Hulu/FXProduction on Shōgun Season 2 is in full swing, and we’ve got news of a pop star who has joined the cast.
Adapted from the bestselling book of the same name by James Clavell – which in turn was loosely based on a true story – Shōgun was a ratings winner for FX and Hulu.
A story of two cultures clashing, the series focuses on English sailor John Blackthorne being shipwrecked in Japan in 1600, where his life becomes entwined with powerful warlord Yoshii Toranaga.
Shōgun debuted in February 2024 to record numbers, and went on to win the Primetime Emmy for outstanding drama and the Golden Globe for best television drama. Season 2 is coming soon, so here’s what we know…
Is there a Shōgun Season 2 release date?
FXIt’s still too early for a release date, but we now know Shōgun Season 2 will commence principal photography in January 2026. As such, we can hazard a guess that it will drop sometime in 2027 at the earliest.
The series was first announced to be in development back in 2018, before premiering in 2024. Thankfully, given the success of Season 1, the creative team are speeding up the production of the second chapter.
Even so, with filming to begin in 2026, we can expect at least a year-long wait before new episodes drop. The series was renewed in May of 2024, when rumors swirled that Seasons 2 and 3 would shoot back-to-back.
That news was then debunked in a Deadline interview with John Landgraf, during which the FX Chairman said: “I don’t know that we’re certain there will be three seasons, but in really looking at the characters in the history that’s being depicted here, albeit in a fictionalized manner, it still feels to us like three is the right number of seasons to really do it justice.”
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A writer’s room was also assembled last year, which hammered out a story for the future of the series, including a major change…
Season 2 plot & time-jump
FXThe next season of the Shōgun story will play out 10 years after the events of the first, and will center on both a sweeping love story and a deep dive into war’s devastating cost.
In a statement, FX said that Season 2 “continues the historically-inspired saga of these two men from different worlds whose fates are inextricably entwined.”
James Clavell wrote multiple sequels and prequels to Shōgun, but the forthcoming series won’t be another adaptation, but rather “a wholly original new chapter to the first season.”
That said, some characters and situations from the original novel that weren’t used in Season 1 will be incorporated into Season 2.
In a conversation with Variety in November 2025, co-creator Justin Marks explained, “Part 2 is, I would say two things. Like the first season, I think part two is a really sweeping, beautiful and you’re never going to see a coming, entirely unexpected love story. It’s also a story of war and the cost of war.
“There are battle sequences that we’re putting together now in part two. I don’t think you’ve ever seen anything like this kind of scale, this kind of tragedy and this kind of humanity.”
Marks also opened up about the reason for the 10-year time jump, stating, “This show is going to take us a little while to produce. It’s not coming out one year later, and there’s this thing that drives me crazy when you watch a show that ended three years ago, and you get into season two and it’s like five minutes later.
“We’re trying to use this jump as a way to come back to our characters again for the very first time, to see them, to see what’s changed in their lives over the course of the last 10 years, and to rediscover them.”
WARNING: Potential spoilers ahead…
But it sounds like some of those characters won’t last long in Season 2. When asked about his participation, Ishido Kazunari actor Takehiro Hira told Variety: “the older characters in Shogun loosely follow the actual historical figures. So my guy doesn’t really survive much after the big war, the battle. So my days are numbered.”
It therefore doesn’t look good for Kazunari, but Hira added: “I will probably have an honorable death.”
Shogun Season 2 cast
FX/HuluReturning cast members in Shōgun Season 2 include Cosmo Jarvis again as John Blackthorne and Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Toranaga. Sanada is also on executive producer duties, while Jarvis becomes a co-executive producer. Other returning cast members include:
- Fumi Nikaidô as Ochiba
- Shinnosuke Abe as Buntaro
- Hiroto Kanai as Omi
- Yoriko Dôguchi as Kiri
- Tommy Bastow as Alvito
- Yuko Miyamoto as Gin
- Eita Okuno as Saeki
- Yuka Kouri as Kiku
- Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari
In November 2025, a whole host of new actors and characters were unveiled for Season 2:
- Asami Kizukawa as Aya
- Masataka Kubota as Hyūga
- Sho Kaneta as Hidenobu
- Takaaki Enoki as Lord Ito
- Jun Kunimura as Gōda
- Ren Meguro as Kazutada
Meguro is singer in the boy band Snow Man, and said this of his casting: “I am incredibly honored to join the cast of Shōgun season two. When I streamed Shōgun on Disney+ last year, I was profoundly moved by the series’ unique and grand portrayal of Japan, which felt different from past portrayals.
“As a Japanese person, I felt a compelling urge to be part of this groundbreaking production. I started learning more about the production team, exploring Hiroyuki Sanada’s vision and his long-standing dedication, and reading various articles about Shōgun.
“This year, the opportunity to audition came my way. I submitted my footage and participated in auditions. Now, my dream has become a reality, and it truly felt like a dream come true. For the past year, I have constantly envisioned myself on the set of Shōgun, bringing my character to life. I am committed to honoring the legacy that so many have built before me and to carefully shaping the role entrusted to me in this remarkable series.
“I can’t wait for everyone to see the release of Shōgun season two and to share in this incredible journey with us. Thank you and please look forward to Shōgun season two.”
Series creators Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks also return as showrunners, and were joined in the writers’ room by Shannon Goss, Matt Lambert, Maegan Houang, Emily Yoshida, Caillin Puente, and Sofie Somoroff.
Season 1 directors Hiromi Kamata and Takeshi Fukunaga are joined by Anthony Byrne, Kate Herron, and Marks for Season 2.
Where will the new episodes shoot?
FXSeason 2 of Shōgun will shoot in Vancouver, which is where Season 1 was also filmed.
That’s counter to what Hiroyuki Sanada had hoped, with the Shōgun star saying FX was “discussing” relocating to Japan.
But in that aforementioned Landgraf interview, the FX boss said: “It is complicated because of the scale of the stage base and the scale of the production capacity there is just a little different.
“We’ve had trouble matching the location and the scale of what we’re capable of achieving there, with the scale of the ambition of the show. Unfortunately, medieval Japan, the castles are not around in their prior form and frankly if they were, you wouldn’t be able to shoot there anyway.”
We’ll update this article as-and-when Season 2 news breaks, including additional cast announcements. For more about the series, check out the Shogun Season 1 ending explained, read about sequel Tai-Pan that spectacularly bombed, and check out these five movies to watch if you love Shogun.