Severance creator has the future of the series mapped out, including a possible season 3

It’s been over two years since the first season of Severance wrapped up, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the new season. We’re still a few months out from the premiere, but Severance creator Dan Erickson has already mapped out the future of the series, including a possible season 3.

While speaking with IndieWire, Severance writer and co-executive producer Mohamad El Masri teased the future of the series. “There was always a thinking ahead to future seasons,” El Masri said. “Even in Season 2, we were talking about, what is the end game and how does this show end? A lot of work was talking about that. I think there’s a natural overlap that happens, especially with the second season of a show, that you’ve got to keep [the momentum] going. People are interested, people are watching, and now with Season 2, you really have to sort of think about, not just what is Season 2 going to deliver in a satisfying way, but how does this set up Season 3 and beyond?“

El Masri added that Erickson has a “whole vision mapped out” for Severance, and unlike some other sci-fi shows, Erickson isn’t figuring things out as he goes. “Dan is not that guy,” El Masri said. “He is very meticulous and very detailed about the world that he’s created. So we have to work within those relative parameters. It’s his vision, it’s all in his head and, you know, you sort of have to draw it out. You have to really understand it from him. But at the same time, it’s a living thing and you have to sort of adapt and change. We have to go back and revisit, pivot, rewrite, and make sure that not only does it make sense from a science-fiction place, but that emotional journeys are all tracking and connecting to the cool stuff in a way that makes organic sense.“

El Masri wouldn’t say whether fans are in for another long wait between seasons, but he acknowledged that the multi-year gap is “nuts,” adding, “Will it take another 3.5 years for the show to come out with Season 3? I mean, I hope not, just as a fan. I hope we don’t have to keep ourselves waiting for that long. But, you know, it’s Hollywood.“

Severance stars Adam Scott as Mark Scout, who leads a team at Lumon Industries “whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.” The second season is set to debut on Apple TV+ on January 17, 2025.