Only Murders in the Building Season 4 is confirmed, and yes, we are excited, so let's talk about what we know.
Hulu's best original shows have been a massive success for the platform. Some of my favorites have been The Great (which was unfortunately cancelled after three seasons), The Handmaid's Tale, or even Pen15, but I don't believe there's been another show that has captured my interest as much as Only Murders in the Building.
The series, which stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, has run for three seasons so far, and tells the story of podcasters who attempt to solve murders that occur in their building. And now, a fourth season is confirmed -- why do people still choose to live in this building again?
So, for those who want to know, here is what we know about Only Murders in the Building Season 4.
What Is The Only Murders In The Building Season 4 Premiere Date?
Only Murders in the Building Season 4 is confirmed, as reported by Deadline in October 2023. But as of updating this in March 2024, there is no set release date for the fourth season.
Even so, Only Murders in the Building has been released fairly consistently in previous years. Each year since 2021, the show has released a new season, and filming for the new season has officially begun, so hopefully, this means it will appear on our 2024 TV schedule.
Steve Martin, Martin Short, And Selena Gomez Are Expected To Return
It wouldn’t really be Only Murders in the Building without our main stars returning. Just for a refresher, here is who you can expect to be back:
Steve Martin as Charles
Steve Martin is expected to return as Charles, an actor who also works on the podcast. Martin has been around in the industry for many years and is known for his comedic prowess.
Martin Short as Oliver
Martin Short is expected to return as Oliver, an actor who has appeared in many other shows such as The Morning Show, Saturday Night Live, Maya & Marty and many others.
Selena Gomez as Mabel
Selena Gomez is expected to return as Mabel in Season 4. Aside from her singing career, Gomez has had a prolific acting resurgence over the last few years, appearing in The Dead Don’t Die, the Hotel Transylvania series and more. The Hulu show is something to watch if you love Selena Gomez because she's excellent in it.
Several New Cast Members Have Been Confirmed
While we can expect the main trio to be back for Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, there are a few cast members that we can confirm have joined the series for Season 4.
Deadline reported in mid-February 2024 that Molly Shannon would sign on for a recurring role in the new season. Her character’s name is unknown, but Deadline says that she will be playing a “high powered LA business woman” who ends up part of the investigation world back in New York.
Also in mid-February 2024, Variety confirmed that Eva Longoria was cast in a recurring role. Details on who her character is have been kept under wraps.
Then, in late-February 2024, Deadline confirmed that Eugene Levy had signed on for Season 4 in a recurring role, with his character details unknown at this time. This will reunite Levy and Short, who both got their start from SCTV, so now they’ll be back together in another collaboration.
Meryl Streep Will Return To Play Loretta Again In Season 4
I don't think anyone could forget how Only Murders in the Building landed Meryl Streep as part of the main cast of Season 3. And now, in February 2024, it was confirmed that Streep would return to the role in a recurring way for Season 4 of the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
This is great news, as Streep was arguably one of the best additions to the show back in 2023.
It’s Unclear If Jesse Williams Will Return – But The Showrunner Hopes He Does
Jesse Williams was also added in Season 3 of the series. Known from his time on Grey's Anatomy, Williams played Tobert in Only Murders in the Building, a love interest of Mabel’s. Right now, it’s up in the air if he will return, since Tobert also went back to Los Angeles at the end of Season 3.
However, OMITB showrunner John Hoffman has said that he'd love to work with him again. In an interview that he did with The Hollywood Reporter in October 2024, Hoffman says there "is no greater hope" than working with these actors and characters again, saying he would bring even "Paul" [Rudd] back again:
There is no greater hope for me. I love them both, Jesse and Meryl, everyone. I mean, for God's sake, I would bring Paul back if we can. Listen, I would bring everyone back, and that might happen. Victims, killers, they're all able to play in the landscape within this sort of certain narrative ways we can tell our stories.
This was said before Streep was confirmed to return, so who knows? It looks like people like to come back. We might get to see Tobert in some way.
Season 4 Will Focus On Sazz’s Death, And Potentially Deal With The Repercussions Of The Podcast Being Put Out To The World
For those who have made it to the tragic Only Murders in the Building Season 3 finale, you would know that Sazz, played by Jane Lynch (who was the best guest star), was shot and killed when she went to Charles's apartment to go and get more drinks for their celebration party.
A theory of mine is that the person who shot Sazz most likely assumed it was Charles since she is his stunt double and meant to look like him.
Check out why the Only Murders in the Building Season 3 finale had a huge pull for Hulu.
While not much is known about the story, John Hoffman, one of the show's creators aside from Steve Martin, was asked if the show would center on Sazz's death in Season 4. He confirmed that was true in an interview with Variety in October 2023 while also saying that the next season might also focus on the repercussions of the core trio's podcast, which could have led to Sazz's death:
As creative people, these three have made a podcast, and they put it out into the world and it's taken off. But there's no real sense of what people out there are thinking about your thing that is taking off, and that thing you created could come back in a way that, that feels threatening and unexpected for you. Something you couldn't see coming — and what that does to you and how you want to spend the next years of your life. Be careful with the thing you create, basically.
He also reconfirmed this in an interview that he did with The Hollywood Reporter in October 2023:
I think the idea of what you create is a thing you put out to the world, and sometimes you can't be prepared for the repercussions of what potentially the world does with your thing, and how they feel about it. That's a challenging line to walk, and sometimes you have to face it in that way. So, the podcast and everything else that's happened, and what it all means, and what it could have been meaning all along. That's a really interesting world to look at for these three who stepped in that way.
So now, I'm even more excited, thank you.
Season 4 Will Take Place In New York And Also Los Angeles
Only Murders in the Building is one of the best shows set in New York City, but now it seems we are moving across the country, because it’s been confirmed that Season 4 will also take place in Los Angeles.
Deadline confirmed in mid-February 2024 that Season 4 of Only Murders in the Building will “kick off” with a trip to Los Angeles before heading back to New York City.
This had been hinted at before, when the third season came to an end. John Hoffman, in an interview, he did with Deadline in October 2023, said that there was a possibility we could get to see these characters in Los Angeles because there wasn't a definite end on any of these new relationships that were built up:
Well, we are gonna see if there's a definite touch of Los Angeles in small doses. We'll see. That is a wish, too, because there are continuations. It's not like we put a final period on the interpersonal relationships that were so beautifully built across the season. I loved watching the reactions throughout the season to these personal relationships and what they mean.
With this in mind, it makes me wonder how long we truly are going to be on the West Coast.
The Trio Will Be “Fully Back Together” For Season 4
In Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, we often see the main trio – Charles, Oliver, and Mabel – separated due to personal circumstances and trying to understand each other better.
But in an interview that co-creator John Hoffman did with Variety in October 2023, he said while it was hard at first to separate them, Season 4 will bring the core trio back together, "fully on the case:"
It was hard, and sometimes we missed it, so we'd create moments to keep it alive. And did we want the audience wanting that too? Absolutely. We just got picked up for Season 4. So the room where we are now, having earned this understanding of themselves and what the trio means to them, feels like a great springboard into next season where they are back together fully on the case — and for good reason, because it feels pretty close to home.
This trio is what dreams are made of, so yes, give me them all back together.
What are you excited about the most about Only Murders in the Building Season 4? I know I'll be watching when it drops – and now, I need to be patient and wait for updates, but I don't know if I'm capable. Someone give me a time machine.
