Will there be a Heartstopper season 4? Latest news and speculation

The show currently sits at number four on Netflix's global top 10, with season 4 clocking up more than 21 million hours of watch time in its first few days of release – not too shabby at all.

But the latest comments from creator Alice Oseman suggest that we may have a bit longer to wait before we know definitively what the future holds for the trailblazing series, which is nearing its end on the printed page.

The third season, streaming now, saw Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) take their relationship to the next level, while addressing difficult topics like intimacy and mental health.

If the latest episodes left you eager for more, scroll on for everything we know so far about a potential Heartstopper season 4.

Will there be a Heartstopper season 4 on Netflix?

Heartstopper has not yet been renewed for a fourth season on Netflix – but don't be dismayed, it could still happen.

After all, the teen drama has been highly acclaimed by critics and has had a major cultural impact too, with several of its cast members accumulating large fanbases and booking high-profile follow-up gigs – from Agatha All Along to Doctor Who.

Creator Alice Oseman has suggested that they would only need one more instalment – "whatever it could be" – to wrap up the adaptation, suggesting that alternatives to a full fourth season are on the table (via Deadline).

The writer and artist also spoke to Netflix's own TUDUM about the future of the acclaimed series, where they reiterated that "we would love to tell the end of the story in TV form".

Oseman continued: "As much as I — and everyone else — want the final instalment to come to the screen as soon as possible, there are a lot of moving parts to account for that make it hard to solidify anything.

"But we’re doing our best, and will let fans know as soon as we can."

Read more:

• Joe Locke on Heartstopper season 3, filming sex scenes and famous fans
• Kit Connor on "sweet and tender" sex scenes in Heartstopper season 3
• Heartstopper's Alice Oseman opens up on tackling sex and mental health in season 3

Meanwhile, in a recent chat with The Guardian, Oseman explained that they are busy working on the sixth – and final – volume of the Heartstopper graphic novels, which they would want to release prior to the as-yet-unconfirmed fourth season.

"I will most likely be drawing volume 6 simultaneously while writing the season 4 scripts, even if we haven’t been renewed," they explained.

"And the other thing that I have to keep in mind is that I really, extremely, devoutly need the volume 6 book to come out before season 4 comes out, so people experience the end of the story from the books first. So there’s a timer counting down now."

Previously, Oseman told RadioTimes.com that the fourth season could well be the last.

"It would probably be four seasons to cover the full story," she explained back in 2022. "I haven't done any in-detail planning or anything, but it's quite easy to divide up the books into seasons, so four I think would do it."

In December 2023, when Heartstopper season 3 wrapped filming, fans were sent into meltdown by an Instagram story from star Joe Locke, which was captioned: "Bye for now Charlie warlie" (via Pink News).

The use of "for now" caught the attention of followers, who extrapolated that it could represent Locke's intention to return to the role, implying that a fourth season was in discussion – but that could be a case of overanalysing.

We'll update this page as fresh updates come in.

When could a potential Heartstopper season 4 be released?

If Heartstopper were to be renewed for season 4, it's likely that the project would be fast-tracked given that the actors are supposed to be playing sixth form-aged characters – so the younger they are in real life the easier that will be.

Previous seasons have taken 14-15 months to arrive, so if the show were to receive a renewal and follow that trend, it would mean that Heartstopper season 4 could be released in November/December 2025.

Of course, that's just a prediction for the time being, and this timeline could of course be complicated by the fact that creator Oseman is still writing the sixth and final book, upon which a potential fourth season would be based.

Who could star in a potential Heartstopper season 4?

If Heartstopper season 4 were to be confirmed, we'd expect all of the principal cast members to return.

That includes Joe Locke and Kit Connor in the lead roles of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, plus Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan, Rhea Norwood and Leila Khan as their loving friendship group.

Meanwhile, it seems likely that Jenny Walser and Darragh Hand would remain a part of the show, with the relationship between Charlie's sister, Tori, and her maybe-boyfriend, Michael, still requiring some ironing out.

The big question is whether any of the show's big name guest stars will return.

Olivia Colman had to skip Heartstopper season 3 due to a scheduling conflict, which means that Nick goes on holiday with his Aunt Diane (Hayley Atwell) instead. However, in a meta reference, he says that he hopes his mum can join them "next year".

It suggests that a return for the world-famous Colman isn't off the table, but it's too soon to say whether she or Atwell would be back if the show gets renewed.

Here's a reminder of all the key players in the Heartstopper season 3 cast:

• Kit Connor as Nick Nelson
• Joe Locke as Charlie Spring
• William Gao as Tao Xu
• Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent
• Corinna Brown as Tara Jones
• Kizzy Edgell as Darcy Olsson
• Tobie Donovan as Isaac Henderson
• Jenny Walser as Tori Spring
• Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry Greene
• Rhea Norwood as Imogen Heaney
• Leila Khan as Sahar Zahid
• Hayley Atwell as Diane
• Bradley Riches as James McEwan
• Fisayo Akinade as Mr Ajayi
• Nima Taleghani as Mr Farouk
• Chetna Pandya as Coach Singh
• Jack Barton as David Nelson
• Georgina Rich as Jane Spring
• Eddie Marsan as Geoff
• Joseph Balderrama as Julio Spring
• Momo Yeung as Yan Xu
• Stephen Fry as Headmaster Barnes
• Jonathan Bailey as Jack Maddox
• Bel Priestley as Naomi Russell
• Ash Self as Felix Britten

What could happen in a potential Heartstopper season 4?

Heartstopper's season 3 ending found our characters at a crossroads, with Nick considering moving to Leeds for university, but fearing what it could mean for Charlie and their relationship.

That's not the only major change, either; Elle is eyeing a move across the channel to study art in Europe, while Tara wants to go travelling on a gap year to help relieve the built-up stress of her exams.

Charlie is refocusing on his studies as his health is getting back on track, but his sister Tori is experiencing an internal crisis as she tries to grapple with her confusing feelings towards Michael.

In short, we can expect more relationship drama and journeys of self-discovery in the potential Heartstopper season 4, likely derived primarily from volumes 5 and 6 of the graphic novels.

On the sixth and final volume, which is yet to be released, Oseman told The Guardian: "I’m really excited about what’s going to happen towards the end of the story, but it’s also very bittersweet.

"I also feel it’s absolutely the right time for it to end. It’s very sad, but it’s time."

Sounds like we could be left weeping by another emotional farewell – get your tissues at the ready.

You can listen to the Radio Times Podcast now.

Heartstopper seasons 1-3 are available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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