Severance season 3: release date speculation, filming start date, and everything we know so far

Severance season 3 is on the way and the lights are (just about) still on at Lumon after the previous season's shocking cliffhanger ending involving Mark, Helly, and Gemma.

The bad news? We've still got a considerable wait to see one of the best Apple TV Plus shows on our screens once more. Below, we've got all the ins and outs (and innies and outies) for Severance season 3, including release date speculation, a potential filming start date, and why Ben Stiller won't be behind the camera next time around.

Be warned though, we'll be getting into big spoilers from the Severance season 2 finale below – so make sure you've seen 'Cold Harbor' before reading on. While you're here, check out our guide to the best Apple TV Plus movies to watch right now.

Severance season 3 release date speculation

Severance season 3 is officially on its way. The third season of the hit sci-fi show was announced on the same day that the season 2 finale aired on Apple TV Plus.

Our best guess right now is a late 2027 window. Why? Alongside talk of four seasons and spin-offs, a new report from Deadline suggested a summer 2026 filming start date was planned for Severance season 3. From there, we anticipate it will be just over a year before Mark S. and company return to MDR.

Severance season 3 cast speculation

Almost everyone made it out of Severance season 2 alive, more or less. However, that doesn't mean that everyone will necessarily be coming back. One big question mark lingers around John Turturro coming back as Irving Bailiff. While he's a huge part of the show, the penultimate episode saw him heading off on a path unknown per Burt's orders and he didn't appear at all in the season finale. Could this be the last we see of Irving – and, by extension, Burt (Christopher Walken)?

Another character whose future is somewhat unknown is Eustice Huang, played by Sarah Bock. Even though she appears in the new artwork on the severed floor in the finale, her role actually came to the end in the penultimate episode when she finished the Wintertide Fellowship. She was sent away somewhere following this, so it's unclear if she'll be coming back.

One character who it feels like we've definitely seen the last of is Mr. Drummond, played by Darri Ólafsson, with the imposing Lumon enforcer not making it to the end credits. Despite surviving the onslaught of violence from Lorne (Gwendoline Christie), when Mark took him down from the severed floor, his reflexes caused him to fire the bolt pistol, killing him and leaving him bleeding out on the lower level. Ólafsson is off to pastures new as Thor in the God of War TV series.

Sadly, away from the main cast, it appears executive producer and director Ben Stiller won't be helming any episodes in the next season.

As it stands, here's our best guess at who might be in the Severance season 3 cast.

• Adam Scott – Mark Scout
• Zach Cherry – Dylan George
• Britt Lower – Helly Riggs
• Tramell Tillman – Seth Milchick
• Jen Tullock – Devon Scout-Hale
• Dichen Lachman – Gemma Scout
• Patricia Arquette – Harmony Cobel
• Michael Chernus – Ricken Hale
• John Turturro – Irving Bailiff (TBC)
• Christopher Walken – Burt Goodman (TBC)
• Sydney Cole Alexander – Natalie Kalen
• Karen Aldridge – Asal Reghabi
• Michael Siberry – Jame Eagan
• Merritt Wever – Gretchen George
• Robby Benson – Dr. Mauer
• Sarah Bock – Eustice Huang (TBC)

Severance season 3 plot speculation

Nothing official has been announced about the Severance season 3 plot. However, the Severance season 2 finale does give us some idea about what could be next on the horizon should the sci-fi series return.

In the dramatic final episode, we saw Mark S and Mark Scout come face-to-face, well video-to-video, as the pair had a very telling conversation at the birthing cabin. Outie Mark asked innie Mark for help to try and get Gemma out of Lumon, where she's being kept in a floor below the severed floor. However, things didn't go quite to plan as innie Mark pointed out that what he was essentially asking of him was to sacrifice himself and the life he has, including the woman he's in love with, Helly.

He eventually agrees to go back into Lumon to complete 'Cold Harbor', which we learn is actually about creating new identities for Gemma to enter on her floor. When he does, Milchick organizes an extravagant party for him before Helly manages to trap the floor manager in the bathroom and give Mark the chance to go and rescue Gemma. Mark does this, accidentally killing Drummond along the way, having a brief reunion with his wife as outie Mark before taking her back up to the severed floor and out of the exit. However, he doesn't follow her through, instead staying innie Mark and reuniting with Helly.

Now, season 3 will likely have to deal with the repercussions of such a move as it's not entirely clear what Mark's plan would be – is he planning to try and stay inside Lumon from here on out? Surely as soon as Mark returns to the outside world, outie Mark is going to forget all about reintegration and returning to work.

Also, how will Lumon choose to deal with such a huge disaster? As outie Mark points out, this could very well be the end of them. For one, we can't see Milchick making it out with his job intact – and Jame Eagan seems particularly concerned if his loud repeated expletives are anything to go by.

There are plenty of other loose storylines to tie up too, should a third season go ahead. For one, where exactly has Irving gone – and will we see him again? Then there's the case of Dylan G, whose innie has told him that he can resign if he wants to, but he hopes that he won't. Harmony was also clearly on a mission too before she got sidetracked by Mark and Devon so what was her plan with the proof that she masterminded the severance chip?

Plus, there’s the whole implication of what will happen, not just to the Lumon building itself, but to the world at large. You might remember that, in Severance season 1 episode 3, there’s a news broadcast (featuring none other than our girl Natalie) where the anchor mentions that a woman got pregnant "when her company became severed." This implies that Lumon's severed procedure has been used in several companies, potentially worldwide. Yes, Lumon owns the town Mark and co. live in as well as Harmony’s hometown, but this might be an international fiasco. There’s also a brief mention in season 2 of Lumon's international branch.

Given how secretive all those involved in the show are, we're not expecting to have any concrete answers soon. So in the meantime, we might just have to stick to our theories…

Is there a Severance season 3 trailer?

No, there is no Severance season 3 trailer as the show has only just been renewed by Apple. We will likely be waiting a while until we see any new footage too. Usually a trailer arrives a few months before the show is released so we'll have a better idea once filming begins on the new season.

For more, read our Severance season 2 review and check out our Severance season 2 ending explained.