Yellowjackets Is Ending With Season 4—Here’s What We Know

Spoilers for Yellowjackets below.

Yellowjackets’ third season was probably its bloodiest yet (with some painful goodbyes), and still, we’re craving more from the survival drama. What could come next for our tough-as-nails teens in the wilderness and their troubled adult counterparts, now that season 4 is on the horizon? Here’s what we know about the future of Yellowjackets so far.

Yes, the news arrived on May 20, about a month after the season 3 finale. The renewal was expected, according to Deadline, given season 3 was Yellowjackets’ most streamed ever.

“Yellowjackets has become a cultural juggernaut, with season three shattering all previous records—we are thrilled to announce its renewal for a season four on Paramount+,” Chris McCarthy, co-CEO of Paramount Global and president of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement, per Deadline.

Showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson, and Jonathan Lisco originally planned for a five-season run. Lyle, who is also a co-creator, told Entertainment Weekly in March 2023, “The original plan was about five seasons, and we feel like we’re still on track for that.” She added at the time, “So far, we’ve been really on track.”

In October 2025, they announced the show would come to a close with the fourth season.

“After three incredible seasons, and great consideration, we’re excited to announce that we will be bringing the story of ‘Yellowjackets’ to its twisted conclusion in this fourth and final season,” Lyle and Nickerson said in a statement shared to social media. “We’ve always known there would come a point when the story would tell us it wants to end, and it’s our belief that our job—our responsibility—is to listen.”

“Telling this emotional, wild, and deeply human story has been a profoundly meaningful experience and a true honor for us, and we’re so very grateful to the brilliant cast, crew, and writers who have bravely gone on the journey with us to bring it to life,” the statement continued. “Most of all, we want to thank the fans who have stuck with us through every moment, mystery, and meal—the Hive is nothing without you! We can’t wait to share the final chapter with you and hope you find it … delicious.”

Let’s consider what we learned in the season 3 finale. The episode ends with Natalie discovering the plane transponder that Misty hid all the way back in season 1, and she’s successfully able to use it. After pleading into the radio, she hears a voice on the other end of the line saying, “Yes, I can hear you.” Season 4 will finally see the girls get rescued.

As the logline for the season 4 trailer reads: “They’re finally home, but at what cost?”

Sophie Nélisse, who plays young Shauna, would like to see that next season.

“I’m very excited for what’s to come in season 4, although I have, like, no hints,” she told The Direct. “I would like them to be rescued [in season 4]. Or maybe like, partially, half [of season 4] is in the wilderness, and then half is them getting back to real life. And I would love to see how they cope with that, having the pressure of family and the media and school, and having to be immersed in like, a normal life after having undergone all of those events.”

But she also warned that Shauna could be even more dangerous in season 4, especially now that she’s the Antler Queen. Nélisse told ELLE.com, “I don’t think she has the best way of having power over the group, and I think her being in that position is a bit scary because now she’s somewhat unstoppable. So I’m very terrified to see the extent of what she’ll do next season.”

Meanwhile, in the present-day timeline, Shauna’s daughter Callie and husband Jeff have taken off after Callie reveals that she accidentally killed Lottie. Shauna is on the verge of her darkest turn yet, and even Misty and Tai seem to be losing their trust in her.

Melanie Lynskey (adult Shauna) has no idea what’s coming next, or whether Shauna is safe. “I could be killed off in Episode 1 of Season 4. I literally don’t know,” she told Variety.

Regarding whether Shauna will be the antagonist next season, she added, “I don’t think she’s the villain, but I do think she is the most comfortable when things are very tense and very dangerous.”

Deadline reported on Feb. 26, 2026, that the core cast members Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher, and Courtney Eaton will all return. Nia Sondaya also received an upgrade to a series regular for the fourth season.

Molly Ringwald (Sixteen Candles) and June Squibb (Eleanor the Great, Thelma) joined the cast—according to the outlet, Ringwald will have a recurring role as “Van’s (Lauren Ambrose, Liv Hewson) mom, Vicky, a recently recovered alcoholic trying her best to course-correct her past.” The details of Squibb’s role have not been shared yet.

Deadline confirmed on Mar. 18, 2026, that Jenna Burgess received an upgrade to series regular.

Yellowjackets season 4 will premiere on Paramount+ on November 20. The show shared a teaser to announce the release date.

The official teaser arrived on October 14 and offers a look at what life will be like for the characters after rescue. In a sit-down video interview, the survivors’ story is pieced together to provide a condensed version of what happened: “The plane crashed. Our friends died, and the rest of us starved, and scavenged, and we prayed until they finally found us.”

Returning home isn’t proving to be an easy task for the survivors, despite being welcomed with open arms by family and being hailed as “American heroes” upon their arrival. They still get traumatic flashbacks to their time in the woods and struggle with assimilating to normal life after resorting to cannibalism to stay alive. “So, what does it feel like to be home?” Shauna’s boyfriend Jack asks her. “It doesn’t,” she responds.

The trauma follows the survivors into adulthood, too—“Everything that we saw. Everything that we did, we weren’t supposed to leave,” adult Vanessa says, cut between intense scenes of the survivors stuck in the wilderness.

Watch the trailer in full below.

This story will be updated.