Foundation star Jared Harris has teased a tone shift for the sci-fi show’s third season, claiming that it’s more of a space opera than the previous runs. Harris plays Hari Seldon, the psychohistorian who sets the entire, century-spanning saga in motion. Foundation season 3 returns on July 11, 2025, on Apple TV+.

In an interview with Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan for Foundation season 3, Jared Harris revealed that season 3 is “more nakedly an action-adventure story,” and that, now that the rules and ideas have been established, they’re allowed to “just take off,” with captivating storytelling. He also described the Mule as an “uber-villain.” Read the full quote below:

ScreenRant: Compared to seasons one and two, how does season three feel different to you?

Jared Harris: Season three has sort of been released from the shackles of needing to set out the circumstance, get you familiar with the characters, [and] get you familiar with the rules. [With] this one, all of those elements of the story are sort of hardwired into it, so it can just take off.

It’s more nakedly an action-adventure story. It’s more of a space opera, if you like. There’s a sort of fascinating story at the center of the galaxy, which is this sort of strange family that’s imploding on itself. And then, of course, there’s the appearance of this uber-villain.

What Foundation Season 3’s Tone Change Means

Foundation Season 3 Is Raising The Stakes

Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books were long thought to be impossible to adapt, and that’s largely because of the complex nature of the storytelling. While Dune, as an example, exists in a complicated world, there’s a consistent point of view readers can follow in Paul Atreides. Almost every part of Foundation follows someone new.

Foundation season 1 received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, and the slower pacing and focus on world-building exposition were frequently cited as reasons why. Season 2 was a step in the right direction, and now, season 3 appears to be the show at its maximum potential, fulfilling the promise of a full-fledged space epic.

“Space opera” is an excellent way of describing the series. The arrival of the Mule will bring the show’s characters together in a way they haven’t been aligned before, combining the pioneer story of the Foundation, the Shakespearean drama of Empire, and several compelling new figures for an epic showdown.

Our Take On Foundation Season 3

Season 3 Sounds Like The Sci-Fi Epic I’ve Waited Years For

From Foundation season 3’s trailer to everything I’ve heard from the cast, season 3 sounds incredibly promising. This is a show I’ve been passionate about for years, as, even though I haven’t been fully on board with the narrative choices, I really love Isaac Asimov’s books and feel like the show has moments of greatness that capture their essence.

Related

Foundation Star Says Season 3 Gets ‘Darker’ – And The Stakes Are Bigger Than Ever

Exclusive: One of Foundation’s stars shared details about the tonal changes heading into season 3, stating it would be “darker” than before.

When one thinks of a space opera in film and television, Star Wars and Dune come to mind. Asimov’s Foundation was the original galactic empire story that those two titles were built off of, though, and it deserves to be adapted in all its glory, delivering on the prolific author’s awe-inspiring imagination.

Foundation

8/10

Release Date

September 23, 2021

Network

Apple TV+

Showrunner

David S. Goyer

Directors

Alex Graves, Roxann Dawson, Jennifer Phang, Mark Tonderai, Andrew Bernstein

Writers

Jane Espenson, Leigh Dana Jackson, Liz Phang, Eric Carrasco, David Kob, Addie Manis, Marcus Gardley, Lauren Bello, Olivia Purnell

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