Outer Banks season 4 potential release date, cast, plot, trailer and everything you need to know (2024)

Outer Banks season three spoilers follow.

No need to anxiously wait for months on end for news of a season four renewal: Outer Banks has already been given the green light for another season! In fact, the show was picked up ahead of its season three release last year.

Of course, the Outer Banks enthusiasts among us will already know this, as the good news was announced by the cast during the Outer Banks music event known as Poguelandia in Huntington Beach, California.

Co-creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke paid homage to the fans in a statement that read: "Seeing Poguelandia come to life was nothing short of spectacular.

"The Pogues are enjoying an adventure of a lifetime, and we now get to map out more twists and turns as the joyride continues into season four of Outer Banks. Thank you to Netflix, our cast, and the amazing fans who helped to make this happen."

The only question now is when will season four be with us? Here's what we know so far.

Outer Banks season 4 potential release date: When's it on?

Netflix has confirmed that Outer Banks will return for its fourth season later this year, though an exact release has yet to be announced.

Filming is still underway, so, if we were to make an educated guess, we would say an autumn/winter 2024 release date for season four doesn't sound too unrealistic.

But make sure to keep us bookmarked as we'll update you as soon as we learn more.

Outer Banks season 4 cast: Who will be coming back?

Judging by the closing scenes in the finale, it seems John B and Sarah have a new mission. So we're most certainly expecting Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline to reprise their roles.

We would also bank on the return of the following:

• Rudy Pankow as JJ
• Madison Bailey as Kiara (Kie)
• Jonathan Daviss as Pope
• Carlacia Grant as Cleo
  
• Drew Starkey as Rafe
• Austin North as Topper
• Nicholas Cirillo as Barry
• Julie Antonelli as Wheezie

Sadly, despite taking this long to finally track down, Big John (Charles Halford) won't be back for another season. Big John and Ward were both killed off in the finale, their bones resting somewhere in the rainforest, which means we also say goodbye to the slightly redeemable Ward and the actor behind him, Charles Esten.

Ward and Big John do have a history of faking their own deaths, though, so who knows? Perhaps they'll be back for more. It would be completely absurd, but in a world where a group of teenagers can make it out of multiple shootouts and car chases without so much as a scratch, anything can happen.

We'll also be seeing some new faces in season four, with cast announcements including:

• The Walking Dead's Pollyanna McIntosh as Dalia, described as a revolutionary-like leader and villain on a plunder who crosses paths with the Pogues.
• Station 19's Rigo Sanchez as Lightner, a pirate-like stranger who tests the Pogues.
• Dead Ringers' J Anthony Crane as Chandler Groff, a man grieving for his wife who welcomes the Pogues.
• Dynasty's Brianna Brown as Hollis Robinson, the biggest realtor on the island who has her eye on Rafe for a new venture.
• FBI: International's Mia Challis as Ruthie, a toxic wild child who becomes close with Topper.

Outer Banks season 4 plot: What will happen?

Well, you can bank on a lot of absolute madness. Indeed, the quest for El Dorado is over, and the matter of John B's father has literally been put to rest (RIP, Big John). But that doesn't mean the adventure ends here.

Despite the final moments of the finale showing Sarah and John B seeming very settled with their surf shop 18 months after finding El Dorado, there's definitely something brewing on the horizon.

More action is teased when a stranger arrives, bringing with him a manuscript detailing the captain's log of Blackbeard the pirate.

Instead of turning it down and sending him on his way in a 'no thanks, that's enough questing for me' way, John B smirks. And we all know what that means: He's speeding towards a tumultuous journey — and will no doubt take the others along for the ride.

Teasing what this means for season four, co-creator Josh Pate told The Hollywood Reporter: "Blackbeard is part of Outer Banks lore, and so there's just a lot of stuff we can work with out of that. It is going to be a part of it, but it's not going to be a traditional Blackbeard-type tale, although we're using elements of the mythology going forward."

Pate added: "As far as the time jump, we felt like we needed to get them out of school. The actors are a little older, and it was harder to keep them in high school. We just wanted to move them into a new phase in their lives and move them forward a little bit."

Rafe may have been missing from the season finale action, but it's possible the events that unfolded could see him return to his villainous ways in season four — and Ward's death is the likely trigger.

Especially as the death was written to be part of Rafe's arc.

"It was hotly debated, but we always had a sense that it might end that way," co-creator Jonas Pate said (via The Hollywood Reporter). "Part of that was about giving bandwidth for Rafe to emerge as the villain going forward, and also feeling that Ward, as a character, had done so many things that were so psychologically damaging to his daughter.

"There was no possibility of really a happy ending. So we felt like this was the most poetic ending where, at the last second, he tries to redeem himself but dies in the process.

"And then it would also provide a chance for Rafe to emerge and be aggrieved by that death and blame the Pogues for it, and that would set him up for season four."

He instructed the Pogues to keep his father safe, and instead, his father ended up studded with bullets. This will hit him hard after finally earning Ward's respect and, in turn, the keys to the empire. It's not completely wild to assume that he could be seeking revenge on the Pogues and an alliance with Topper could be on the cards.

So, the Pogues better watch their backs because Blackbeard's treasure isn't the only thing that will cause drama in season four.

Rafe's sister Sarah will also have to reconcile with how she feels about Ward's death. Their complicated relationship will no doubt make that a difficult journey for her.

Meanwhile, Sarah's husband John B will also be sorting through his feelings about his recently deceased father.

Speaking of the emotionally wrought finale that led to those deaths, Stokes told TVLine: "When I saw the scripts, I was like: 'Oh, thanks, Jonas [Pate], Josh [Pate] and Shannon [Burke]. You're really kinda throwing me for a loop here.' But the challenge was accepted, and I'm really proud of the work we did this year."

Sarah actress Madelyn Cline added that the season ended at a "really, really painful place of resolve", so perhaps some of those feelings will come spilling into season four.

While the creators remain tight-lipped on the specifics of the plot show's future, they have shared some good news where their plans are concerned.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-creators Josh Pate, Jonas Pate and Shannon Burke revealed their hopes to exceed their original plans of only four seasons.

"I don't know if I could put a real number on it right now," Josh said. "How long it takes to get to that ending might expand, but we now know the shape of the end of the story. We're going to take it as long as we can, for sure."

Outer Banks season 4 trailer: When can I watch it?

Since filming is still underway, there's no new footage to show yet. But, as always, you can count on us to let you know as soon as it drops.

Outer Banks season three is available to stream on Netflix now.