Of all the major science fiction TV series currently running, Foundation is somewhat unique insofar as its timeline is incredibly vast. While Apple TV+’s For All Mankind traditionally jumps ahead about a decade at the end of each season, the first three seasons of Foundation are each separated by over a hundred years. That means, so far, we have a little over 300 years of future history in the series, and with Foundation Season 4, we can expect the series to push the envelope even further.
Or can we? The Foundation Season 3 finale has ended unusually, and in a way that seems to change the direction of the series in more ways than one. Here’s what we know about Foundation Season 4, including the format, the cast, the creative team, and the potential release date.
Has Foundation Season 4 Been Confirmed?
Just before Foundation Season 3 aired its 10th and final episode, Apple TV+ put out an official press release that Foundation would indeed get a Season 4.
“There is no series quite like Foundation, and we feel lucky and honored to be carrying the torch forward as co-showrunners into season four,” Ian Goldberg and David Kob said in an official statement. “We look forward to continuing the epic, emotional storytelling that defined the first three seasons of the show, and to be working alongside some of the most talented, passionate creative partners in the business.”
Foundation Season 4 Release Date
As of this writing, the release date for Foundation Season 4 has not been revealed. However, each season, to date, has been two years apart. So, sometime in 2027 is a reasonable guess. However, as Hari Seldon’s psychohistory has taught us, predicting the future is a very tricky business.
Foundation Season 4 Will Have A New Creative Team
Early in 2025, Foundation producer and showrunner David S. Goyer revealed that he would “step back” from the series and that Season 4 would have a “new creative team.” To be clear, Goldberg and Kob are new to Foundation, meaning whatever direction they take the show will be perhaps different from what Goyer and his collaborators had originally planned.
Goldberg previously worked on Fear the Walking Dead, while Kob has various writing credits from the CW series The Flash. Interestingly, Goldberg also worked with Goyer on the pilot for the SyFy Channel Superman prequel series, Krypton, which first aired back in 2018.
It’s unclear how many of the writers and directors who have worked on Foundation with Goyer will return for Season 4. Notably, contributors have included Josh Friedman, as well as science fiction legend Jane Espenson, who has also been executive producer on the show. Star Trek: Voyager alum Roxann Dawson has also directed numerous episodes of Foundation, though it’s unclear if she will return for Season 4, either.
Foundation Season 4’s Cast Is Also A Mystery
While it's reasonable to expect certain characters to return, including Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) as well as the AI version of Hari Seldon (Jared Harris), Foundation Season 3 pulled some wild cards in terms of creating the ability for various characters to return. Brother Day (Lee Pace) was apparently murdered by Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann) in this finale, and, unlike in previous seasons, there aren’t clones to replace these men. While it’s possible that Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton) could stick around and become another Brother Day played by Lee Pace, it’s unclear if any of the Cleons will be back for Season 4.
On top of this, the quasi-immortal robot Demerzel (Laura Birn) also appeared to meet her end in Season 3, Episode 10, “The Darkness.” While we got hints of other living robots elsewhere in the galaxy, it’s totally unclear if Birn would return as a new robot or a different character.
Foundation Season 4 Plot And Season 3’s Twist Ending
Part of what makes Foundation Season 4 potentially so different than previous seasons isn’t just connected to the behind-the-scenes changes. Unlike Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 did not end with a massive time jump forward, but instead, a kind of lateral move. The show has revealed that yes, Earth still exists in this future galaxy, and that there are secret robots living on the Moon.
So, in theory, Season 4 won’t jump forward in time like previous years, but instead, will pick up in the relative present that Season 3 presented. This means the Mule — who we now know is Bayta (Synnøve Karlsen) — is potentially still at large. This would align the story of Season 4 somewhat close to the novel Second Foundation, which was the third book in Isaac Asimov’s original Foundation trilogy. Season 3 adapted much of the second half of the novel Foundation and Empire.
However, the revelation that there are hidden robots hanging out near Earth, also is a nod to the much later Asimov novel Foundation and Earth, so Season 4 could pull from two books at the same time.
It’s also possible that like much of the series, Foundation Season 4 will strike out in an entirely new and original direction.
