‘3 Body Problem’ season 2: Everything we know so far

Liam Cunningham, Jess Hong, Sea Shimooka in 3 Body Problem
(Image credit: Netflix)

When sci-fi series “3 Body Problem” debuted, it quickly became one of the most popular series on Netflix both among critics and viewers alike. As of January 2025, it's maintained its 79% “fresh” rating with critics at Rotten Tomatoes, and an equally impressive 77% audience score. Our own Malcolm McMillan called it “the best show of 2024 so far" at the time, and it's still managing to captivate new viewers even now.

We already knew that Netflix was planning to bring another season out, as it was announced in May 2024. Initially announced simply as "additional episodes," it was later clarified that the renewal would cover two more seasons to complete the adaptation of Liu's books.

Unfortunately, there's not much information floating around right now about the new episodes. However, there are some juicy tidbits floating around that we can talk about today. With that in mind, here's everything we know so far about "3 Body Problem" season 2.

'3 Body Problem' season 2 release speculation

There was a renewal announcement earlier in May 2024 for two additional seasons of "3 Body Problem". However, the exact episode count for the next two seasons has yet to be determined, it's safe to say that it will be a while before "3 Body Problem" fans get to see any new episodes.

Benioff, Weiss and Woo are just beginning to break the story with their writing staff, and both production and post-production on an epic, effects-heavy show like "3 Body Problem" take quite a long time. It was two and a half years between the time that production began on the first season and when it finally premiered on Netflix.

On March 10, Eiza González, who plays nanotechnology development specialist and Oxford Five founding member Auggie Salazar, shared some new details about when season 2 will enter production with Screen Rant during SXSW.

González noted that she was excited to explore the events of the second novel "The Dark Forest", noting that it would be in production "very, very soon," adding "this year".

"Dark Forest is my favorite book, and I'm very excited," she said. "I hate to say this because I think every part of a series is important, and this is no different to that, but definitely when we were talking about the books, the showrunners were like, "We just have to power through the first season to get to the real juicy part of the story and where it goes."

Still, even with production getting underway soon, don't expect to see another season of "3 Body Problem" on Netflix until late 2025 at the earliest. Spring 2026, which would be two years after the premiere of the first season, seems like a stronger probability.

@tomsguidestreaming

♬ original sound - tomsguidestreaming

'3 Body Problem' season 2 cast

3 Body Problem. (L to R) Liam Cunningham as Wade, Benedict Wong as Da Shi in episode 105 of "3 Body Problem"

(Image credit: Ed Miller/Netflix)

One thing that "3 Body Problem" has in common with "Game of Thrones" is its willingness to kill off major characters, which means that many of the main cast members from the first season will not return for future episodes (barring potential flashbacks). Liu's novels jump forward across significant periods of time, so it's possible that new actors may step in to play existing characters as well.

Characters who appear in the later books in the trilogy are likely to show up on the series in some form, although they may be changed significantly, just as the characters in the first season were substantially altered from the versions in the books.

For now, here are the series regulars from the first season whom we expect to show up again in "3 Body Problem" season 2.

  • Jovan Adepo as Dr. Saul Durand
  • Liam Cunningham as Thomas Wade
  • Eiza González as Dr. Augustina "Auggie" Salazar
  • Jess Hong as Dr. Jin Cheng
  • Marlo Kelly as Tatiana Haas
  • Sea Shimooka as Sophon
  • Saamer Usmani as Prithviraj "Raj" Varma
  • Benedict Wong as Clarence Shi

'3 Body Problem' season 2 plot

The first season of “3 Body Problem” ends with some pretty major open questions, so it seems likely that the second season will pick up there, to address the immediate resolutions to those cliffhangers. Liu’s novels span a period of hundreds of years, though, so there’s potential for the second season of “3 Body Problem” to expand its sci-fi world even further, with a grand, universe-spanning story of space travel and intergalactic conflict.

Benioff, Weiss and Woo have grounded Liu’s story in personal relationships to a greater degree than in the novels, and the story is likely to continue focusing on those relationships even as its scope expands across time and space. There’s the opportunity to add new characters as the story evolves, and the creators have also shown that they’re willing to make changes to Liu’s story in order to reach their target audience.

As González noted when speaking about season 2 going into production, it will adapt "The Dark Forest", the second book in the series. This installment follows humanity preparing for an invasion by the alien Trisolarans. To counter alien surveillance, the UN appoints "Wallfacers," strategists who plan Earth's defense in total secrecy. Luo Ji, one such Wallfacer, formulates the "Dark Forest Theory," which suggest that civilizations should stay hidden so they can avoid destruction. Of course, this likely will only lay the groundwork for what's to come.

Benioff, Weiss and Woo have plenty of ideas for more seasons of “3 Body Problem,” and there’s a wealth of material left to adapt from Liu’s subsequent novels. “We included a lot of what we loved from the [novels] in season 1, but the vast majority of reasons we wanted to make this show are in season 2,” Weiss told Netflix's Tudum. “We always wanted to get to the final page of the third book, and it’s really, really thrilling to us that we will get to do just that.”

At one time, the creators indicated that they envisioned four seasons to tell the entire story, but now that the show is confirmed to last for three seasons, they're confident that they'll be able to bring it to a satisfying close in that amount of time. “We knew going into this how many hours we need to tell the rest of the story because we’ve got a roadmap through to the end,” Weiss told The Hollywood Reporter. “And we have what we need to get to the end as intended from when we started.”

Josh Bell
Writer

Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He's the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has written about movies and TV for Vulture, Inverse, CBR, Crooked Marquee and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
Rebecca Ferguson in Silo
'Silo' season 3 — everything we know so far
Tom Sturridge as Dream, reading the book of Rose Walker, in The Sandman
'The Sandman' season 2 — everything we know so far
Rhaenyra (Emm D'Arcy) stands on a beach with her dragon, Syrax, in the background in "House of the Dragon" season 2
'House of the Dragon' season 3: Everything we know so far
Ella Purnell in Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime Video
'Fallout' season 2: Everything we know so far
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine in Mr. & Mrs. Smith
'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' season 2: Everything we know so far
Rosamund Pike in The Wheel of Time season 2
'The Wheel of Time' season 3 release date, trailer and everything we know
Latest in Netflix
Ensemble cast members of Netflix's "The Residence" cast peak around a doorway
Netflix top 10 shows — here's the 3 worth watching right now
(L-R) Ambika Mod as Emma Morley and Leo Woodall as Dexter Mayhew in One Day on Netflix
5 Netflix shows I wish I could erase from my memory just to relive them again
Tom Hiddleston as Robert Laing in "High Rise" now streaming on Netflix
5 best Netflix movies in March you haven't watched yet
Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane in Between the Temples
My favorite rom-com from the last year is one you probably haven't heard of — and it's now streaming on Netflix
Maria Debska in "Just One Look" now streaming on Netflix
3 best Netflix shows in March you haven't watched yet
Park Ji-hoon in "Park Ji-hoon" now streaming on Netflix
Netflix just added this action-packed drama ahead of season 2 — and viewers rate it 96% on Rotten Tomatoes
Latest in News
The Signal app logo displayed on an iPhone, with a screenshot of the Signal app in use displayed on a monitor in the background.
Signal — everything you need to know about the app at the center of the group chat scandal
Robert Downey Jr. revealed as Doctor Doom for "Avengers: Doomsday"
Marvel reveals 'Avengers: Doomsday' casting — follow the latest updates live
Wyze Cam v3
Wyze adds AI-powered filter to its security cameras to cut down on notifications that are “no big deal”
Microsoft Copilot app running on a phone with Microsoft logo in background
Microsoft 365 Copilot debuts new research tools for work: here's what that means
COLUMBUS, OHIO - JANUARY 26: Amber Glenn skates in the Women's Free Skate during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena on January 26, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Watch World Figure Skating Championships 2025 online – live stream, schedule, what TV channel is it on?
Mark Duplass and Ellen Pompeo in "Good American Family" on Hulu
Hulu top 10 shows — here's the 3 you need to stream right now