I was excited by Netflix’s Black Doves renewal, but Ben Whishaw’s disappointing season 2 update means we likely won't see it this year

Sam and Helen sitting in a car looking shocked at something off camera. Helen's face is covered in blood.

(Image credit: Ludovic Robert/Netflix)

Black Doves star Ben Whishaw confirms season 2 won't be released until 2026.
The hugely popular Netflix series was renewed ahead of its season 1 debut.
The show's creator Joe Barton revealed that he's currently writing season 2.

Back in December, Netflix delivered a splendid Christmas gift in the form of spy thriller Black Doves. Seeing Keira Knightley kick butt as an undercover agent was certainly a festive treat, and Netflix knew we would want more when it renewed Black Doves for a second season before season 1 even aired.

In Black Doves, queen of historical dramas Knightley swaps regency for revenge in the role of undercover spy Helen Webb. Helen, the wife of the Secretary of State for Defence, works for the spies-for-hire organization Black Doves and 'acquires' government secrets from her oblivious husband. However, her double life is threatened when her lover is killed by London's criminal underworld. She teams up with fellow agent Sam (Ben Whishaw) and sets out on a revenge mission to find those responsible for his murder.

Netflix, aka one of the best streaming services, obviously knew it had a hit on its hands, and the show's 94% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics proves just that. However, since Black Doves was renewed, we've seen precious few updates about a release date or when production might begin. Now, though, Whishaw has issued an update on its second installment – and it's dashed my hopes of seeing it return this year.

What did Ben Whishaw say about Black Doves season 2?

Black Doves | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

Watch On

In an interview with Collider, Whishaw shared some bad news about season 2 of one of the best Netflix shows, which confirms that we're unlikely to see it in 2025. "It hasn't been written, so I actually can say nothing," he said. "I know nothing about it. That's boring, isn't it? You're not interested in that, but it’s the truth. It's not written. It's six months, or seven months away, or something."

However, Black Doves creator Joe Barton has reassured fans that he's in the midst of writing season 2, and says he's hopeful that we won't have to wait too long for the next installment to arrive. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in December 2024, he said: "We’re figuring it all out and putting it all down on paper. But yeah, we’re going to be filming next year, so hopefully, it won’t be too long a wait between series for people. That’s where we’re at."

Barton revealed that season 2 won't have a release window in December 2025, as that timeframe wouldn't be practical, so a mid-2026 release date seems likely. He also said that unlike season 1, the next installment won't be set around Christmas time. "I think inevitably it’s not going to be a Christmas show. But it’ll be interesting to see them out of their winter coats," Barton added.

I'm a little surprised to hear that we won't be seeing Black Doves return in the near future, especially since it was renewed ahead of the show's first outing – in fact, I had hoped that the first two seasons might have been filmed in one go and that we were in line for another Christmas treat. Here's hoping we don't have to wait too long into 2026 to see the return of one of the biggest spy shows on Netflix.

After graduating with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, Grace dived into the world of entertainment where she started writing all about the must-watch shows and movies at What To Watch. Now Grace is on her next writing adventure at TechRadar, where she uses her expertise to help readers keep up to date on the biggest TV shows and movies in the ever-changing world of streaming. If she’s not writing about her passion for entertainment, you’ll find her watching reality shows while feasting on chocolate.