Foundation season 3: Tentative release date, expected characters to debut, and everything we know so far

There is a lot of excitement around Foundation season 3, especially after the previous edition ended with a bang on September 15. Currently, the production for the third season has been put on a halt due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. However, after the end of the writers’ strike, hopes are high that the actors’ protest will end too.

Once that happens, production and the work after that is expected to resume for the Foundation season 3 team. According to The Prague Reporter, cameras started rolling for the third iteration in May this year in the Czech Republic capital. But with Hollywood labor disputes, filming for Foundation season 3 was called off on July 14, 2023.

So, season 3 has no release date yet, but viewers can expect it to hit their screens mid-next year or 2025.

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Foundation season 3 may take forward Hari Seldon-Demerzel’s link amidst gaining prominence of The Mule

Based on noted science fiction writer Isaac Asimov’s eponymous series, Foundation has been described as:

“A complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire.”

Created by Josh Friedman and David S. Goyer, Foundation premiered on Apple TV+ on September 24, 2021. After the ten-episode-long season 1 ended on November 19, 2021, season 2 arrived on July 14, 2023. The latter culminated on September 15, 2023, in a way that indicated that season 3 will have a lot to offer.

For one, Eto Demerzel’s tragic story and the way her role assumes importance in the narrative around Cleon I was shown. Also, Queen Sareth and Brother Dawn escaped Trantor with a kid, while new Cleon clones may take over the Galactic Empire’s rule at the start of season 3.

Foundation season 3 will take a huge 152-year time jump, in which the link between Gaal with The Mule will be one of the main arcs. Moreover, season 2 ended with two versions of Hari Seldon, the impact of which will be explored in the third season.

Talking about Seldon (Jared Harris), he is the only one who is aware that Demerzel (Laura Birn) is a robot, which throws open a lot of possibilities about their exact relationship in season 3. The upcoming edition may also show that apart from Demerzel, several other robots made it out alive.

Another crucial character that was launched in season 2 was The Mule (Mikael Persbrandt), who will get a lot more footage in Foundation season 3. David S. Goyer told Collider a couple of days back that The Mule is a wild card and that “season 3 is all about” him.

He said:

“[W]hen I met with Apple and Amazon and all the various people that wanted to do the show, everyone said, ‘When are we gonna get The Mule? When are we gonna get The Mule?’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry, but we’re not getting The Mule until Season 3.’”

The creator added that he found The Mule a “shocking character” because “he comes out of nowhere and he completely T-bones psycho-history and T-bones Hari’s plan, and just puts everything into this immense upheaval.”

As for the cast, Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann, and Michael Persbrandt will be retained in season 3. Ella Rae Smith, Isabella Laughland, Kulvinder Ghir, Oliver Chris, and Dino Fleischer may also be seen, but given the time leap, the chances are a bit dicey.

Both seasons of Foundation are available to stream on Apple TV+.