Season 3 of Heartstopper is set to release on Netflix on October 3rd, and audiences were just treated to first-look photos to celebrate the premiere being 87 days away. While the majority of fans are busy screaming about the new stills showing Charlie and Nick in love and potentially grappling with Charlie’s mental health, others are celebrating the addition of a fan-favorite character from the graphic novel series: Oliver Spring.
In the best-selling YA LGBTQ+ graphic novels that serve as the source material for the page-to-screen adaptation, Oliver Spring is Charlie’s always happy and sometimes hilarious younger brother. When the live-action series was created, he was unfortunately excluded from the Springs family, but now the beloved character is set to make an appearance, only as their younger cousin. Check out the first look at li'l Oliver below!
Though Oliver is a minor character in author Alice Oseman's fictional universe that comprises both prose and graphic novels, he does play a significant role in the Spring family dynamic. He has no problem with Charlie’s sexuality, and becomes quite fond of Nick whenever they meet. In one particularly pivotal scene, the young Spring even helps their mom understand why she clashes so much with her older son.
It’s unlikely that fans of the TV show will see Oliver in the same capacity since Oseman has clarified that his role will be “small but festive” for Netflix. But fans aren’t too worried about that, trusting Oseman and the rest of the Heartstopper team enough to believe that Oliver will get a chance to shine no matter how small the role will be.
At least, that seems to be the sentiment online as fans immediately took to social media to celebrate the news. In particular, fans on Instagram flooded the comment section with jokes and guesses on which scenes Oliver might appear in. Here are some of those highlights:
- I have a huge feeling that this is for the “HEY NICK GUESS WHAT, CHARLIE LOV-“ “NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!” part of the comics - @kaulfield
- finally our LITTLE YET GIANT KING - @lucaguadagnini
- Getting to see Charlie, Tori and Oliver in a scene together will be incredible 🥹 - @katie_hughes
- main character has arrived!!! - @knottsly
Fans on X are just as pumped by the news, sharing their happiness with side-by-side images of the actor and character from the graphic novels. There are also plenty of reactionary images and gifs like this one that perfectly captures what the fandom is feeling right now:
OLIVER SPRING IS REAL AND HE IS SO LOVED 😭😭😭😭 #heartstopper pic.twitter.com/OlzOgCwrQlJuly 8, 2024
The reveal is even more thrilling because fans had to work for it. Hours before the pics were released, the fandom was prompted to search various Netflix social media accounts for clues in order to create a specific code to access the Tudum site where the first looks were housed. The code ended up being “Oliver,” which fans initially thought was weird until they learned of his upcoming appearance in the third season.
In addition to Oliver, Heartstopper fans were also treated to a carousel of stills on Instagram from the upcoming season showcasing the emotional journey Nick and Charlie are about to go on, while also celebrating some of this show's other iconic LGBTQ+ relationships.
It’s also worth noting that Oliver won’t be the only new but familiar face joining the cast of Season 3. Last year, it was revealed that the cast of characters will include Michael Holden, Tori’s friend and eventual boyfriend, While new faces are something to be excited about, the series is losing Olivia Colman, who was unable to film due to prior commitments.
While there are still many months before fans can watch Season 3, they can revisit Charlie and Nick by streaming the first two seasons with a Netflix subscription now.
