Foundation Season 4: Everything We Know So Far - September 2025 Update

Apple TV+ has officially renewed Foundation for a fourth season. The announcement came right before the Season 3 finale, which made the timing feel intentional. The new co-showrunners, Ian Goldberg and David Kob, said they were honored to continue the “epic, emotional storytelling”. Production is set to begin in early 2026.

Release Date Guesswork

There’s no official release date yet. If we look at the two-year gaps between earlier seasons, 2027 feels like the safe bet. Some sources say early-to-mid 2027. Delays from the pandemic and the 2023 strikes slowed earlier seasons, so if nothing big gets in the way this time, maybe it won’t drag out as much. Personally, I’d love if Apple found a way to speed things up, waiting two years is rough for fans!

New Creative Team

Here’s the twist: David S. Goyer, the original showrunner, is stepping back. His vision shaped the first three seasons, but Season 4 will be guided by Goldberg and Kob. Their résumés include Fear the Walking Dead, Krypton, and The Flash. That makes me nervous! Foundation has always had a specific tone—grand, cerebral, and strange. I hope the new team doesn’t make it feel too generic. It’s also unclear which writers and directors will return. For fans like me, this is the biggest gamble heading into Season 4!

Cast: Who’s Coming Back?

The ending of Season 3 left a lot of character fates unclear. We’ll almost certainly see Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell) and Hari Seldon’s AI (Jared Harris). Other likely returns include Bayta Mallow/The Mule, Brother Darkness, and a handful of side characters like Preem Palver and Ambassador Quent.

The question everyone is asking: will Lee Pace return as Brother Day? Probably not. Day was killed, and Brother Darkness destroyed the cloning lab, so no new Cleons are waiting in storage. That was a huge shift for the show, I’ll miss Pace’s performance—he made Day terrifying and human all at once. The only way Lee could return is if Cassian Bilton’s Brother Dawn grows up and eventually becomes the next Brother Day.

And then there’s Demerzel. Her physical form was destroyed in the Season 3 finale, but that doesn’t mean the character is gone. In Season 4, a new version of Demerzel could appear — the real question is whether Laura Birn will still play her/it.

Where the Story Might Go

Season 3 didn’t end with a massive time jump like the earlier seasons. Instead, it felt like a sideways move. That probably means Season 4 will stay close to the present timeline. Bayta, now revealed as The Mule, is still out there and will likely clash with Gaal again.

We also learned Earth still exists, and there are secret robots living on the Moon. That’s one of my favorite reveals, because it opens the door to Foundation and Earth while also pushing the show into fresh territory. At the same time, the Galactic Empire is now ruled by Brother Darkness, armed with a weapon as destructive as a black hole bomb. That makes him the kind of villain who could reshape the galaxy.

There are a dozen other threads: Quent joining the Second Foundation, Hari’s reaction to Gaal’s betrayal, Kalle’s robot allies, and Dawn’s uncertain role, this setup feels more exciting than anything since Season 1.

Future Seasons?

Originally, Goyer pitched an eight-season plan. That’s out the window now. The new showrunners aren’t following his roadmap, and the show’s budget is enormous. Realistically, I think Apple might try to wrap it up in one or two more seasons after Season 4. It’s disappointing if true, but maybe tightening the story will prevent it from dragging.

Reception So Far

Critics praised Season 3 as breathtaking, visually stunning, and the “gold standard” for sci-fi TV. I agree. The show’s ability to jump centuries and still feel connected is rare. The first three seasons covered over 300 years of history. Now, with Season 4 not likely to skip ahead, we’re entering new ground. That makes me curious, but also cautious.