Yellowjackets season 3 is in the works – sort of. Things are on hold for now while its writers join the WGA strike for fairer pay and working conditions, but the show has already been renewed and a third installment is definitely on the way. The season 2 finale saw things ending on a dramatic note for both the teenagers in 1996 and the adults in 2021, and we couldn't be more excited to see where things go next.
There may not be much official information out there right now, but that hasn't stopped us from bringing you everything you need to know about Yellowjackets season 3, from which cast members we can expect to return to our theories about where the plot could go next. But be warned – there are major Yellowjackets season 2 spoilers ahead, so proceed with caution if you haven't seen all the new episodes yet.
Yellowjackets season 3 release window: When can we expect the show to return?
The series was renewed for season 2 in December 2021, and was released in March 2023. Season 3 was commissioned in December 2022, so logic would dictate that we could expect it around March 2024. However, pre-production is currently on hold due to the writers' strikes, which will result in delays. Just how significant those may be, however, remains to be seen.
Yellowjackets season 3 cast: Who's likely to be back?
Well, we know who won't be back – in the present day timeline, Juliette Lewis and Alex Wyndham won't be returning as the adult version of Nat and police officer Kevyn Tan, as they both died in the season 2 finale. It's unclear if Simone Kessell, who plays adult Lottie, will be back, as the finale saw her character committed to a psychiatric institution.
Meanwhile, in the '90s timeline, there were two characters who didn't make it to the end of the season, Javi and Crystal. Their actors, Luciano Leroux and Nuha Jes Izman, therefore won't be returning for season 3 – unless, of course, the other surviving characters experience any flashbacks or hallucinations.
Speaking of surviving characters, let's reel off who we can expect to return for season 3. In the present day, that's Melanie Lynskey as Shauna, Tawny Cypress as Taissa, Christina Ricci as Misty, and Lauren Ambrose as Van, along with Warren Kole as Shauna's husband Jeff and Sarah Desjardins as their daughter Callie. Elijah Wood's character, musical theater fan and murderous billionaire Walter, may also return.
Back in the wilderness, there's Sophie Nélisse as teen Shauna, Jasmin Savoy Brown as teen Taissa, Samantha Hanratty as teen Misty, and Liv Hewson as teen Van, along with Sophie Thatcher as teen Nat. There's also Kevin Alves as Travis and Steven Kreuger as Ben. None of these returns have been confirmed yet, but it seems pretty likely.
Yellowjackets season 3 plot
There aren't any official plot details about Yellowjackets season 3 just yet (writing is still underway, after all), but there are plenty of unanswered questions at the end of season 2 that give us some idea of where things may go.
Let's start with the present-day timeline. Taissa's sleepwalking still needs to be addressed – namely, what causes it and, more crucially, what exactly she does when she's unconscious – as well as what happened to Simone, who was still in the hospital post-car accident when we last saw her in season 2 and their son Sammy (who we assume someone is looking after while his mother reunites with her high school ex…). Plus, there's her relationship with Van and where that will head in the wake of season 2, as well as the events of the past season on her career – she did disappear for a week after just being elected as state senator, after all. Speaking of Van, it seems like she may not have long to live after she told Taissa that she has terminal cancer. Could a deal with the wilderness possibly prolong – or save – her life?
Misty has her own demons to deal with in the aftermath of Nat's death, and there's also the issue of Walter. Can he be trusted? And what is his game plan with Misty? Hopefully we find out in season 3. As for Lottie, she was being carted away in an ambulance at the end of season 2 for another stint of psychiatric care, but it remains to be seen whether we'll see her character in the hospital in season 3 or whether that's the last we'll see of present-day Lottie for a while.
As for the '90s timeline, we're still wondering who Javi's 'friend' who helped survive in the wilderness is – could they become a more prominent figure in season 3, especially now that the girls are without shelter after their cabin burnt down? And, on a similar note, will the girls find out that it was Ben who set fire to their home? There's also the issue of where they'll go to survive the rest of the winter.
We're also curious to see the evolution of their hunting ritual – what we saw in season 2, when the girls chased Nat through the woods, is not quite what we see in the opening scene of the pilot. The girls in that scene are decked out in masks and animal furs and they have a pit that the girl they're pursuing falls into.
While we wait for Yellowjackets to return, fill out your watch list with our guide to the best new TV shows coming our way in 2023 and beyond.
