The Orville's current season has come to an end on Hulu, leaving fans wondering exactly what's next for Seth MacFarlane's Star Trek-inspired show.
The current season doesn't bring things to a definitive conclusion, and the cast has spoken about wanting to make a Season 4.
Season 4 could come to Hulu in the future, according to a number of reports about the show, but The Orville's future isn't set in stone. Here's what we know.
What We Know So Far About The Orville Season 4
Will there be another season of The Orville? The answer is maybe in the future, but MacFarlane and the rest of the show's cast are focusing on other projects.
Per Deadline, the cast members were released from their contracts earlier this year when they expired. Though it hasn't been canceled, and Season 3 leaves the show open-ended, the show will only return if MacFarlane returns to his passion project at some point.
Right now, however, the Family Guy creator has other priorities. As part of his overall deal at NBCUniversal, he is currently developing Ted, a Peacock prequel series to his two movies about a foul-mouthed stuffed bear. This show will star The Orville's Scott Grimes as Matty Bennett, "a blustering, blue-collar Bostonian who thinks he is the unequivocal boss in the family." His character is the father to a younger version of Mark Wahlberg's character John, now to be played by Max Burkholder.
Ted is not the only project MacFarlane has that is currently taking priority over The Orville. He is also executive producer on an upcoming reboot of Good Times, and has recorded a voice role for the upcoming comedy Star Wars spin-off Detours.
In May 2022, The Orville executive producer David Goodman told TrekMovie "the show is absolutely not canceled," adding: "If the fans and the audience shows up on Hulu, they're absolutely can be a season four." This came after Kelly Grayson actor Adrienne Palicki sparked rumors the show was over when she said on a podcast: "[Season 3] it is our final season...I'll miss everyone. That was actually...that was definitely a family for sure. We spent so much time together on that ship."
MacFarlane echoed Goodman's sentiments in a TVLine interview, saying: "It's really just a question of, is there an audience?" But in a Hollywood Reporter interview, he seemed enthusiastic, saying: "I would love it. I know the entire cast is hoping for it."
At least one cast member has gone on the record about wanting the show to return. Dr. Claire Finn actor Penny Johnson Jerald told Winter is Coming, "give us another season!"
The Orville Seasons 1 to 3 are streaming now on Hulu.
