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Succession star Matthew Macfadyen won the BAFTA TV award for his supporting role as Tom Wambsgans, adding to the growing collection of accolades for both the series and its stars. After accepting the award on Macfadyen’s behalf, series creator Jesse Armstrong offered exciting Succession season 4 updates to the press. 

Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen as Roman Roy, Shiv Roy, and Tom Wambsgans in 'Succession' Season 3. They're standing next to one another and looking at something to the left.
Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Matthew Macfadyen in ‘Succession’ | Macall B. Polay/HBO

Succession season 4 updates 

Writing from what Armstrong describes to Variety as a “pretty boring … Spaces meets WeWork” boardroom, Armstrong shared good news for viewers. “We’re almost done with the writing for season 4, here in London, with the American writers coming over,” Armstrong said, adding that the American team is “a really great group of people to talk about the nuances of character and the world and what we’re doing on the show.”

Armstrong’s statements come as no surprise, however, as Succession writer, Georgia Pritchett’s Twitter post from April 16 had previously claimed that Succession season 4 scripts were nearing completion. When finished, Armstrong tells Variety the final step is to have the cast review the content: “It’s useful, they’re smart, and they think things about their character.” 

The creator was tight-lipped and non-committal when it came to anything past season 4 of the hit show though, saying that Succession should not “go on forever” but that he and the rest of the cast and crew of the massively popular show are “still having fun at the moment.”

Succession season 3 was a wild ride 

The “fun” Armstrong referred to was certainly evidenced by the turbulent Succession season 3 finale. Betrayed by their mother, Caroline, the Roy siblings were unsuccessful in their takeover of Waystar Royco. After an entire season (and, let’s face it, an entire series) spent in a savage battle royale, the Succession season 3 finale saw Logan Roy successfully sell the company leaving his children to fend for themselves in the (pseudo) real world. The darkly-comedic icing on the cake, however, is when the perpetual underdog, Tom Wambsgans, is revealed as the true traitor (depending on where your allegiances fall). 

Succession season 4 release date and season 5 predictions

Considering Armstrong and Pritchett’s recent updates about Succession season 4 still being written, production presumably has yet to begin. Succession actor Alan Ruck (who plays the eldest Roy sibling, Conner) recently offered further speculation on the series’ filming schedule though, telling Variety that production on season 4 could start in late June 2022. If filming were to begin this summer, it could bring a Succession season 4 release date as early as the first quarter of 2023.

When asked about the future of his character, actor Brian Cox told Variety that he’d like to see Succession’s formidable Logan Roy retire to a quiet life selling cabbages like the Roman emperor, Diocletian. This plan may need to come sooner than viewers would prefer as Pritchett offered a more clearly-defined series timeline than Armstrong in her interview with the UK newspaper The Times. Pritchett says that Armstrong has “a good end in sight” and that she believes that the series may end with season 5. 

If that were the case, here’s to hoping that Logan’s turn as the Roy’s produce-peddling patriarch is indeed shown in the series as it stands to reason that nothing would be more baffling to the power-crazed Roy children that to see Papa Roy contentedly out of the game.  

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