A Discovery of Witches Season 4: Why the Story Isn't Actually Over

A Discovery of Witches Season 4: Why the Story Isn't Actually Over

You've probably been scouring the internet for a release date. It’s been years since Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont last graced our screens in that epic season 3 finale, and honestly, the "A Discovery of Witches season 4" search query is still hitting Google like a freight train. People aren't ready to say goodbye. I get it. The chemistry between Teresa Palmer and Matthew Goode was basically lightning in a bottle, and the way the show handled the political tension between the Congregation and the de Clermont family felt way more grounded than your average supernatural drama.

But here is the cold, hard truth: the main show is done. Gone. Finished.

Bad news first, right? Sky and AMC+ marketed the third season as the final installment because it completed the adaptation of Deborah Harkness’s original All Souls trilogy. The story of the Book of Life and the repeal of the Covenant reached its natural conclusion. However, if you're a die-hard fan, you know that the "All Souls" universe didn't just stop when Diana gave birth. There is a massive amount of lore left on the table, and while a literal season 4 of the original show isn't in production, the franchise is very much alive in the background of Hollywood development cycles.

What really happened with A Discovery of Witches season 4 and those spinoff rumors?

When the show wrapped in 2022, the producers at Bad Wolf (the same production company that handles Doctor Who) were pretty transparent about the fact that they had told the story they set out to tell. You can't really have a season 4 without a book to follow, and at that point, Harkness had only released Time’s Convert.

That book is the key.

Instead of a direct sequel following Diana and Matthew’s everyday domestic life (which, let’s be real, would just be them drinking expensive wine and reading old manuscripts), Time’s Convert focuses heavily on Marcus Whitmore. It dives into his backstory during the American Revolutionary War and his struggle to turn Phoebe Taylor into a vampire. It’s a prequel and a sequel stitched together. For a long time, the industry chatter suggested this would be the "fourth season" in spirit—a spinoff series that keeps the world building going.

🔗 Read more: All I Watch for Christmas: What You’re Missing About the TBS Holiday Tradition

Honestly, the delay in any official announcement regarding a spinoff or a continuation comes down to two things: timing and health. Deborah Harkness has been incredibly open with her fans about her battle with ovarian cancer. She’s a warrior, but she’s also a writer who needs time to breathe. She recently released The Black Bird Oracle in 2024, which is the actual fifth book in the series and continues Diana’s journey into the darker side of higher magic.

This changes everything.

Suddenly, there is enough source material for a proper return to the screen. We aren't just looking at Marcus's history anymore; we have a contemporary story about Diana and her children facing a new threat from the de Clermont family’s past. If a studio executive is looking at the numbers, they see a massive, hungry audience and a fresh book that topped bestseller lists. It’s a no-brainer.

The complicated reality of bringing back the original cast

Let's talk about the actors. You can't just snap your fingers and get Matthew Goode back in a turtleneck.

Since the show ended, the cast has been busy. Teresa Palmer has been working on projects like The Clearing, and Goode is constantly in demand for high-end prestige dramas. Scheduling a large ensemble cast for a show filmed primarily in Wales and Italy is a logistical nightmare. This is why many "season 4" theories actually lean toward a reboot or a "Next Generation" style shift.

💡 You might also like: Al Pacino Angels in America: Why His Roy Cohn Still Terrifies Us

  • Marcus and Phoebe: Their arc is the most "production-ready" because it shifts the focus away from the high-salary leads while keeping the world familiar.
  • Gallowglass: Honestly, Steven Cree’s portrayal of Gallowglass was so popular that fans have been screaming for a solo series since season 2.
  • The Twins: In the timeline of The Black Bird Oracle, the children are older. This opens up a "YA" (Young Adult) angle that streaming services absolutely crave.

The production value of the original series was incredibly high. They didn't cut corners on the locations or the CGI for the "witch wind." To bring it back, a network like AMC+ or Sky would need to commit a significant budget. In the current streaming climate—where shows are getting canceled left and right after two seasons—that’s a tall order. But A Discovery of Witches has something most shows don't: a finished, successful legacy and a dedicated fan base that re-watches the series every October.

Why the All Souls world still matters in 2026

We’ve seen a lot of supernatural TV lately. Most of it is... fine. But A Discovery of Witches did something different. It treated magic like science and history. It wasn't about teenagers in a high school hallway; it was about adults with PhDs and ancient grudges.

That intellectual depth is why people are still obsessed. The show managed to blend DNA sequencing with alchemy in a way that didn't feel cheesy. When you look at the potential for future seasons, that’s the thread they need to pull. The world is currently fascinated by "dark academia" and "cottagecore" aesthetics—both of which this show pioneered before they were even trends on TikTok.

There’s also the matter of the "Blood Rage" storyline. In the books, this genetic condition is a much deeper metaphor for generational trauma and systemic control. The show scratched the surface, but a future season or a spinoff could really dig into the ethics of vampire biology. It’s that kind of meatier content that keeps a show ranking on Google years after its "final" episode aired.

If you go on YouTube right now, you’ll see a dozen videos with titles like "Season 4 Trailer" or "Matthew Goode Confirms Return."

📖 Related: Adam Scott in Step Brothers: Why Derek is Still the Funniest Part of the Movie

I'll be blunt: they’re fake.

Most of those are fan-made concept trailers using footage from Palmer’s other movies or Goode’s stint on The Crown. As of right now, there is no filmed footage for a fourth season. The industry "greenlight" hasn't been officially flashed in a press release. However, the rights to the books are still active, and Bad Wolf has not officially shuttered the "All Souls" department.

What's more likely is a rebranding. We’ve seen this with shows like Dexter or Yellowstone. Instead of A Discovery of Witches Season 4, we are much more likely to see The Black Bird Oracle: An All Souls Story. This allows the production to reset the contracts, potentially bring back the leads for limited cameos, and focus on a new central mystery. It’s a "soft reboot" strategy that works well for prestige TV.

Where to go from here if you're a fan

While we wait for the suits in London and New York to sign the checks, the best way to support the continuation of this world is to engage with the new material.

  1. Read The Black Bird Oracle. This is not a suggestion; it’s a requirement if you want to know what happens next. It deals with Diana being summoned to a place called Ravensworth and uncovering secrets about her father’s side of the family. It’s darker and much more "witchy" than the previous books.
  2. Support the "All Souls Con." There is a massive community of fans who organize events. Networks watch these metrics. If the fan engagement stays high, the "Renew" or "Spinoff" button becomes much easier to press.
  3. Watch the "Time's Convert" developments. Keep an eye on trade publications like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter specifically for the name "Bad Wolf." Any movement on an adaptation of Marcus's story will be reported there first.

The story of Diana and Matthew is technically "over" in the sense that the Covenant is broken and they are safe in Sept-Tours. But in a world of immortals, "happily ever after" is just the beginning of a much longer, much more complicated second act. The demand for more magic, more history, and more of that specific de Clermont intensity isn't going anywhere.

If you want more content in this vein, look into the "Lives of Mayfair Witches" series on AMC+ as well. It’s part of their "Immortal Universe" and shares a lot of the same DNA as Discovery. It’s not a replacement, but it fills the void while we wait for the next chapter of the All Souls saga to finally hit the screen. The magic hasn't run out; it's just gathering strength for whatever comes next.