Shogun: Official trailer
Warning - this article contains spoilers for Shogun season one.
Shogun’s first season wrapped up in April this year but millions of fans are already eagerly awaiting the second season on FX and Disney+.
The Japanese historical drama was based on the novel by James Clavell, the events of which concluded by the end of the first season.
It therefore came as some surprise when it was announced that a follow-up was in the works to take Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) in a totally new direction.
The follow-up is projected to be released at some point in 2026, and showrunners Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks have also confirmed a third season will be produced.
But what can fans expect from the epic series when it eventually returns?
Legendary actor Hiroyuki has now confirmed that writing for the second season has officially started, although he has yet to see a first draft.
He’s looking forward to receiving his first scripts, per Variety, and promises the series has “endless possibilities” for how it could continue.
“We don’t have the novel,” he explained. “Freedom is there…
“I hope our writers will enjoy the freedom and respect the novel of course.”
Disney+ now costs as little as £4.99 a month for the Standard with Ads plan, but members can get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront on the Standard or Premium plans.
Disney+ is the only place to stream epic shows including The Bear and Shōgun, plus blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and Marvel.
Shogun’s second season could also undergo some dramatic shake-ups to the main cast.
Hiroyuki shared that half the main cast will be back and “the other half will be new characters coming in.”
It’s unclear who among the main roster will go their separate ways, although several characters met their end at the end of the first season so will need to be replaced.
The actor has also opened up on the decision to end with Toranaga’s ascension to the Shogunate rather than displaying the violent Battle of Sekigahara on-screen.
“That’s the best ending for our show,” he maintained.
“We’re going to show that, not the violence, not the fighting scene, not a lot of nudity.
“We didn’t try to make a big battle scene at the end. Checkmate.”
Shogun is available to stream on Disney+.
