Shogun season 2 will introduce a surprising time jump, showrunner reveals

After captivating audiences and winning 18 Emmy Awards in 2024, Shogun is ready to return for another season. Although plot details are still under wraps, FX has revealed the names of the actors, directors and writers attached to the second season of the tale set in 17th-century Japan.

Before the series debuted on Hulu, it was popularly thought that the story would be completed in one season. FX described the show as a limited series, and within 10 episodes, the entire story of James Clavell’s novel had been adapted, so another season seemed unlikely.

However, Shogun’s impressive viewership and favourable reviews apparently caused FX to reconsider its plans – seasons 2 and 3 of the tale of power struggles in the Edo period of Japan will appear on Hulu and Disney+. Here’s everything we know about the next instalments of the series.

When could Shogun season 2 be released?

FX hasn’t announced a release date for the next season. It’s in the early stages of development – the directors and screenwriters of the new episodes have only just been announced. According to Variety, Hiromi Kamata and Takeshi Fukunaga will return to direct season 2, accompanied by Anthony Byrne, Kate Herron and series co-creator Justin Marks.

The script will be written by Rachel Kondo, Marks, Shannon Goss, Matt Lambert, Maegan Houang, Emily Yoshida, Caillin Puente and Sofie Somoroff, among others.

Given that the production of Shogun season 2 is set to kick off in January 2026, we estimate that new episodes may appear at the beginning of 2027 at the earliest.

What could the plot of Shogun season 2 involve?

According to the latest information, the story won’t continue from where season one left off.

The official logline reads:

Shogun Season 2 is set ten years after the events of the first season and continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.

Showrunner and executive producer Justin Marks explained that the time jump is a deliberate creative choice:

This show is going to take us a little while to produce. It’s not coming out one year later, and there’s this thing that drives me crazy when you watch a show that ended three years ago, and you get into season two and it’s like five minutes later. We’re trying to use this jump as a way to come back to our characters again for the very first time, to see them, to see what’s changed in their lives over the course of the last 10 years, and to rediscover them.

Shogun, James Clavell’s novel, is loosely based on the real-life rise to power of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 1600s, aided by his shipwrecked advisor William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan.

Clavell, writer, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran, spent three years researching the novel. Although Shogun is romanticised, it’s agreed that Clavell portrayed 17th-century feudal Japan realistically.

The further history of William Adams and Tokugawa Ieyasu was quite colourful. Adams joined the Tokugawa in the famous Battle of Sekigahara. He built ships based on the European model, helped to establish trade relations with the Netherlands and England, and travelled to Southeast Asia. He was rewarded with the title of Samurai for his services, and never returned to England.

After his victory at Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu destroyed hostile clans and began to strengthen his Shogunate. In subsequent years, he fell into conflict with the deposed heir of the late Taiko, who was considered by some samurai to be the rightful ruler of Japan. The young heir started a rebellion against Tokugawa, who, in retaliation, besieged Osaka Castle.

The FX series is a faithful adaptation of Clavell’s book, inspired by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rise to power. The writer presented the historical events only up to a certain point – the war and the final clash with the regent’s forces appeared only in a brief flash-forward. This means that in season 2, writers will have to go beyond the source material.

When asked about the plot of Shogun season 2, Justine Marks said:

Part 2 is, I would say two things. Like the first season, I think part two is a really sweeping, beautiful and you’re never going to see a coming, entirely unexpected love story. It’s also a story of war and the cost of war. There are battle sequences that we’re putting together now in part two. I don’t think you’ve ever seen anything like this kind of scale, this kind of tragedy and this kind of humanity.

Who will star in Shogun season 2?

In the series’ second instalment, we’ll see the return of Hiroyuki Sanada as lord Yoshii Toranaga and Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne, English maritime pilot and Toranaga’s ally.

FX also confirmed the return of the following stars:

• Fumi Nikaidô as Ochiba no Kata, the consort of the late Taiko
• Shinnosuke Abe as Toda “Buntaro” Hirokatsu, Mariko’s husband
• Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, Yabushige’s nephew
• Yoriko Dōguchi as Kiri no Kata, Toranaga’s wife
• Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito, a Portuguese priest
• Eita Okuno as Saeki Nobutatsu, Toranaga’s half-brother
• Yuko Miyamoto as Gin, owner of the tea house in Ajiro
• Yuka Kouri as Kiku, the courtesans in Gin’s tea house

As Justine Marks stated, because many characters died in season 1, season 2 will introduce a lot of new faces.

We have some really exciting characters this season, characters that I want to tell you everything about, but cannot. These faces really popped for us, so we’re just so excited to bring our own family together with these new faces and watch them become part of this world.

For now, it has been confirmed that the following actors have joined the series’ cast:

• Asami Mizukawa as Aya
• Masataka Kubota as Hyūga
• Sho Kaneta as Hidenobu
• Takaaki Enoki as Lord Ito
• Jun Kunimura as Gōda.

If you feel like recalling the vibe of Shogun, you can rewatch the trailer for season 1:

Will there be Shogun season 3?

Yes, FX has confirmed that there will also be a third season of the series. However, there is no information about it yet.

Where to watch Shogun in the US and UK

In the US, the show is available on FX for cable TV viewers and Hulu for those who prefer to stream. In Europe, you can watch Shogun on Disney+.

Accounts for Hulu start from $11.99 per month for ad-supported viewing and $18.99 per month for ad-free streaming.

The basic ad-supported package on Disney+ costs £5.99 per month, but you can also opt for an ad-free one for £9.99 per month or £99.90 per year.

Shogun season 1 debuted on Tuesday, 27 February 2024.

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