Apple TV+’s prestige sci-fi drama series Foundation, based on the novel series by Isaac Asimov, has been renewed for a fourth season.
Production on the new season is set to begin in early 2026, following a tense finale that saw several key characters meeting their demise, including Lee Pace’s Brother Day, and Laura Birn’s Lady Demerzel, among others.
“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,” co-showrunners and executive producers Ian Goldberg and David Kob said in a statement on the renewal. “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.”
“It’s been fantastic to watch Foundation become such a global phenomenon, with fans tuning in from every corner of the world,” Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+ added. “With each new season, the excitement around this trailblazing sci-fi epic just keeps building due to the bold storytelling and collective artistry of this extraordinarily talented cast and creative team. We’re excited to keep exploring this universe together in season four.”
In the show’s third season, fans were introduced to the Second Foundation, a far more stable and established entity than in previous eras. With the Cleons and their empire now in decline, a new threat in the form of The Mule emerged. A warlord with powerful mental abilities, The Mule threatened the fragile truce between Foundation and Empire. However it was ultimately Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann), who put paid to Empire’s dynastic future, by destroying the genetic bank containing future versions of Empire, and murdering both Brother Day and Demerzel.
Meanwhile, Gaal finally confronted and killed the Mule in a psychic-physical battle, only to discover the real Mule was Bayta Mallow. With her friends turned by Bayta, Gaal had no choice but to abandon them, escaping with Rasik on his ship. The finale ended with a major tease: the reveal of planet Earth and a hidden robot colony on the Moon. Kalle, Hari Seldon’s wife, who has appeared at intervals over the course of the show, appears again now alongside another robotic, noting that the robotic head Day retrieved had initiated a Clasp in its attempts to contact others of its kind. The scene finally confirmed what many fans have come to believe: Kalle is likely a robotic.
The finale, possibly the show’s most plot-dense to date, has given fans a lot to think about. If the show is following the book series, then it will be taking a massive leap forward in time. The show has adapted the first three Foundation books across its initial three seasons. In books four and five, the Mule is already a historical figure, and a fresh ensemble embarks on a quest that ultimately leads to uncovering the origin planet of humanity. By introducing Earth and the moon at this point in the series’ storyline, some fans are speculating that a major time jump may be on the cards when the show returns for Season 4.
More as we have it.
Foundation’s third season starred Cherry Jones, Brandon P. Bell, Synnøve Karlsen, Cody Fern, Tómas Lemarquis, Alexander Siddig, Troy Kotsur and Pilou Asbæk, along with series regulars Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Laura Birn, Cassian Bilton, Terrence Mann and Rowena King.
Foundation is produced for Apple by Paramount Television Studios. Goldberg and Kob serve as co-showrunners and executive producers for season four alongside Bill Bost, Pace, Michael Satrazemis, Robyn Asimov and David S. Goyer.
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