Following the end of Halo Season 2, questions are swirling about the Paramount+ series getting a Season 3 release.
Based on the beloved Xbox franchise of the same name, the Halo TV show has now explored the fan-favorite sci-fi world for two whole seasons on the streamer.
Following a human soldier named Master Chief, Halo tells the tale of an intergalactic war between the human-led UNSC and the alien Covenant, the hunt for ancient space-bound artifacts, and mysterious super-weapons known as Halos.
When Will Halo Season 3 Be Released?
Fans waiting for Halo Season 3 could be waiting quite some time for a potential release.
Paramount+ has yet to officially announce a third season of the hit sci-fi series, but it seems highly likely to come back eventually.
According to Halo game developer (who serves as an executive producer on the TV series) Kiki Wolfkill, they have a plan "beyond Season 2," but do not know if they will get to explore it (via Collider):
"You always have to assume the best, right? And you wanna be writing with that long-term view in mind. So, definitely there’s story beyond Season 2. We would love to be able to explore."
In that same interview, showrunner David Wiener said they have "lots" of plans for potential future seasons, and are "[leaving] doors to walk through," should the series get picked up:
"I think if you’re true to the story, you wanna leave yourself with doors to walk through at the end. We have a lot. It’s such a huge world. There’s so much of the legacy, of the lore, but also, every solution brings about its own problems at the end of the season, and I think that it’s a great springboard. I hope we get the chance to make more. That’s totally the intention. You do think about it. I would be lying if I said we didn’t."
Paramount is said to have plans for several seasons of the sci-fi TV show (via The Hollywood Reporter), so it only seems like a matter of time before Halo Season 3 gets the green light.
Yes, Halo Season 2 was officially given the go-ahead before Season 1's debut. However, given the uncertainty surrounding the series (both from a viewership and critical standpoint) headed into its sophomore effort, it makes sense for the studio to wait to rubber stamp Season 3.
What seems likely is in the weeks following Season 2's finale a Season 3 announcement will be made public, moving the series toward its third run on the streamer.
As for when Season 3 will be released, it has a lot to do with when the series can get back in front of cameras.
Season 2 was filmed between September 2022 and May 2023, wrapping up nine months before its February 2024 release date.
If production on Season 3 can get started by the end of the year, then a potential release sometime in the spring or summer of 2026 feels likely.
Who Will Be Part of the Halo Season 3 Cast?
Coming into Halo Season 3, fans can likely expect much of the core cast from the show's first two seasons to return.
Of course, headlining the show - as he has since the beginning - will be Pablo Schreiber as the iconic Master Chief. Schreiber's Spartan soldier is the beating heart of the Halo franchise, so surely the show will continue to see the UNSC/Covenant war through his eyes.
Alongside Chief will almost certainly be the lovable AI Cortana (voiced by Jen Taylor). Cortana serves as Master Chief's angel on the shoulder, being a companion to the soldier in the loneliest of situations. She has been key in the series' first two seasons, and will seemingly continue to play a major part in the show going forward.
Other names expected to appear in a potential Halo Season 3 include the notorious Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhone), and the Head of UNSC Naval Intelligence Admiral Margaret Parangosky (Shabana Azmi) among others.
Here is a full list of expected characters to appear in Halo Season 3:
- Pablo Schreiber - Master Chief
- Jen Taylor - Cortana
- Natascha McElhone - Dr. Halsey
- Shabana Azmi - Admiral Margaret Parangosky
- Olive Gray - Dr. Miranda Keyes
- Viktor Åkerblom - The Arbiter
[ Full Cast of Halo Season 2 Paramount TV Series - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos) ]
What Will Happen in Halo Season 3?
The Halo series seems to be headed on a particular narrative trajectory coming out of Season 2 and into a potential Season 3.
After straying away from the events of the Halo video games in Season 1, Season 2 changed that. A renewed creative vision for the series, saw it embrace key moments from the games.
This was demonstrated in the fall of Reach, in particular, playing out one of the more devastating narrative beats in Halo franchise history.
As Season 2 ended it seems the TV show is headed toward tackling the events of the first Halo game. The 2001 Xbox classic saw Master Chief take on the alien Covenant on the surface of a superweapon known as a Halo Ring.
While neither Chief, the UNSC, nor the Covenant knows what the Halo is hiding, they do know it is something big that could change the tides of war.
As it turns out, the Halo Ring is hiding a dangerous alien parasite known as the Flood that has been locked away for centuries to keep the galaxy safe from its infection.
The Flood is a key part of the Halo story and has yet to be tackled in the on-screen adaptation.
Season 2 seemingly alluded to the alien parasite bringing up a hive mind when discussing a Spartan soldier team. But the creatures themselves have been noticeably absent from the show's first two seasons.
With the show looking to be on track to stay a little more faithful to the Halo games in the future - and the introduction of a Halo Ring at the end of Season 2 - one can assume the discovery of the Flood amidst the UNSC/Covenant war will be a major plot point headed into Season 3.
Halo Season 2 is now streaming on Paramount+.
