Jonathan Bailey, Hayley Atwell & Eddie Marsan Join Cast Of Heartstopper Season 3

Missing Heartstopper? Not for long; the show is set to come back to Netflix later this year for a third instalment. Expect plenty more lovey-dovey plotlines, Narlie moments and even a few new characters – here’s everything we know so far about Heartstopper season 3.

Heartstopper Season 3: Everything We Know So Far

Jonathan Bailey, Hayley Atwell & Eddie Marsan Join Heartstopper Season 3

It’s official: we have some brand new names attached to the Heartstopper franchise. Series regulars will be joined by Eddie Marsan (Back To Black, Ray Donovan), Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton, Fellow Travelers) and former C&TH cover star Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Captain America: The First Avenger).

Hayley Atwell on the Country & Town House May/June ’23 Cover

‘It was an absolute joy to see Hayley, Eddie, and Jonathan’s talent alongside our existing cast, and I can’t wait for the Heartstopper fans to meet these new characters,’ author Alice Oseman told Netflix.

Marsan will be playing Geoff, Charlie’s wise and straight-talking therapist and a beloved character amongst fans of the comics; Bailey will be taking on the role of Jack Maddox, an Instagram-famous classicist and Charlie’s celebrity crush (a very fitting casting, we must say); and Atwell will be stepping into the shoes of Nick’s aunt, Diane, who takes Nick on a summer holiday to Menorca and ‘has some tough advice to impart about his relationship’ according to Oseman.

Jonathan Bailey as Anthony in Bridgerton Season 2 (c) Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2022

They will also be joined by Darragh Hand, who will play Michael Holden, a love interest for Charlie’s older sister, Tori.

The majority of the season 1 and 2 cast will also be reprising their roles, including:

• Kit Connor as Nick Nelson
• Joe Locke as Charlie Spring
• Yasmin Finney as Elle Argent
• Corinna Brown as Tara Jones
• Kizzy Edgell as Darcy Olsson
• Tobie Donovan as Isaac Henderson
• Jenny Walser as Tori Spring
• Cormac Hyde-Corrin as Harry Greene
• Rhea Norwood as Imogen Heaney
• Fisayo Akinade as Mr Ajayi
• Chetna Pandya as Coach Singh
• Jack Barton as David Nelson
• Leila Khan as Sahar Zahid
• Nima Taleghani as Mr Farouk
• Bradley Riches as James McEwan

Those who have been closely following the show will notice a few names missing from the list. Sadly, a number of characters will not be returning for season 3, including Olivia Colman, who noted that scheduling conflicts prevented her from taking part in filming. ‘I couldn’t do number three. I couldn’t fit it in. I feel awful about that,’ Colman told Variety. ‘I feel like I was part of one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of.’ We’re sad to see her go, but hope she’ll be able to make it back for a later season.

What Is Heartstopper About?

Heartstopper is a coming-of-age romcom drama TV series that follows the budding relationship between Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), two teenage boys at an all-boys grammar school. After striking up an unlikely friendship, Charlie starts to fall for Nick – and while initially he believes he doesn’t have a chance with his schoolmate, he soon finds that his feelings are not unrequited.

The series primarily follows Charlie and Nick’s relationship, but it also looks into the lives of other members in their friend group, including Tao (William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), Isaac (Tobie Donovan), Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell).

Is It Based On A Book?

Heartstopper is based on a popular webcomic and graphic novel created by Alice Oseman. Season 1 is primarily based on volumes 1 and 2 of Oseman’s comic, while season 2 was mostly adapted from volume 3. The upcoming season, which is scheduled for release later this year, will likely be based on the next volume in the series.

Oseman has six instalments planned for her webcomic; the sixth and final volume is thought to come out sometime in 2024.

What Will Season 3 Be About?

The next instalment of Heartstopper leaves off where we left the characters in season 2 (more on that here), with Charlie and Nick continuing to nurture their relationship through the ups and downs of adolescence.

Oseman has already hinted that we might have slightly more mature themes this season too, as the characters begin to reach adulthood. ‘Season 2 ended with Nick beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues, and it’s this that will drive the story through season 3,’ she told Netflix. ‘While Heartstopper will always celebrate the joyful and point towards hope, I’m really excited that we are allowing the tone of the show to mature alongside our beloved characters growing up. Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood.’

You can read the season 3 summary from Netflix below:

‘Charlie would like to tell Nick that he loves him. Nick also has something important to say to Charlie. As the summer holiday ends and the months race on, the friends begin to realize that the school year will come with both its joys and its challenges. As they learn more about each other and their relationships, plan social events and parties and start thinking about university choices, everyone must learn to lean on those they love when life doesn’t go to plan.’

When Will Heartstopper Season 3 Come Out?

Luckily it’s not too long a wait; Netflix announced that season 3 of Heartstopper will be making its way to screens sometime in October 2024.

Alice Oseman (c) Marcus Laing for Netflix

Where To Stream

All episodes of Heartstopper season 3 will drop on Netflix later this year. While you wait, you can catch up with the first two seasons on netflix.com

Featured image: Heartstopper Season 1 (c) Netflix