Special Ops: Lioness was guaranteed to be a massive hit from the moment it was pitched. From Taylor Sheridan, mastermind of the phenomenally popular Yellowstone universe, and the latest entry in the current craze for big-budget military-themed and/or spy series, it was no surprise when Lioness broke records upon its release in July 2023. Specifically, the show managed to shoot down mixed reviews to become one of the most-watched premieres of Paramount Plus’ lifespan so far.
Lioness follows Force Recon Marine Cruz Manuelos (Laysla de Oliveira) as she’s recruited into the CIA’s Lioness program, as led in the field by the tough-as-nails Joe (Zoe Saldaña) and overseen by high-ranking official Kaitlin Meade (Nicole Kidman), and is tasked with befriending the daughter of a terrorist financier. The rest of the cast includes Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, and none other than Morgan Freeman.
At the time of writing, Paramount has yet to officially announce a second season of Special Ops, but given its immense success it surely seems a given. What’s more, rumored intel claims that the decision has already been made, but the next run might not be exactly what viewers are anticipating. Here’s everything we know so far.
Special Ops: Lioness season 2 plot
According to scooper Daniel Richtman, Special Ops is returning… but it will transform into an anthology series. Whereas Lioness deals with terrorist threats stemming from the Middle East, the second season — which we’d assume would go by a different subtitle — is allegedly set to relocate to an entirely different area of the world. And, in doing so, it might just turn out to be perfect for fans of an acclaimed Netflix crime drama.
“Lioness has been renewed for season 2,” Richtman shared. “The show will be an anthology series and next season will have a new cast. It will be set in Mexico and be about the war against the Mexican drug cartel.” Assuming that these leaked details prove to be correct then it certainly sounds like anyone missing Netflix’s Narcos, or its recent spiritual follow-up Griselda, will not want to miss Special Ops season 2.
Special Ops: Lioness season 2 cast
Lioness season 1 had exactly the kind of A-list ensemble cast that you would expect from Sheridan, whose Yellowstone universe is similarly stacked with stars. Perhaps the biggest reason why fans might’ve feared for the show’s future is the difficulty in assembling such a talented and busy bunch of actors for another bout of filming. So, while it is not entirely confirmed, the series taking an anthology approach next time around would make a lot of sense.
The downside if this is indeed the case, however, is that we shouldn’t expect to see any familiar faces return. According to Richtman, an entirely new cast will be hired for season 2, so it seems we can say goodbye to Saldaña’s Joe, Kidman’s Meade, de Oliveira’s Manuelos, and the rest. It’s conceivable that some members of the team, perhaps even Saldaña, to keep her as the face of the franchise, could be retained, but if we’re to believe the rumor then an entirely fresh cast will be found.
Special Ops: Lioness season 2 release window
After some initial teething problems in pre-production — original showrunner Thomas Brady and his writers’ room were let go and Sheridan was brought on instead — Lioness had a swift and easy production period. Filming began in September 2022, wrapped up by January 2023, and it was out on streaming by that summer. So the fact that season 2 hasn’t been officially confirmed is no cause to worry. Paramount will probably announce it once filming is ready to go, after which it could only be a matter of months before it debuts. Even so, a 2024 arrival seems a bit of a stretch, so Special Ops: Lioness is likely looking at a release sometime in 2025. Hopefully the first half of the year, if we’re lucky.