Will there be a Westworld season 5? Release date and cast speculation
Have we finally reached the end of the game?
Well, was that really the end?
The Westworld season 4 ending proved to be something of a bloodbath with numerous character deaths and huge revelations.
Christina (Evan Rachel Wood) discovered the truth about her reality and connection to both Dolores Abernathy and Teddy Flood (James Marsden).
Meanwhile, Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) discovered a message from Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright) that set her on a collision course with The Man in Black (Ed Harris).
Elsewhere, the Caleb Nichols host (Aaron Paul) attempted to do all he could to ensure that his daughter Frankie "C" Nichols (Aurora Perrineau) found her way to safety.
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While the finale provided numerous conclusions, many will be wondering whether we will see Westworld season 5.
Here is everything we know so far.
**Spoiler warning for Westworld season 4 episode 8**
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Will there be a Westworld season 5?
Westworld season 5 has not been confirmed as no official renewal has been announced.
The finale for Westworld season 4 felt rather conclusive for a number of characters but there is still the possibility it could return.
In fact, Ed Harris told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2022 that a fifth and final season was planned.
He revealed: "I have no idea what they’re planning. We have one more season, which will start filming next April and May. I have no idea where that’s going to end up."
Speaking to Deadline, showrunner Lisa Joy confirmed the future of Westworld was not set in stone but added: "Jonah (Nolan) and I have always had an ending in mind that we hope to reach. We have not quite reached it yet."
When could a potential Westworld season 5 be released?
If Westworld is renewed for a fifth season then we would likely see it released in 2024.
Not only would this follow the release pattern of previous seasons but would also allow the show to film in 2023 as Ed Harris suggested it would and then give it ample time for pre-production and marketing ahead of its final run.
However, this is all contingent on the fourth season not being the final run.
Who will star in a potential Westworld season 5 cast?
The following cast members could return for Westworld season 5.
- Evan Rachel Wood as Christina/Dolores Abernathy
Ed Harris appeared to confirm his involvement in a potential fifth season and his character William/The Man in Black was shown in the post-credits scene for the second season in a far-future setting with Emily, played by Katja Herbers.
However, given that the fifth season will likely take place inside a virtual Westworld then there is a possibility that every major character from the series’ past could return.
Lisa Joy said to Deadline: "There are ways of conjuring characters back. There are some faces we will see again, but not all of them. Some deaths must be respected."
It would seem that the Charlotte Hale copy of Dolores really is gone for good, however.
“How do you die as a host? But if you do crush your CPU like that; that is where the soul of the host resides, so to speak," notes Joy to Deadline. "So, yes, no more Hale."
Other main cast members who could return through the virtual Westworld setting include…
- Thandiwe Newton as Maeve Millay
- Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe and Arnold Weber
- James Marsden as Teddy Flood
- Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice
- Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs
- Sidse Babett Knudsen as Theresa Cullen
- Simon Quarterman as Lee Sizemore
- Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton
- Angela Sarafyan as Clementine Pennyfeather
- Shannon Woodward as Elsie Hughes
- Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford
- Ben Barnes as Logan Delos
- Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence/El Lazo
- Jimmi Simpson as William
- Fares Fares as Antoine Costa
- Louis Herthum as Peter Abernathy
- Talulah Riley as Angela
- Gustaf Skarsgård as Karl Strand
- Katja Herbers as Emily
- Zahn McClarnon as Akecheta
- Aaron Paul as Caleb Nichols
- Tao Okamoto as Hanaryo
We would be surprised if all the above returned but if the show does come back it seems to be returning to the more Western genre characters.
What will a potential Westworld season 5 be about?
The Westworld season 4 ending saw a number of plot lines conclude and felt rather final in its confirmation that the human race and the hosts brought about their own annihilation and sentient life on Earth ended.
However, the “next world” is being carved out inside the virtual paradise of The Sublime as Christina/Dolores returns to a virtual Westworld built from memory to act out a test to decide whether humanity and hosts have a more hopeful future.
In this sense, if there is a fifth season of Westworld it will take viewers back to the Western park setting and ask if there is a way forward for sentient life on planet Earth.
Additionally, a fifth season could get to explaining the season 2 post-credits scene which featured William in the ruins of the Westworld station The Forge being interviewed by a woman resembling his dead daughter Emily to test his “fidelity” - implying this is a host version of William or something else entirely.
Speaking to Vulture, Lisa Joy teased when asked if the show has a planned ending: "Yes, and we’ve left clues and flash-forwards throughout the season as to things that will happen."
She also teased when asked if there are other characters' worlds to explore after seeing Christina's, Hale's and the parks: "Yes, but I feel like it’s a spoiler if we get a next season.
"Looking at different ways of governing a world and living in a world and different archetypes for leading that world has been an interesting part of the seasonal progressions. All the characters are trying to figure out how to survive and how to create a good society. "
Is there a trailer for Westworld season 5?
A fifth season of Westworld has not been confirmed and so has not entered production and therefore there is not footage.
If this changes we will be sure to update this page.
In the meantime, go behind the scenes on the Westworld season 4 finale with the clip above, which includes Tessa Thompson discussing her final scenes as Charlotte Hale/Dolores Abernathy.
- Read More: Westworld season 4 review: Dystopian drama is true blockbuster TV
- Read More: Where to stream and watch Westworld online
- Read More: Meet the cast of Westworld season 4
Westworld seasons 1 to 4 are available now on Sky and NOW. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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