After two very controversial seasons, 13 Reasons Why will return for Season 3, Netflix has confirmed. Originally based on the book of the same name by Jay Asher, 13 Reasons Why exhausted its source material in Season 1, and branched out on its own for Season 2 under showrunner Brian Yorkey. The show originally told the story of Hannah Baker, and her decision to commit suicide. However, 13 Reasons Why has become much more about the lives of a group of teenagers, each of whom is struggling with their own issues.

  • Release Date: Exact date not known, but season 3 will arrive in 2019 Cast: None confirmed so far, but it’s likely we’ll see Dylan Minnette, Alisha Boe, Devin Druid, Christian Navarro, Brandon Flynn, and Miles Heizer all returning to their roles. Directors: To be announced. Writers:  Brian Yorkey, more to be announced.

Key Cast Members Are Likely To Return For 13 Reasons Why Season 3

13 Reasons Why has made stars of its young cast, and not without good reason. They’ve all turned in accomplished, mature performances and although nothing is confirmed yet, it’s likely that most of them will return in some capacity. It would be highly unlikely for 13 Reasons Why Season 3 to continue without Dylan Minnette as Clay Jensen, Alisha Boe as Jessica Davis, Christian Navarro as Tony Padilla, Brandon Flynn as Justin Foley, and Miles Heizer as Alex Standall. Those were the central characters from Season 2 along with, of course, Devin Druid as Tyler Down. Certainly, Season 3 will address his storyline, which saw him talked out of carrying out a school shooting by Clay.

We could also very well see the return of the new characters introduced in 13 Reasons Why Season 2; most notably Bryce Cass as Cyrus and Anne Winters as Chloe Rice. If Winters does return, that could also mean we’ll see more of Justin Prentice as Bryce Walker. He might have moved schools, but Chloe is pregnant with his child.

Read More: Was Hannah Baker Pregnant In 13 Reasons Why?

Hannah Baker Won’t Return For 13 Reasons Why Season 3

The key to keeping a show interesting is changing things up, and that’s certainly going to happen in 13 Reasons Why Season 3. Before the show was renewed, Katherine Langford announced she wouldn’t be back. Langford gave a superb performance as Hannah Baker in Season 1, but Season 2 was a struggle for her as an actress and viewers, simply because there was no need for the character to return. It’s no surprise that Langford wants to pursue other projects now, and Clay has found the closure he needs so it’s the right time for the character to be done.

Other characters may not return, either. At the end of Season 2, Olivia Baker (Kate Walsh) looked set to move to New York, while others like Marcus, Courtney, and Zach should be going to college. However, don’t rule out the writers figuring a way for them to remain in the show somehow.

Read More: 13 Reasons Why Season 2’s Biggest Problem Was Keeping Hannah Baker

Where 13 Reasons Why’s Story Is So Far

13 Reasons Why burst onto Netflix in 2017 with the story of Hannah Baker and why she killed herself. The show attracted numerous complaints, from those who claimed it glorified suicide, but the creators and cast of the show have always maintained that it was their intention to shine a light on suicide and highlight the pressures of life facing teenagers today. They’ve certainly done this. Season 1 also dealt with issues of rape, substance abuse, and bullying, and while some thought it all might ease up in Season 2, it did not.

While the Baker parents sued the school for negligence, other problems were brewing. Bryce Walker continued to rape women including his own girlfriend, until Jessica found the courage to testify against him and have him convicted. Alex struggled to come to terms with his failed suicide attempt, having lost his memory when the bullet grazed his skull. Justin tried to overcome heroin addiction while escaping a turbulent home life, and then there was Tyler. An outcast throughout Season 1, things seemed to look up for Tyler when he found a friend in new classmate Cyrus. But Tyler struggled with social acceptance, and his peers continued to relentlessly bully him. It all culminated in a horrific sexual assault by Monty, which led to Tyler arriving at the Spring dance armed with a multitude of guns. Clay managed to talk him out of doing it, and in the final scenes of Season 2, Tyler was whisked away by Tony, leaving Clay holding a rifle, with Jessica and Justin by his side, just as the cops arrived.

Read More: 13 Reasons Why Season 2’s Shocking Finale Explained

13 Reasons Why Season 3 Has A (Vague) Release Date

There’s no exact release date set for 13 Reasons Why Season 3, and fans will recall that Netflix kept them waiting for a season 2 release date until it was almost upon us. This time, though, the streaming service has confirmed the show will return in 2019 - just not exactly when. The season will begin shooting later this year, though, so a premiere date of late spring seems realistic.

Brian Yorkey Knows Where The 13 Reasons Why Story Is Heading

Even before 13 Reasons Why was renewed, showrunner Brian Yorkey knew where he wanted the story to go. Speaking at a Netflix panel (via Deadline), Yorkey said, “It’s a question of, is there more story to tell, do we want to see these kids not only continue to recover, but, how do they bring forward into their lives the thing they’ve learned about what they’ve been through?”

Adding that Hannah’s story would always be central to the essence of the show, Yorkey stated he wanted any third season to be focused on the young people and how they learn to take care of each other. Certainly, that’s something the show needs.

There’s No Trailer For 13 Reasons Why Season 3 (But There Is An Announcement Video)

Given that the show hasn’t started filming yet, there’s unsurprisingly no trailer for 13 Reasons Why Season 3 yet. Based on Netflix’s standard release approach, we may not see until a month or so before the show actually premieres.

However, an announcement teaser was released alongside the confirmation of Season 3, showing a school locker with the number “3” graffitied over it.

There Is Currently No Poster For 13 Reasons Why Season 3

There has also not been any poster released for 13 Reasons Why Season 3. This may arrive before the first-look trailer, but don’t expect any new official art until 2019 either.

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