How I Met Your Father season 2: Release date, cast and news

That could still require some deft spoiler dodging, especially if the finale involves another surprise cameo from the original series, which would be sure to spread like wildfire across social media.

Indeed, the sequel has already seen reprisals for How I Met Your Mother stars Cobie Smulders (in season 1) and Neil Patrick Harris (in season 2), leading fans to wonder if another main cast member could be joining the party.

Jason Segel told Entertainment Tonight earlier this year that he would "do anything" for the creatives behind the original series, crediting them for changing his life forever.

Former co-star Josh Radnor was more coy when quizzed on the possibility of a cameo, telling ComicBook.com that such decisions are out of his control. "I'm at the mercy of other forces," he explained.

Read on for everything you need to know about How I Met Your Father season 2 part 2.

How I Met Your Father season 2 part 2 release date

The first 11 episodes of How I Met Your Father season 2 landed on Disney Plus in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 19th April 2023, meaning they're available to watch now.

In the UK, episodes of the sitcom arrive in binge-able batches some time after their release in the US, where the show is rolled out on a weekly basis via streaming service Hulu.

How I Met Your Father season 2 part 2 will drop on Wednesday 26th July 2023, roughly two weeks on from its American debut – so be careful to avoid spoilers on social media.

Part 2 consists of nine episodes, including a two-part finale, which brings the second season to an even 20.

How I Met Your Father season 2 cast

Hilary Duff is back to front the second season of How I Met Your Father, with the former Lizzie McGuire star also serving as executive producer on this show.

She is joined by the quirky group of friends introduced in the first season, including best friend Valentina (Francia Raisa), aspiring musician Jessie (Chris Lowell) and his adoptive sister Ellen (Tien Tran).

There's also bar owner Sid (Suraj Sharma), who tied the knot with longtime partner Hannah (Ashley Reyes) last year, and also threw disowned aristocrat Charlie (Tom Ainsley) a lifeline by hiring him as a bartender.

We also see the return of Daniel Augustin's Ian, who made a surprise appearance in the season 1 finale, while Love, Victor's Michael Cimino joins the show in the recurring role of Swish.

Former Sex in the City star Kim Cattrall will also be back, playing an older version of Sophie in the show's flash-forward segments, where she is regaling her son with the story of how she met his father.

Will there be more How I Met Your Mother cameos?

How I Met Your Mother fans were shocked to see Cobie Smulders return as Robin in the season finale of season 1, where she gives some life advice to Duff's new lead protagonist.

She was not the only familiar face from the original series, with other cameos including Kyle MacLachlan's The Captain and his wife Becky, as played by Laura Bell Bundy.

Joe Nieves also made a brief appearance as bartender Carl, who still works at MacLaren's Pub, a popular hangout spot among the How I Met Your Mother friendship group.

The sophomore run has continued this trend, with Neil Patrick Harris appearing in both the premiere and mid-season finale as his fan-favourite character Barney Stinson.

Could there be more cameos to come? Here's what co-showrunner Elizabeth Berger told RadioTimes.com.

"We exist in the same universe as the original and that means that, whether it's another set, whether it's a person from the original, these kinds of things can populate our world."

She added: "And we think that we fulfil that notion in a really satisfying way [in season 1], and hope to continue to do so in future seasons."

On the other hand, director Pam Fryman described the Smulders cameo as "a gift instead of a promise" (via TVLine), so don't necessarily expect to see every member of the original cast.

Is How I Met Your Father a Lizzie McGuire sequel?

How I Met Your Father fans were surprised to see a clip from Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire integrated into this year's Valentine's Day special, raising the question of whether the two comedies share a universe.

Executive producer Elizabeeth Berger said (via Variety): “I’m not confirming that, but it felt like a really fun thing for us to do. We got a temperature check from Hilary, who has such good sense of humour. Then it was just about finding the right clip.

"We loved that we got to bring Lizzie into our world for a minute."

Later, Duff appeared to debunk fan theories that her new character, Sophie Tompkins, is in fact Lizzie McGuire, telling Shape she still hopes to front a mature revival of the Disney series that catapulted her to fame.

"I don’t think it was enough to satisfy the fact that project is shelved," she said.

The Lizzie McGuire revival was briefly in production in 2020, but the plug was pulled reportedly because the show was not "family-friendly" enough for Disney Plus.

Is there a How I Met Your Father season 2 trailer?

Yes! You can watch the How I Met Your Father season 2 trailer below:

How I Met Your Father is available to stream on Disney Plus. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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