The crew of the starship Orville has spent lightyears exploring the galaxy, navigating interstellar crises, and managing their own interpersonal relationships, but will they be able to conquer their next mission: securing a Season 4?
Over the course of their travels, the team has faced cosmic threats, diplomatic standoffs, time-bending anomalies, and more than a few emotional entanglements, yet the question of the show’s future remains the biggest cliffhanger of all.
Seth MacFarlane‘s sci-fi comedy The Orville has been on hiatus since 2022, and while there have been steady rumblings from both cast and crew about a potential return, fans are still waiting for an official launch date from Hulu. Hope continues to build, but until an announcement arrives, the fate of The Orville remains just out of reach.
Here is everything we know so far about the future of the futuristic comedy and whether a Season 4 is on the horizon.
Ali Goldstein/Hulu
Will there be a Season 4 of The Orville?
The Orville was never officially canceled, nor was it greenlit for a new season, so as of right now, its status remains in limbo. In an interview on Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast with Ted Danson, MacFarlane briefly addressed the issue, saying, “When I was a kid, Hollywood was providing that voice, in various forms. There was a lot of hope… Some of the blame lies right here in this town. The dishes that we are serving up are so dystopian and so pessimistic. And, yeah, there’s a lot to be pessimistic about, but it’s so one-sided. There’s nothing we’re doing that’s providing anyone an image of hope.”
In 2024, Scott Grimes, who plays Lt. Gordon Malloy, offered hope to the masses when it was reported by The Wrap that he announced at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention that he believed a fourth season was on the horizon. Orville fan podcast Planetary Union Network confirmed this on Reddit, but since then, no movement has continued on production.
Scott Grimes thanks the #STLV community for embracing #TheOrville and shares that he believes filming for season 4 begins in January or February pic.twitter.com/WEhlnRky8L
— Parks And Cons (@ParksAndCons) August 3, 2024
However, in an interview with MovieWeb from April 2025, Adrianne Palicki, who plays Cmdr. Kelly Grayson gave a more ominous statement about the show’s future: “That would be a conversation, if that was going to be a thing. You know, right before the strikes, that was definitely a conversation that Seth and I had. He called me and asked if I would do it, and it was a possibility, and then the strikes happened. It kind of just went away. I know a lot of people are disappointed about that, but as of now, I don’t know that there’s going to be a fourth season.”
Hulu
What is The Orville about?
Created by and starring Seth MacFarlane, the sci-fi comedy was set 400 years in the future. It blended adventure with humor, as it both parodied and paid homage to the legacy of Star Trek. MacFarlane played Captain Ed Mercer, the well-meaning, somewhat self-deprecating commander of the USS Orville, which he ran with his ex-wife and first officer, Commander Kelly Grayson. The show followed the crew on their mission of exploration for the Planetary Union.
What happened in The Orville Season 3?
The Orville: New Horizons ended with the episode “Future Unknown,” which could easily serve as a heartwarming finale. The episode focused on Isaac (Mark Jackson) proposing to Dr. Claire Finn (Penny Johnson Jerald), Lt. Cmdr. Bortus (Peter Macon), and Klyden (Chad L. Coleman) renewing vows, and the return of Lt. Alara Kitan (Halston Sage). The story tied up character arcs while leaving the door open for more adventures, but ultimately, the finale felt like a good conclusion to the story.
Who stars in The Orville?
The Orville starred Seth MacFarlane, Adrianne Palicki, Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, J. Lee, Mark Jackson, Jessica Szohr, Anne Winters, and Halston Sage.
The Orville, Seasons 1, 2, and New Horizons are available to stream, Hulu
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