Over a year after the season 3 finale aired, there’s yet to be official confirmation of whether Hulu has renewed The Orville for season 4, though the cast has made some promising comments over the past 12 months. The appropriately titled Orville season 3 finale, “Future Unknown” ended on an upbeat and open-ended note, with a happy ending for Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald) and Isaac (Mark Jackson) and a romantic reconciliation between Bortus (Peter Macon) and Klyden (Chad L. Coleman). However, there were still multiple storylines left unresolved, ready to be picked up should The Orville be renewed for season 4.
To date there has been no official confirmation either way, likely due to the tumultuous time for the industry. The first major stumbling block for The Orville season 4 were the Disney cuts, which had ramifications for Hulu, given that the corporation own a 66% stake in the streamer. The next big stumbling block is the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes which have steadily brought studio production to a halt since May. The strikes have delayed an official statement about The Orville even further, not least because striking actors have agreed not to publicly promote any of the work they’ve been associated with for the duration of the industrial action. Prior to the strikes, however, there were some updates about The Orville‘s future and potential story ideas from the cast and Hulu itself.
9 Seth McFarlane Is “Cautiously Optimistic” About The Orville Season 4
On Twitter back in March 2023, Seth McFarlane responded to a fan query about the future of The Orville. Citing the difficult transitionary time for the industry, McFarlane said that no decisions had been made on the future of the show. This was prior to the WGA strike being called in May, so McFarlane was likely referring to the shift in how streaming services were spending their money. After high-profile losses for the likes of HBO Max and Netflix, streamers began to look at how new content equated to subscriber growth.
With The Orville becoming something of a sleeper hit since season 3 ended, it’s possible that audiences have been seeking the show out, inspiring them to subscribe to Hulu or Disney+ to find out if it’s worth the hype. If that’s the case, then it explains why Seth MacFarlane stated that he remained “cautiously optimistic” about the chances of The Orville season 4. McFarlane previously told Screen Rant in August 2022 how the performance of The Orville on both Hulu and Disney+ would be vital for the show’s future. Five months later and McFarlane’s cautious optimism is a good indicator that he’s been made aware of substantial audience growth since August 2022.
8 Chad L. Coleman Thinks Season 4 Will Happen
Klyden actor Chad L. Coleman was also asked about the possibility of The Orville season 4 back in March 2023. Coleman reflected McFarlane’s cautious optimism in an interview with CinemaBlend, in which he stated that the cast “think it’s gonna happen, but it’s still up in the air“, referring to the same streaming challenges as McFarlane. However, Coleman also revealed that Seth McFarlane has “an amazing relationship with Dana [Walden] and with Disney“. Walden is the Co-chairman of Disney entertainment, so that strong working relationship between her and McFarlane could be the key to securing The Orville‘s future.
7 The Orville Cast Were Released From Their Contacts After Season 3
Discussing the prospect of The Orville season 4 in his TV Line interview, Seth McFarlane hinted at there being “trickiness” involved in securing the renewal. While that has become something of an understatement with the ongoing industrial action in Hollywood, and the cost-cutting measures at the studios, they aren’t the only complications. At the end of The Orville season 3, the entire cast was released from their contracts, freeing them up to work on other projects. Those contracts will need to be renewed should The Orville get a season 4, but it opens up the possibility that not everyone will return.
6 Adrianne Palicki Wants Kelly Grayson To Be Orville Captain
Adrianne Palicki, who plays Commander Kelly Grayson, and ex-wife to Seth McFarlane’s Captain Ed Mercer, is definitely keen to return for The Orville season 4. Palicki wants Kelly to be Orville Captain in season 4, which would certainly put a fresh spin on her relationship with Ed. Where this would leave McFarlane’s Ed is unclear, but that would be something to work out in the writers’ room. The story of The Orville has always been Ed and Kelly’s struggle to balance their career and their relationship, and the season 3 finale offered a glimmer of hope for their reconciliation. Perhaps Kelly’s promotion could further complicate matters for season 4.
5 Penny Johnson Jerald Is Tired Of Waiting For The Orville Season 4
In a humorous video shared on her Twitter account, Penny Johnson Jerald nailed how many fans were feeling about the delays to The Orville season 4. Stating that she was suffering sci-fi withdrawal, Jerald shared a short video of her looking stressed before stating “This is taking way too long.” Brilliantly, Penny Johnson Jerald tagged both Hulu and Disney+ in the tweet, making her feelings abundantly clear to those in charge, albeit via their social media team. It’s a positive sign that, despite the cast being released from their contracts, they’re all still keen to return for The Orville season 4.
4 The Orville Is At The Mercy Of “Greater Forces”
The Orville‘s art director Kit Stølen also stated a desire to return for another season. In a conversation on Twitter, Stølen highlighted the “weird moment” faced by the entertainment industry. He also said that there was a strong desire to continue, but that they were currently at the mercy of “greater forces” – the studios. It remains to be seen whether the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes positively or negatively affect The Orville‘s future. However, it’s heartening to know that if The Orville does get canceled, it won’t be due to a lack of interest or story ideas from the cast and creatives.
3 Adrianne Palicki Has Heard “Rumblings” About The Orville’s Future
Adrianne Palicki revealed to Den of Geek that “there have been talks” and she’d heard “rumblings” about a possible season 4 commission for The Orville. It’s unclear if these are the same positive discussions previously mentioned by Seth McFarlane and Chad L. Coleman. Unfortunately, Palicki does state that the rumblings haven’t turned into something more substantial like a new series order. The fact that Palicki references that there’s “nothing offiicial” suggests that Seth McFarlane had maybe informally fed back some details of discussions held between him and Hulu to keep his cast up to date.
2 The Orville Season 4’s Story Hasn’t Been Planned Yet
Despite Adrianne Palicki’s pitch for Kelly’s promotion, there have been no story meetings for The Orville season 4, even before the WGA strike was called in May 2023. McFarlane told TV Line that The Orville season 4 was a blank slate because they simply did not know if it would become a reality. There are plenty of story ideas that the next season could pick up, including Ed’s daughter Anaya and how everyday barista Lysella blends into the futuristic society of the Planetary Union. However, until the WGA strike is resolved and The Orville season 4 is commissioned, there will be no meetings held to “break” the overarching story.
1 Hulu Are Non-Committal On The Orville’s Future
Craig Erwich, the President of Disney Television Group gave a disappointing update on The Orville‘s future to TV Line in January 2023. Ultimately, Erwich’s update was that there was no update, saying that “It’s a great show and I know that the fans loved having it back in their lives. […] But we don’t have anything to share right now.” Seven months later and there has been no change to Hulu and Disney’s position on the renewal of The Orville. While the lack of official updates are frustrating, the fact that The Orville hasn’t been officially canceled does suggest that the future of the show is under serious consideration.
