The countdown to The Umbrella Academy season 3’s release is on. Principal photography wrapped on the show’s latest instalment in August, so we’re hoping it won’t be too long before we learn of its release date and get a first trailer.

We had hoped that The Umbrella Academy’s third season would be shown off in some form during Tudum, Netflix’s first global fan event, on September 25. Outside of a cast Q&A, though, we didn’t get any new updates. Which was disappointing.

Still, we do know a few things about season 3 of The Umbrella Academy already. The show has caught up with Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comics by this point, so it could go off in its own direction. Alternatively, it may follow the blueprint that its creators have probably laid out for The Umbrella Academy’s upcoming fourth volume.

If you’re curious about more about season 3,  you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find out when its expected release date is, what the comics can tease about the next entry’s potential plot, new cast members, when the trailer could drop and more.

We’re entering spoiler territory for the first two seasons and the comics, too, so bear this in mind if you haven’t caught up with seasons 1 and 2 yet.

Release date: There is no official release date for The Umbrella Academy season 3 yet. With plenty of post-production to come, we wouldn’t expect it before the middle of 2022. 

Cast: Along with the usual ensemble cast, The Sparrow Academy brings a bunch of new faces to the show: Justin Cornwell as Marcus Hargreeves/Number One, Britne Oldford as Fei Hargreeves/Number Three, Jake Epstein as Alphonso Hargreeves/Number Four, Genesis Rodriguez as Sloane Hargreeves/Number Five and Cazzie David as Jayme Hargreeves/Number Six. 

Story: With episode titles now revealed and The Sparrow Academy cast confirmed, there’s a lot to dig into about how season 2 could lead in to this next set of episodes. Check out our analysis of that below.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 release date: 2022?

The Umbrella Academy season 3 release date: 2022?

Aiden Hargreeves' Five and Cameron Britton's Hazel chatting during The Umbrella Academy season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

We don’t have a release date for season 3 yet. Production has wrapped on season 3 (after 170 days, as revealed by showrunner Steve Blackman), though, so work can begin on the series’ lengthy post-production aspect.

In a video posted on The Umbrella Academy’s official Twitter account, the series’ main actors also revealed that they had finished shooting the latest chapter in the show.

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If we had to guess, we’d say that a teaser trailer may arrive before the year is out. Could that come at Comic-Con in November? It would be cool if it did. Either way, don’t expect The Umbrella Academy season 3 to land on Netflix until mid-2022 at the earliest.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer

The Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer: is there one?

The Umbrella Academy take an elevator to meet their father, Sir Reginald Hargreeves, in season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

Unsurprisingly, no. Filming has only just wrapped, so we wouldn’t expect a major trailer for many months yet. As we said, we might get a teaser before the year’s end, but that’s more in hope than anything else.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 plot

The Umbrella Academy season 3: what can we expect from the plot?

Luther Hargreeves fighting during The Umbrella Academy season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

With two world-ending apocalypses already averted, there’s a good chance that preventing some kind of Armageddon will be on the agenda again. It would be a refreshing change of pace if it didn’t but, considering that there’s always an apocalyptic threat in the comics, expect another one in season 3.

That’s looking even more likely, too, when you consider the episode titles. You can check those out further down this page.

What we do know is that The Umbrella Academy will butt heads with an similarly powerful group of individuals. The final scene of season 2 introduced us to The Sparrow Academy, an alternate reality ensemble with their own set of abilities. 

The Sparrow Academy were introduced in the final pages of The Umbrella Academy’s most recent graphic novel volume – Hotel Oblivion – so they aren’t an original superhero group that’s been developed for the show. Even so, it’s still great to see them make their live-action debut in the TV adaptation.

Some of the show’s stars – Elliot Page, Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman – have spoken about the “delightful surprises” that are coming in season 3. Naturally, the trio didn’t give anything significant away, but it seems like The Sparrow Academy will have something to do with those intriguing plot teases:

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We’ll dive into how The Sparrow Academy could factor into season 3 in the comics section below but, for now, let’s briefly recap the end of season 2. 

Having spent the first season in their native 2019 before time traveling to the 1960s in season 2, the Hargreeves now find themselves in a parallel dimension. And their lives aren’t about to get any easier.

In this reality, Sir Reginald Hargreeves – the surrogate dad whose death begrudgingly brought the siblings back together in season 1 – is alive. It doesn’t take long for his famously cold style of parenting to re-emerge, as he reveals that the familiar-looking house “isn’t your home”. It is, in fact, the headquarters of The Sparrow Academy.

Normally, The Sparrow Academy’s floating green cube member would grab Luther and company’s attention (more on this in a bit). However, to the group’s surprise, Ben Hargreeves – the family’s deceased brother who gave his life (again) to save Diego, Allison, Klaus, and Vanya in season 2 – is revealed to be The Sparrows’ vice-captain.

It isn’t the lovable Ben that fans are used to either; rather an impertinent narcissist who only looks out for himself. Justin H. Min, who portrays Ben, has revealed that he didn’t expect to return after season 2. Given that Ben isn’t part of the Sparrows in the comics, it was a surprising turn of events for Min and viewers:

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Finally, we could get a couple of new flashback scenes to when The Umbrella Academy’s members were children. Ethan Hwang, who has portrayed a young Ben Hargreeves in the past two seasons, posted an Instagram photograph that showed him reuniting with Min:

Sure, the duo could just be hanging out, but it’s too much of a coincidence (in our opinion) that they’ve met up while filming on season 3 is ongoing. If young Ben is returning, it presents us with two possible explanations.

The first is that we’re getting flashbacks to Ben’s childhood as an Umbrella Academy member, either on an individual basis or as part of the group. Could we find out how he died? It’s something that would answer some longstanding questions we have about the fan favorite.

If that isn’t the case, we could see a young Ben as part of the Sparrow Academy. This would allow us to see how the Sparrows’ version of Ben grew up and why he’s the antithesis of the Ben we knew from seasons 1 and 2.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 episode titles

The Umbrella Academy season 3 episode titles: what are they?

Tom Hopper's Luther Hargreeves is on a mission in The Umbrella Academy season 2

(Image credit: CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX)

We now know what the titles are for each of season 3’s episodes. Blackman revealed their names during Day 2 of Netflix Geeked Week in June, so check them out below:

  • 301: Meet the Family
  • 302: World’s Biggest Ball of Twine
  • 303: Pocket Full of Lightning
  • 304: Kugelblitz
  • 305: Kindest Cut
  • 306: Marigold
  • 307: Auf Wiedersehen
  • 308: Wedding at the End of the World
  • 309: Six Bells
  • 310: Oblivion

Fans of the comics (ourselves included) know what some of those titles are referencing. As for us, we took a deep dive into the comics to see what they could tease about season 3’s titles, and you can read that article here.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast

The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast: which stars are returning?

Robert Sheehan's Klaus Hargreeves gets more than he bargained for in The Umbrella Academy season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

The series’ seven main cast members will be back for season 3:

  • Elliot Page as Vanya Hargreeves/Number Seven
  • Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves/Number One
  • David Castenada as Diego Hargreeves/Number Two
  • Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves/Number Three
  • Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves/Number Four
  • Aidan Gallagher as Five/Number Five
  • Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves/Number Six, but he’ll be Number Two in The Sparrow Academy this time around

Colm Feore (Sir Reginald Hargreeves), Adam Godley (Pogo the chimpanzee) and Jordan Claire Robbins (Grace Hargreeves/Mom) may be back as alternate-dimension forms of their Umbrella Academy counterparts but, again, we’re yet to see an announcement on their returns.

Ritu Arya will also be back as Lila Pitts. The Humans and Last Christmas actress, who first appeared in season 2, confirmed that she’s back via her Instagram story on season 3’s filming end date. So we’re sure to get more on-off relationship stuff with Diego and Lila.

The Umbrella Academy season 3: who has been cast as The Sparrow Academy?

Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves having a chat with Klaus in The Umbrella Academy season 2

(Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic book volume 3: Hotel Oblivion.

This is where things get interesting. Hotel Oblivion’s ending only gives us one real name and one moniker, with the latter being the group’s leader aka Number One. In the comics, the only other Sparrow Academy name we learn about is Carla, who takes Vanya to meet the group before they rescue The Umbrella Academy from being defeated by numerous supervillains. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Carla will feature in season 3 – unless her reveal is being held back – as Netflix has already confirmed The Sparrow Academy’s cast and their names. Here is who you can expect to see as the superhero group in season 3:

  • Justin Cornwell as Marcus Hargreeves/Number One
  • Britne Oldford as Fei Hargreeves/Number Three
  • Jake Epstein as Alphonso Hargreeves/Number Four
  • Genesis Rodriguez as Sloane Hargreeves/Number Five
  • Cazzie David as Jayme Hargreeves/Number Six

According to Netflix (as reported by IGN), The Sparrow Academy members will differ from some from their Umbrella Academy counterparts.

Marcus is said to be a born leader who is “as smart as he is strong”, while Ben is a “Machiavellian tactician” who is focused on usurping Marcus as leader. Fei is a misanthrope who, despite her tough exterior, longs for friends, and Alphonso is a pizza-loving, beer-swilling humorous individual who bears physical and mental scars from years of fighting crime.

Sloane is a “romantic” who “feels a higher cosmic being” calling to her, while Jayme is a lone-wolf who enjoys giving out “fear-inducing snarls” at anyone she deems below her. We’ll also be getting Christopher/Number Seven, who is the group’s existential dread-inducing psykronium cube, but there’s no word yet on who will be voicing this team member.

Blackman recently posted a video of one of the Sparrows in action, too. In footage that appears to show David’s Jayme flying into, and then levitating in, the air using a harness and some well placed blue screen technology. Does it give us an indication of her powers? Here’s hoping.

Blackman has also teased a storyboard image of the Sparrow Academy members on Instagram. This sketch doesn’t give anything away, as you’d expect, but it’s cool nonetheless:

The Umbrella Academy season 3: what questions need answering?

Colm Feore's Sir Reginald Hargreeves is alive in The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic books and season 2 on Netflix.

The Umbrella Academy has built up an intriguingly complex mythology, and that means there are plenty of questions that viewers need answering.

Fans of the TV series still don’t know why 43 children were unexpectedly born on October 1, 1989, to mothers who weren’t pregnant when the day began. Or even what happened to most of those kids. Way and Bá’s comics reveal how this came to be in the opening pages of volume one – Apocalypse Suite – but, in case this revelation comes to light in the show, we won’t divulge it just yet.

In the comics, 13 of that number are known as The Umbrella and Sparrow Academy members. However, the show also introduced Lila as a potential 14th who we haven’t seen in the graphic novels yet. 

That means that there are still 29 or 30 – depending on the medium of your choice – who are yet to be revealed. The problem now, of course, is that the TV series could move ahead of the comics (like Game of Thrones did) and unveil those individuals, or plot points that may come to the comics in the future. Either way, we might see more superheroes (or supervillains) emerge as part of season 3.

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Then there’s questions over season 2’s other big reveal. Since he removed his human mask, we now know that Sir Reginald Hargreeves is an alien. Again, the comics reveal his true identity in Apocalypse Suite’s first few pages, and this one we can spoil due to the finale’s revelation. 

In the comics, Sir Reginald is a world-renowned scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, and Olympic gold medalist. Oh, and a space alien. His true form hasn’t been revealed in the graphic novels yet, but it’s nailed on that the TV series will show that at this point.

Harlan, Missy’s kid who is shown to have telekinetic powers at the end of season 2, is also a major mystery. If – and it’s a big if – he has an alternate version in The Sparrow Academy’s universe, he could end up being a friend or foe to them and The Umbrella Academy.

There’s also the fact that we don’t know who the villain is for season 3. With The Commission under new, friendlier leadership following The Handler’s supposed death in season 2, it’s unlikely that they’ll be the bad guys again. How about, then, if season 3 starts introducing the comics’ supervillains into its TV adaptation? It’s possible that The Sparrow Academy are dealing with a threat far bigger than any that The Umbrella Academy has – you know, discounting two apocalypses – which means the Sparrows would need the latter’s help.

What could that threat be? Well, any number of the superpowered bad guys in the comics. Dr. Terminal, The Perseus Corporation or even a fellow superhero like The Scientific Man would be major adversaries for the teams. Something of that ilk that would require them to eventually set their differences aside and team up would make for a pleasing season 3 plot line.