The Orville season 4 may be in limbo, but that hasn't stopped the quirky sci-fi's dedicated following from demanding to know when Captain Ed Mercer and the rest of the USS Orville crew will return. Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi dramedy The Orville made the move from Fox to Hulu for season 3, eventually returning to screens after several delays caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and shifting television schedules. Renamed The Orville: New Horizons, the show has dialed down the comedy to become a more mature and politically astute show.

Disappointingly for viewers and show creatives, the future of The Orville is currently in doubt. At the time of writing, there are no future episodes in development despite all three seasons of The Orville releasing on Disney+. As the creator of Family Guy, which was canceled after three seasons, Seth MacFarlane is no stranger to surviving cancelation. A similar demonstration of The Orville's popularity on both Hulu and Disney+ could secure the show's future. However, until there's some clarity around the show's renewal, pinning down a potential release date for The Orville season 4 is tricky.

Most Recent The Orville Season 4 News

A Filming Update Is Seemingly Revealed

A few months after show creator and star Seth MacFarlane seemingly confirmed that season 4 was happening, the latest news sees The Orville season 4 get a filming update. Though the latest news is still unconfirmed by Hulu, Lt. Gordon Malloy actor Scott Grimes made an appearance at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention where he revealed that filming for season 4 is set to begin in early 2025. Though there is no footage of Grimes making that statement, several s on X (formerly Twitter), including the @ParksAndCons, shared photos of his con appearance with the news.

The Orville Hasn't Been Renewed For Season 4 (Officially)

The Season Is Not Confirmed

Throughout 2024, several major updates have come out, but none have been confirmed by Hulu.

The Orville hasn't been renewed for season 4. However, Seth MacFarlane has hopes that The Orville season 4 will be confirmed eventually. In an interview with TVLine, the creator stated that he believed the odds for a season 4 renewal are about "50-50". Throughout 2024, several major updates have come out, but none have been confirmed by Hulu. In April 2024, MacFarlane announced that season 4 was happening, and Scott Grimes revealed an early 2025 filming window in August 2024. Until Hulu corroborates those statements, The Orville season 4 is still not official.

The Orville season 3 ended on August 4th, 2022.

The Orville Season 4 Cast

Who Will Return?

The Orville's creator, Seth MacFarlane, is the only cast member guaranteed to come back for The Orville season 4. The rest of The Orville cast was released from their contracts when filming wrapped on the third season in August 2021, so their return for The Orville season 4 isn't guaranteed. Adrianne Palicki is the first cast member to announce she wouldn't return, but no one else has expressed such sentiments. In August 2024, Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy) supposedly revealed the filming window for season 4, so he'll likely return.

Should there be no contractual complications around their return, the cast of The Orville season 4 would likely include:

The Orville Season 4 Story

A New Threat From The Krill & Moclan Alliance Looms

The crew of the USS Orville made peace with their Borg-like Kaylon enemies in season 3's penultimate episode, so the Kaylons will be the Union's allies in The Orville season 4. The main threat for any future season of The Orville would likely be the Krill/Moclan alliance, the partnership of two species who are essentially The Orville's versions of Star Trek's Cardassians and Klingons. After peaceful negotiations with the Krill broke down with the election of an extremist candidate and the Moclan's expulsion from the Union for their bigotry, the two races banded together.

The Orville's third season explored the personal and emotional impact of the Kaylon war on android Isaac and Moclan bigotry of Bortus' family, and this could also factor in to The Orville season 4 plot. A fraught political situation with the Krill and Moclans would provide rich material for future stories in The Orville season 4. Ed's half-Krill daughter and Bortus, Klyden, and Topa's Moclan origins would be similarly impacted by galactic events, further exploring The Orville's new thematic horizons in season 4.