Heartstopper has brought Alice Oseman’s charming LGBTQ+ comic series to life as a three-season show on Netflix thus far, but will the streamer renew it for season 4? Debuting in 2022, the show concerns teens Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) as their school friendship blossoms into a romance. Noted for its twee atmosphere and multi-faceted storylines involving issues that really affect LGBTQ+ youth, Heartstopper delivers a pleasant story without pulling too many punches. Season 3 was the most dramatic thus far, and it sets the stage for the series to grow even more going forward.

Season 3 of Heartstopper introduced the first major bump in Charlie and Nick’s relationship, and it encompassed issues like eating disorders and intimacy struggles. This maturing of the cutesy romance series shows that it has legs to stand on, and though Oseman’s comics offer a good framework, it can also add new wrinkles as well. As has been the case with previous seasons, season 3 did not offer a conclusive ending to the story, meaning there is so much more to learn from the characters. Though Netflix hasn’t renewed Heartstopper yet, season 4 seems like a foregone conclusion.

Heartstopper Season 4 Is Not Confirmed

Netflix Hasn’t Ordered Another Season Yet

The popularity of Netflix’s signature LGBTQ+ teen romance series only seems to grow with each season, but the streamer has yet to renew Heartstopper season 4. This isn’t particularly surprising since season 3 is still so new, and the streamer has been known to take its time when renewing its original content. Though Heartstopper‘s future seasons seem like a slam-dunk, Netflix will likely want to watch the long-term data to see how season 3 fares over time. Initial spikes in viewership are great, but engagement over an extended period is the true test of a streaming show’s strength.

Heartstopper season 3 premiered on October 3, 2024.

Heartstopper Season 4 Cast Details

Will Nick & Charlie Return For More?

The ensemble cast of Heartstopper has been the show’s strongest asset thus far, and it becomes even more important as the characters grow and change over time. With that in mind, Heartstopper season 4 will need to see the returns of Charlie (played by Joe Locke) and Nick (played by Kit Connor) since their romantic storyline is the heart of the series. Nick and Charlie’s friend group is also a massive part of the series, and a full-scale return of the ensemble is needed to carry on each individual storyline.

What’s less certain is the return of the adult characters from season 3, and their place in the story is much more malleable. Hayley Atwell stepped in during season 3 to play Nick’s aunt, Diane, but it’s unclear if she’ll return since she was ostensibly a replacement for Olivia Colman, who had to step away from her role as Nick’s mom because of scheduling issues. Eddie Marsan was tapped to play the role of Charlie’s psychiatrist, Geoff, and it’s unclear if he’ll return. The same goes for Jonathan Bailey as Jack Maddox.

Heartstopper Season 4 Story Details

Nick & Charlie Could Head Off To College Soon

With that hurdle seemingly cleared, the duo will face an even more daunting challenge with college looming.

Heartstopper season 3 showed the most growth the series has featured thus far, and that maturing is expected to continue into season 4. Throughout the season, Charlie struggled with his eating disorder, and it put a serious strain on his relationship with Nick, as the latter didn’t know how to handle the very heavy issue. Fortunately, Charlie was able to seek help for his condition, and began the long road to recovery with love and support from Nick. With that hurdle seemingly cleared, the duo will face an even more daunting challenge with college looming.

Nick and several other students traveled across the country to tour colleges, and he took a particular liking to Leeds. This choice would take him hours away from Charlie, which would offer a myriad of long-distance relationship challenges. This decision will likely loom large over the fourth season, with Nick needing to make serious adult choices for his future. As the characters continue to grow up, Heartstopper season 4 has a lot of fascinating threads to weave into its story.