After nearly two years of speculation, Jason Sudeikis has officially confirmed the future of Ted Lasso.
“We’re writing season 4 now,” Sudeikis, 49, announced on the Friday, March 14, episode of Jason and Travis Kelce’s “New Heights” podcast. “That’s the word.”
Sudeikis even offered details about the new season’s story, sharing, “Ted’s coaching a women’s team. So there, that’s [happening].”
Travis, 35, went on to ask whether Ted’s next chapter will take place in the U.S. or the U.K. before stopping himself to wonder, “Or am I asking too many questions?” Joking that Travis was going a bit too far, Sudeikis admitted he still isn’t sure as the team is still in the writing stage.
Is ‘Ted Lasso’ Over? How Season 3 Ended Amid Series Finale Rumors
Jason, for his part, said he’s “very excited” about the news of Ted Lasso’s return. “It felt like there needed to be more, to be honest with you,” the NFL alum stated. “I think I speak for Ted Lasso fans everywhere that we really did not want you to stop.”
According to Sudeikis, the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes played a role in the decision to continue the Apple TV+ series beyond season 3. “That made the time off that we all earned feel a little less special because everybody was off,” he said. “And it’s heartbreaking because that makes things tougher for not just the actors and writers, obviously, but everybody else involved in making these things, and people behind the scenes, and [who] put up the lights, and make the costumes and all that. All that stuff came to a grinding halt.”
During the break, Sudeikis said he kept getting signs from the universe to keep the show going. “Whether [it was] kind folks at airports, or on the internet, or friends of my folks, or just other people in the industry, other people wherever in any walk of life,” he said. “It was just like, ‘OK, OK. I hear you, I hear you. We hear you. We’re listening.’ And then, yeah, just more stories kept unfolding and just popping up in our heads. And so, we’re just exploring all that now.”
Picking up the show for a fourth season is both “exciting” and “daunting,” especially as the season 3 finale seemingly tied a bow on the story. “We told the story we wanted to tell, but there’s more there,” Sudeikis explained. “And it is a neat group of people to work with. It’s a wonderful group of people and characters to write around and for.”
‘Ted Lasso’ Cast Attends 2024 Golden Globes Amid Season 4 Uncertainty
Ted Lasso season 3, which wrapped up in May 2023, saw Sudeikis’ titular football coach return to the U.S. after helping AFC Richmond nearly win the Premier League. Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Nathan Shelley (Nick Mohammed) took over the team’s coaching duties, while Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) teased the idea of launching an AFC Richmond women’s team.
Sudeikis did not confirm which cast members will return for the new season. However, Deadline reported in August 2024 that Warner Bros. Television renewed his and several costars’ contracts, including Waddingham, 50, Goldstein, 44, Hunt, 52, Temple, 35, and Jeremy Swift.
The possibility of featuring a women’s team leaves the futures of some fan-favorite characters, including Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernández), Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh) and more, up in the air.
The first three seasons of Ted Lasso are currently streaming on Apple TV+.
