'The Umbrella Academy' season 4: Everything we know so far

Over the course of three seasons, "The Umbrella Academy" has become one of Netflix's signature shows. As is often the case even with hit streaming series, though, it's set to end after its upcoming fourth season. That will bring the story of the superpowered Hargreeves family to a close, although not before plenty of twists and turns, as fans have come to expect from the mind-bending series.

The third season of "The Umbrella Academy" ended with the characters in an entirely new timeline, a universe in which they've all lost their superpowers. They'll have only six episodes to deal with that situation in the new season, which is shortened from the 10 episodes featured in previous seasons. No doubt creator and showrunner Steve Blackman will pack those six episodes with lots of bizarre incidents along with satisfying character development.

Here's what we know so far about the "The Umbrella Academy" season 4 on Netflix.

'The Umbrella Academy' season 4 release date

There's no need to wonder about when "The Umbrella Academy" season 4 will debut on Netflix: In February, Netflix announced that all six episodes will premiere on August 8, 2024, which is more than two years after the debut of the third season. That's a long time for fans who've been waiting to see how the story of the Hargreeves family will wrap up, but "Umbrella Academy" viewers are used to having patience since there was also a two-year gap between the second and third seasons.

Production on the season concluded about a year ago, in May 2023, and while that avoided the delays caused by the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, it's safe to assume that post-production may have been slowed down while the writers and actors were striking for better working conditions. Having the full creative team back on board ensures the best possible quality for the final season.

'The Umbrella Academy' season 4 cast

The official Netflix press information breaks down the cast for the fourth season, which includes nine longtime stars who play members of the superpowered Hargreeves family, as well as a few high-profile additions for this season.

Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross have been announced as new cast members for season 4, although not much is known about the characters they'll play. The actors, known for their comedic roles, may bring a lighter tone to their performances, even if the stakes of the story are once again apocalyptic.

Here's what we expect the season 4 cast of "The Umbrella Academy" to look like.

• Elliot Page as Viktor Hargreeves aka Number Seven, who has the ability to create physical force from soundwaves

• Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves aka Number One, who has super strength and was recently returned to human form after previously possessing the upper body of a gorilla

• David Castaneda as Diego Hargreeves aka Number Two, who has telekinetic abilities to affect the trajectory of objects in motion

• Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves aka Number Three, who can control minds via a special phrase, and even without the phrase when she's experiencing intense anger

• Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves aka Number Four, who can communicate with the dead and briefly resurrect them, and also resurrect himself after death

• Aidan Gallagher as Number Five, who can jump back and forth through space and time, and has interacted with the team at various ages

• Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves aka Number Six, who can unleash huge tentacles from his body, and in one timeline died on an early team mission

• Colm Feore as Sir Reginald Hargreeves, the billionaire industrialist who adopted the superpowered siblings and set them on their path

• Ritu Arya as Lila Pitts, the Handler's adopted daughter and Diego's girlfriend, who has the ability to mirror other superpowers

• Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally as Gene and Jean Thibedeau, two community college professors who suffer from extreme deja vu

• David Cross as Sy Grossman, a meek but moral business owner and family man

'The Umbrella Academy' season 4 trailers and clips

Although no trailer has yet been released for the fourth season of "The Umbrella Academy," Netflix has put out this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the final season, including some very vague promises from cast members, as they participate in a table read for one of the fourth-season episodes.

"They can expect us in marketing material to try and dance around getting people excited without saying anything new," says actor Aidan Gallagher, in an indication of how little has yet been revealed to fans.

'The Umbrella Academy' season 4 plot

No plot details have officially been released for the final season of "The Umbrella Academy," but some small hints have trickled out in interviews. Since the third season ended with the characters losing their powers, showrunner Steve Blackman told The Wrap that the new season would explore the ramifications of that event: "I want to pose to the viewer and the fan, ‘Would they be happier without their powers?’ I mean, all they do is complain about being who they are. So will Victor, will Diego be happy without it or will they feel like they’re missing an appendage? Will the world not be right for them anymore without powers? Can they be ‘normal’?"

In an interview with Collider, star Justin H. Min said that the season would provide a true ending for the show: "In terms of what to expect, I'll probably be killed if I say something. But I think I can tease. There are a lot of questions that have been brewing throughout the seasons of the show, and I do think they really do get answered in this final season. I think there's a real sense of closure, so I'm excited for the fans who've been waiting for certain answers to get those."

While "The Umbrella Academy" is based on a comic book series by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, the show has moved further ahead than the comic, even incorporating planned future comic-book storylines in the third season, so there's no source material to consult about where the final season might go.

The third season left Blackman and the other writers with a bit of a blank slate, in a reset timeline with the characters once again going their separate ways. Presumably, they will come together to face one final threat, perhaps connected to the new characters played by Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and David Cross. Their story will come to an end, one way or another.

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