Will there be a The Recruit season 3?
Noah Centineo's espionage series has returned from a two-year absence.
The Recruit season 2 has launched on Netflix, leaving fans in limbo as they await word on whether the espionage comedy-drama will continue any further.
Noah Centineo leads the cast of the series as young CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks, who unexpectedly became a field operative in season 1 and is thrown into another precarious international situation in the second chapter.
The status of the show is yet to be confirmed by Netflix, but series creator Alexi Hawley has made it quite clear that the hope and intention is for another season to be produced.
He told Deadline in a post-launch interview: "I have been thinking about [season 3], in broad strokes. It would definitely be nice [to film abroad]... it'd be great to do that again.
"I'm not sure exactly where I want to go yet. I feel like we've done Russia, we've done Korea. So maybe Latin America [or] Africa would be exciting."
He added: "The American audiences don't get exposed to Africa a lot in our storytelling for lots of reasons, but I think that would be really interesting."
If you're eager for more from The Recruit, here's everything we know so far about the show's potential future on Netflix.
Will there be a The Recruit season 3 on Netflix?
Netflix is yet to announce whether The Recruit has been renewed for season 3 or cancelled.
The streaming service typically monitors viewership numbers closely in the first month of a show's release, considering factors including how many subscribers actually finished the season (as opposed to stopping partway through).
So, the best thing you can do to help the show's chances is watch the new season in its first few weeks of availability – and encourage friends and relatives to do the same.
In the immediate aftermath of season 2's launch, showrunner Alexi Hawley explained (via Deadline): "We’re waiting for Netflix to officially do their thing with it.
"There's a lot of goodwill inside Netflix towards the show and towards Noah [Centineo]; I think they very much feel like Noah is a homegrown star, which he is [having started on the streamer's teen romcoms]."
He added: "I'm feeling super positive about it, as positive as you can feel in this town at this time."
We'll update this page when the status of The Recruit is confirmed by Netflix, one way or the other.
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When could a potential The Recruit season 3 be released?
If The Recruit were to be renewed for a third season, it is quite likely that the next episodes would drop in 2026.
The comedy-drama incurred a delay to its second entry after the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America strikes of 2023 brought Hollywood to a standstill.
At the time of The Recruit's renewal, which came prior to the industrial action, a teaser shared to social media announced that season 2 was intended to be released in 2024.
This suggests that Netflix execs deemed a production cycle of 12-18 months to be viable for the series, before the unforeseen disruption threw things off course.
Therefore, if renewed, The Recruit could potentially return to our screens as early as spring/summer 2026. Watch this space for updates on the show's future as they come in.
Who could star in a potential The Recruit season 3 cast?
Warning: Season 2 spoilers follow in this section.
Of course, there couldn't be a third season of The Recruit without series star Noah Centineo, who plays CIA lawyer turned messy field operative Owen Hendricks in the hit show.
Other key players in The Recruit's first two seasons include Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn, Fivel Stewart, Kristian Bruun and Vondie Curtis-Hall, all of whom could possibly reprise their roles.
The second instalment also welcomed Past Lives breakout star Teo Yoo to The Recruit family, but it remains to be seen whether the South Korean actor would be back should the show come back for season 3.
"He's definitely someone I want in our arsenal," said creator Alexi Hawley in an interview with TVLine, but admitted that he may not be able to bring Jang Kyun back as a series "regular" following the character's exit from the NIS.
The Recruit season 2 ended with another shock murder by Nichka (played by Maddie Hasson), who killed her own mother (Laura Haddock's Max Meladze) in season 1 and took out corrupt CIA agent Dawn Gilbane (Angel Parker) this time around.
Hawley said that "Dawn's story is ultimately a tragic one" as she had to spend her final days scrambling to "try and clean up her tracks and get back into the CIA's good graces", but found that the forces stacked against her were too strong to overcome.
Her killer, however, remains at large, with the showrunner adding that "there's definitely a world where we could see Nichka again", teasing that "having wild cards out there is super fun because you never know [whether they'll return]".
Here's an overview of the cast and characters who could potentially star in The Recruit season 3:
- Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks
- Aarti Mann as Violet
- Colton Dunn as Lester
- Fivel Stewart as Hannah
- Daniel Quincy Annoh as Terence
- Kristian Bruun as Janus Ferber
- Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland
- Teo Yoo as Jang Kyun
- Maddie Hasson as Nichka
- Kim Young-ah as Grace
Is there a The Recruit season 3 trailer?
Not yet! We'll update this page if and when any new footage is released.
The Recruit seasons 1-2 are available to stream on Netflix.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.