Designated Survivor Season 3 will drop on Netflix later in 2019 — so it’s time to start getting excited.
Fans were disappointed when ABC announced the cancellation of the show in May 2018, a few days before the Season 2 finale aired. However, Netflix stepped up to the plate and announced in September that they had ordered Season 3 of the political thriller.
Ahead of the launch of Designated Survivor Season 3 on Netflix, here is everything you need to know, including the latest on the release date, cast, trailers, and plot.
We will also be updating this post with news and information about the upcoming season ahead of the premiere on Netflix.
Designated Survivor Season 3 release date on Netflix
Netflix has confirmed that Designated Survivor Season 3 will launch on the streaming platform in 2019, but has not yet announced an exact launch date for the upcoming season.
However, after members of the cast confirmed that filming of Season 3 wrapped up in February 2019, fans are hoping that the new season will drop on Netflix earlier than September 2019.
Seasons 1 and 2 of the series premiered on ABC in September 2016 and 2017 respectively. And although Netflix is not obliged to follow the same release date schedule as ABC, it is likely that the streaming giant will aim to release Season 3 before or by September 2019.
Meanwhile, Italia Ricci, who plays Emily Rhodes, has promised to update fans as soon as she learns the premiere date for Season 3. So we are closely monitoring Ricci’s Twitter handle to update you as soon as Netflix makes the announcement.
Can’t believe we wrap season three in one week. Y’all aren’t readyyyyyy. You’ll know as soon as I do when it’ll drop on @Netflix this year. #DesignatedSurvivor pic.twitter.com/UJ3H4EGW27
— Italia Ricci (@italiaricci) February 5, 2019
How many episodes will there be in Designated Survivor Season 3?
Netflix has confirmed that Designated Survivor Season 3 will have 10 episodes.
Designated Survivor Season details
The series is created by David Guggenheim. Seasons 1 and 2 aired on ABC.
ABC announced on May 11, 2018 — ahead of the Season 2 finale which aired on May 16 — that it was canceling the series.The network explained that the decision to cancel the series was due to rapidly declining Live+Same Day viewership numbers, despite increasing delayed viewing numbers.
Designated Survivor premiered on ABC in September 2016, while Season 2 premiered in September 2017. After ABC announced the cancellation of the series, Netflix picked it up and ordered the 10-episode Season 3 in September 2018.
ABC’s cancellation announcement came as a shock because it was unexpected. But fans remained hopeful when news came that Entertainment One, the company distributing the series, was shopping it to other networks. There were also rumors at the time that Netflix was interested in picking it up.
Fans were delighted when news came in Septembers 2018 that Netflix had picked up the series as a global Netflix original.
Netflix’s decision was informed by the increasing popularity of the show outside the U.S.
Nael Baer serves as showrunner for Designated Survivor Season 3. Baer is executive producing with David Guggenheim (the series creator), Keifer Sutherland, Mark Gordon, Suzan Bymel, Peter Noah, Aditya Sood, and Simon Kinberg.
The main cast of the series includes Sutherland, Kal Penn, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, and Maggie Q.
Seasons 1 and 2 were co-produced by Entertainment One and ABC Studios. Season 3 is being produced solely by Entertainment One (eOne).
Filming of Designated Survivor Season 3 wrapped up in February 2019 (see tweets below).
Our last full week filming the edgier @Netflix reboot/Season 3! (Definitely put the kids to bed before watching the new episodes ?). Coming soon! pic.twitter.com/nJTNsDjhXV
— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) February 8, 2019
Last day of Designated Survivor Season 3. Had to show love to my work-wife @italiaricci ??? pic.twitter.com/B4NUPczQeK
— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) February 12, 2019
Designated Survivor Season 3 trailer
Netflix has not yet released a trailer for Designated Survivor Season 3. We will update this post when Netflix drops the official Season 3 trailer.
Designated Survivor Season 3 cast
Kiefer Sutherland will return in Season 3 as President Tom Kirkman, but his First Lady, Alex Kirkman, played by Natascha McElhone, will not be back after the actress’s character will killed off in the mid-season 2 finale.
Kal Penn is expected to return as the White House Press Secretary Seth Wright. Adan Canto is also expected to return as Aaron Shore, the White House Chief of Staff. Italia Ricci will return as Emily Rhodes, Kirkman’s Chief of Staff when he was HUD Secretary.
Other main cast members expected to return include LaMonica Garrett as Mike Ritter, and Maggie Q as FBI agent Hannah Wells who believes that the terrorist threat is still dire.
Paulo Cosntanzo is expected to return as political director Lyor Boone, and Zoe McLellan as White House Counsel Kendra Daynes.
Michael J. Fox, who joined the cast of show in the second half of Season 2, may also return as attorney and special prosecutor Ethan West.
Julie White (Transformers) and Anthony Edwards will join the cast of the series in recurring roles.
White will play Lorraine Zimmer, Kirkman’s campaign manager, described as a “force of nature who takes no prisoners,” and who doesn’t shy away from “dirty tricks” in politics.
Edwards will play Chief of Staff Mars Harper.
Designated Survivor Season 3 plot: What to expect
Designated Survivor is a political thriller drama that follows Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
Kirkman suddenly finds himself propelled to the position of the U.S. President after a devastating terrorist attack on Washington causes the death of all senior political appointees who are ahead of him in the presidential line of succession.
The series follows Kirkman’s struggle to hold his family, government and country together and prevent everything from falling apart in the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attack.
According to Netflix’s official synopsis, Designated Survivor Season 3 will see President Kirkman on the campaign trail. The season will explore the darker aspects of political campaigns, including debates, the intricacies of campaign financing, political smear tactics, and the use of fake news to discredit the opponent.