Ben Stiller, an executive producer and key director of Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning dystopian sci-fi thriller, season 3 is already in development on Apple TV+, with an expected release date projected for sometime in 2026 or 2027. Stiller had previously reassured Severance fans that the three-year gap between Severance seasons 1 and 2 will not be replicated for seasons 2 and 3.

In an interview with Stiller also revealed that he scrapped a Severance season 1 character in which he would have played a doctor. The projects are still very much in the ideation stage, but they would theoretically establish Severance as a staple franchise for Apple's streaming platform, potentially for years to come. At this time, there are very few details available about the potential Severance spinoff projects, but Stiller hints that "they are nascent," meaning, at the very least, they exist.

"Do you see “Severance” as a franchise with spinoff shows?

Stiller speaks slowly: “There are two specific ideas — that I won’t tell you — that we’ve talked about internally as possible spinoff ideas.” Asked what stage of development the spinoff ideas are in, or whether they have been discussed with Apple, all Stiller says, with a coy smile, is: “They are nascent.”

What Severance's Potential Spinoffs Mean For The Apple TV+ Series

Severance Could Become A Staple Sci-Fi Franchise Of The 2020s

With Severance only having two seasons completed at the time of writing, it's somewhat unusual for talk of not one, but two, spinoff series to already enter the public eye. Severance, however, is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed original sci-fi series of the 2020s, and perhaps of the 21st century as well, so it has earned special consideration from fans and journalists alike. Severance does such an excellent job at world-building that a spinoff series not only seems plausible but also inevitable. Clearly, Stiller and the Severance creative team have some exciting ideas already churning.

Severance is likely best suited for a three or four-season narrative arc, meaning that if the series wraps up in the next couple of years, one of these spinoffs could arrive before the end of the current decade. It seems most probable that Severance would end before a spinoff project was released, but that may not be the case, as there are currently numerous examples of TV shows that also have spinoff series actively releasing episodes. This may happen if Severance decides to take a five-season arc, but it's unclear what the exact nature of these spinoffs would be. They could be shows or movies, prequels or sequels.

Our Take On Severance's Two Potential Spinoff Projects

Severance Is The Perfect IP For Apple To Fully Invest In

Severance has a wealth of narrative and franchise possibilities, even though it still feels like a budding show. Severance season 2 was a crucial determining factor in paving a path forward for the hit Apple TV+ series, and it fully delivered, which naturally opened the door to talks of further expansion.

Hopefully, Apple will take great care of what is arguably its greatest original series of all time in Severance and not stretch the franchise too thinly.

This makes Severance the perfect intellectual property for Apple to fully dive into, especially if Stiller and series creator Dan Erickson remain at the helm of these potential spinoffs. Hopefully, Apple will take great care of what is arguably its greatest original series of all time in Severance and not stretch the franchise too thinly.

Source: Variety