The Orville fans have been waiting to hear news about a Season 4 renewal for a while now. Despite promising updates and a shoutout from NASA, official news has yet to arrive on that front. There is a positive update to report, though, which comes courtesy of series producer and lead actor Seth MacFarlane. However, it also leaves me confused about the franchise's future.
It should come as no surprise that Seth MacFarlane continues to beat the drum that keeps hope for The Orville's future alive. Despite the long wait for a renewal, positive comments from people like the actor/producer are sure to keep fans optimistic. Still, though MacFarlane's latest sentiments indicate that the show might not be finished, you may be like me in that you want to know exactly what he means.
How Seth MacFarlane Confirmed More Of The Orville Is Happening
Amidst unofficial rumors the show is returning, the Family Guy creator recently appeared on The Mike Henry Show and talked about various topics. One subject had to do with how, regardless of your level of success, there are always expected projects creatives must take on in order to get the passion projects they truly want to work on. It was during that part of the conversation that the Peter Griffin actor briefly mentioned The Orville and said the following:
The Orville was a passion project. I say was, but I don't really mean 'was' because there will be more.
So, according to the man himself, as of late April 2024, the franchise isn't done. Admittedly, this is a better update than what Seth MacFarlane said about Orville back in January. However, there's still some vagueness that leaves me with more questions than I previously had.
Why I'm Somewhat Confused By The Producer's Latest Comments
Seth MacFarlane is obviously committed to continuing the IP, but his wording isn't very specific, as not to promise anything. He doesn't say for sure whether Disney+ subscription holders should expect to stream a fourth season in the near future or even that the show will continue. MacFarlane could easily be saying that he intends to continue the stories of his fictional crew in book form or through some other medium outside of a TV. It's also possible that he could be planning an eventual movie or spinoff that he plans to make years down the road.
One unfortunate reality of this uncertainty is that the wait for a new season has left some cast members restless. Some have also been honest about their experiences working on the sci-fi romp in the interim. For instance, Adrianne Palicki saying in late 2023 that shooting The Orville was difficult. Additionally, co-star Penny Johnson openly expressed frustration with the show not being renewed yet. Given that actors have to work to make money, I get why some could be frustrated. The cast of this series may not be available by the time the creator is ready to shoot new episodes, so other options may be explored in that event.
Whatever the future holds for The Orville: New Horizons we'll have to wait and see, In the meantime, you can continue to stream the series on Disney+ or with a Hulu subscription. I'll continue to remain optimistic that fans haven't seen the end of the series but am hoping for some more concrete evidence of that to arrive in the future.
