painful.

There are plenty of other important questions that need answering as well.

Will we see Irving Bailiff again? If so, will he ever be reunited with Burt after they parted ways in Severance season 2 episode 9? Could they be proverbial jokers in the pack in terms of bringing down Lumon if Gemma and co. ask them to return to their former employer?

Then there's Harmony Cobel herself. Season 2 episode 8 revealed four big things about her, including that she's the original creator of the severance procedure. Will she use that to her advantage to try to force Jame Eagan, Lumon's CEO, to step down? Would she replace him if he does? How would Helena Eagan react to this and/or everything that happened in last season's finale if Lumon removes Helly R from the severance floor and allows her 'outie' (that being Helena) to re-emerge?

As for Lumon itself, there are numerous unsolved mysteries left to explore.

I imagine there'll be some that are left to viewer interpretation, but creator Dan Erickson, Stiller, and co. will need to provide answers to some of them. I wouldn't mind if some of those answers prove some big fan theories right, too. One of the five best Severance season 2 goat theories was proven correct in season 2 episode 10, after all.

So, what mysteries need to be solved? The most obvious one is why Lumon is conducting severance-based experiments and what its end goal is with them. There are plenty more, though, including the latest enigma surrounding Kier Eagan's Grand Agendum. What is it? Why have we never heard about it before? And how does it factor into Lumon's workplace-style cult?

Where can I watch Severance?

The only place you can stream Severance's first two seasons, comprising 19 episodes, is Apple TV+. It's an Apple TV Original, so it's exclusive to that streaming platform.

If you haven't seen it yet but want to catch up on one of the best shows of recent years, you can do so by signing up for an Apple TV+ account. Our Apple TV+ price guide reveals how much a subscription costs in your world region.

If you want to try before you buy, however, a seven-day Apple TV+ free trial is currently available, so you can binge-watch seasons 1 and 2 without paying a penny. Just make sure you cancel your subscription before your trial period ends!

Has Apple confirmed if Severance season 4 is on the way?

Nope. As I mentioned earlier, Severance season 3 hasn't even entered full production yet, so any talk of a fourth season is wishful thinking.

It's unclear if there'll be a fourth chapter, too. Speaking to TechRadar ahead of season 2's release, Erickson said he "has a sense" of how the show will end and how many seasons would be "ideal" to reach its conclusion. However, Erickson and the rest of the show's chief creative team want to be "flexible enough" to tell Severance's story across as many seasons as it'll take.

I'm sure Apple will want its most popular TV Original since Ted Lasso to run for as long as possible, too. Of course, nobody wants it to outstay its welcome, but Apple TV+ hasn't had many breakout hits. Ensuring shows like Severance stick around for a while and keep customers spending their cash on Apple TV+ subscriptions makes business sense for the tech giant. Don't be surprised, then, if more seasons are greenlit alongside or after Severance season 3.

For more Apple TV-based coverage, read our guides on Foundation season 3, Slow Horses season 5, Ted Lasso season 4, and Silo season 3.