Will there be a Heartstopper season 4? Latest news and speculation
Everything we know so far about the future of the acclaimed series.
Heartstopper scored a rare double renewal from Netflix in 2022, securing its future for the last two years, but fans are now speculating whether the show will be handed a fourth season on the streaming service.
The latest episodes, which dropped this week, bring us further through Alice Oseman's graphic novel series, but we still haven't quite reached material from the as-yet-unreleased Heartstopper: Volume 6.
Therefore, it stands to reason that there's scope for at least one more story with Charlie (Joe Locke), Nick (Kit Connor) and the gang, with earlier comments by Oseman suggesting that this was the original plan.
For now, we can only cross our fingers that the show will continue from its strong fourth chapter (check out our Heartstopper review here for our in-depth thoughts).
Read on for everything we know so far about the future of Heartstopper on Netflix.
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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.
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.
It seems quite plausible that Netflix would want to allow creator Alice Oseman to finish adapting her best-selling graphic novels, but we can't be completely sure until we receive word from Netflix.
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 – take it with a pinch of salt for now!
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.
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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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