The Recruit season 2: Release date, trailer and latest news

While The Night Agent plays this story relatively straight, The Recruit has a healthy dash of comic relief, with Noah Centineo (of To All The Boys and Black Adam fame) proving to be a bumbling underdog as lawyer-turned-spy Owen Hendricks.

If the breathless action of the first season wasn't tough enough for him, this follow-up whisks Owen away to South Korea, where he's a fish out of water facing yet more life-threatening situations.

If you're excited to see how he copes, read on for everything we know so far about The Recruit season 2 on Netflix.

The Recruit season 2 release date

The Recruit season 2 is available to stream on Netflix from Thursday 30th January 2025.

The episodes come a full two years since the show premiered, with the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes potentially extending the wait between seasons.

Evidence that The Recruit is returning later than planned can be found in the show's renewal announcement video, which lets slip that season 2 was originally envisioned for 2024 (see below).

Still, it's better late than never!

At the time, creator, showrunner and executive producer Alexi Hawley said in a statement: "I'm thrilled to dive back into the fun, funny, action-packed world of The Recruit.

"Seeing how invested our audience became in the show's adventurous take on the spy world and Noah's turn as Owen has been incredibly rewarding, and I can't wait to turn it all up to '11' in season 2."

The Recruit star Noah Centineo added: "I know I speak for our entire cast and executive team at eOne and Netflix when I say that we are thrilled to be returning to The Recruit for a second season.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what Alexi Hawley has in store for us all."

The Recruit season 2 cast – new and returning

Noah Centineo leads the cast of The Recruit season 2 as fresh-faced lawyer turned CIA operative Owen Hendricks, with several other familiar faces also returning for the new episodes.

Supporting cast members Aarti Mann (Never Have I Ever), Colton Dunn (Superstore) and Fivel Stewart (Atypical) will reprise their roles, helping to boost the show's comedic credentials.

Meanwhile, The Recruit cast will also be welcoming back Daredevil alum Vondie Curtis-Hall (above), Kaylah Zander (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black).

Alas, Laura Haddock (White Lines) will not be returning as endangered CIA asset Max Meladze, but her on-screen daughter Maddie Hasson will be back as Nichka Lashin following that shock ending.

In December 2023, it was announced that Past Lives breakout star Teo Yoo would be joining The Recruit for season 2, playing an agent of South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

Centineo said: "He is such a strong antagonist and is extremely propulsive. Our season 2 story arc is totally dominated by his performances and intensity.

"We became friends quickly, and our work was always a collaborative and fulfilling process. Teo radiates positive energy and brightens the screen in every frame you watch. I can't wait for the world to see him in our show."

Here's a complete list of The Recruit season 2 cast members:

• Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks
• Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland
• Aarti Mann as Violet Ebner
• Colton Dunn as Lester Kitchens
• Fivel Stewart as Hannah Copeland
• Kristian Bruun as Janus Ferber
• Kaylah Zander as Amelia Salazar
• Maddie Hasson as Nichka Lashin
• Angel Parker as Dawn Gilbane
• Daniel Quincy Annoh as Terence
• Jesse Collin as Dodge
• Nathan Fillion as CIA Director Alton West
• Teo Yoo as Jang Kyun
• Young-Ah Kim as Grace
• Felix Solis as Tom Wallace
• James Purefoy as Oliver Bonner-Jones
• Shin Do-hyun as Yoo Jin Lee
• Sanghee Lee as Nan Hee
• Omar Maskati as Jae King
• Brooke Smith as Marcy Potter
• Devika Bhise as Juno Marsh
• Alana Hawley Purvis as Amanda Fern

The Recruit season 2 plot: What is it about?

According to Netflix, The Recruit season 2 sees Owen "pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realise that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency".

Speaking to TUDUM, The Recruit star Centineo said: "Owen’s headspace is complete chaos [at the start of season 2]. He has just witnessed Max – the former CIA asset whom he almost died multiple times trying to protect – get shot by her daughter Nichka.

"Owen is wondering how in the hell he is going to survive the next few seconds of his life."

Showrunner Hawley explained: "Owen knows that if he does not walk away with a win this season, his career is going to be over. He might go to prison.

"Depending on what people are into, they can show up this season for the big, flashy, splashy action stuff, but they can also be on a journey with this guy who’s just trying to fix something that he broke."

Is there a trailer for The Recruit season 2?

Yes! Netflix dropped the the action-packed trailer for The Recruit season 2 in January 2025. You can watch it here:

The Recruit is available to stream on Netflix.

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