Pluribus season 2 release date speculation, story, and everything else we know so far

(Image credit: Apple)

Just like that, we're all joined as one in anticipation of Pluribus season 2. Despite the first season only just ending, you might be pleasantly surprised to discover that a second season has already been greenlit by Apple. Better yet, Vince Gilligan and his team are busy beavering away in the writers' room, eager to crack open the next chapter in Carol and Manousos' journey.

With the Pluribus season 1 ending serving up betrayals and literal bombs, there's plenty already to dig into as we look towards the next season. Below, we'll run through everything we know so far about Pluribus season 2, including exclusive quotes from some of the Apple TV show's cast.

Pluribus season 2 release date speculation

Yes, Pluribus season 2 is happening. The sci-fi mystery was given a two-season order by Apple prior to the release of the first season.

Unfortunately, we have a fair wait until we find out a Pluribus season 2 release date, let alone actually seeing the next instalment of the Apple TV show on our screens.

Why? As revealed by creator Vince Gilligan in an interview with Radio Times, writing has only just begun on the new season in November 2025. Effectively, that makes a 2026 release window a near impossibility – especially as there's no sign of cameras rolling just yet.

That's echoed by Gilligan elsewhere, who said, "it's going to be a while between seasons. It's just the nature of the beast."

Our best guess, then, is that Pluribus season 2 will release in 2027. Let's wait for more official word from Gilligan and Apple in future, however.

Pluribus season 2 cast: who could return?

Outside of the obvious main characters, the Pluribus season 2 cast hasn't yet been locked in. Carol (Rhea Seehorn), Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga), and Zosia (Karolina Wydra) should all return.

Samba Schutte has high odds of portraying Koumba Diabaté once more, while Pluribus' do-anything-with-anyone-at-anytime premise means technically no one is off limits. Which is probably why John Cena rocked up as himself in the first season. Just how weird and wacky could these cameos get? At the very least, we wouldn't be surprised to see Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad actors turn up in bit-part roles, much like Patrick Fabian's repeating voice message in the first season.

Pluribus season 2 story: what will happen next?

Even those who accuse Pluribus of being too much of a slow burn will begrudgingly admit that the Apple show has been flipped on its head by the time of the first season's finale.

For now, Carol and Manousos have formed an uneasy alliance. That comes in the wake of Carol being told The Joined have access to her frozen eggs and plan to use them to convert her in the coming months. What was fast becoming a whirlwind romance between Carol and Zosia turned rapidly frosty, with Carol putting on a cold front as she was dropped off by her one-time chaperone.

Manousos is certainly going to prove a useful weapon in the war against the hivemind. As shown in the finale, he is utilizing radio waves to bring The Others back to their individual human state, but only for a short amount of time. Expect that to be the crux of season 2's narrative thrust when the show returns – as well as possibly dealing with how it affects the 10 remaining survivors around the world.

What of the explosive reveal in the Pluribus season 1 ending, which showed Carol now has access to an atom bomb? Whatever the repercussions of the absurd request to The Others, the character's actor, Rhea Seehorn, doesn't actually know what it all means – something she admits is a rarity when it comes to performing.

"I honestly don't know. I made peace with [that]. Even if Vince [Gilligan] was saying we don't know where we're going with it, usually as an actor I would make an intentional decision about what I think Carol's plan is," Seehorn told GamesRadar+.

"Maybe this makes me a horrible actor," Seehorn laughs. "I honestly think Carol is not sure. I didn't do it out of laziness. I did it because one of her flaws – that sometimes is a superpower – is that she's so impulsive."

To add to the secrecy surrounding the next season, Zosia actor Karolina Wydra told GamesRadar+ that Vince Gilligan hasn't laid out future arcs for their character.

They said, "No, I think that's Vince. And I love that about Vince because he keeps everything to himself, and then gets it revealed a little bit by little bit. And I love that because it doesn't color whatever comes in the future, you're just playing what's in the moment," Wydra said.

Wydra added, "I think Vince is still writing it and discovering it for himself."

All told, this is to be expected from Vince Gilligan and his team. Famously, they have been transparent about writing as they go on both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, often backing themselves into a narrative corner before finding some way out of their predicament.

When can we expect a Pluribus season 2 trailer?

A Pluribus season 2 trailer probably won't come for some time yet. The first season's teasers really ramped up a few months out for release though, given the show's incredible popularity on Apple TV, we'd wager a guess at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 being a great port of call to unveil the next Pluribus chapter to the world. Watch this space.

Find out where Pluribus ranks on our 2025 best TV shows list.