Netflix's Lucifer: Premiere Date, Cast, And More Quick Things We Know About Season 5B

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

In May, Netflix will give us Hell. By that, we mean Lucifer is back, of course. The long-awaited, much-anticipated second half of Season 5 is mere weeks away. As we get closer to the premiere date, we're learning more details (the devil is in them, after all) about what's in store. We don't know everything that's set to happen in Netflix's latest batch of episodes, but we do know some key bits of information, which we'll share with you now. If you love Lucifer, here's what you can expect from Season 5B.

If you're not caught up on Lucifer, heed our warning that there are major spoilers ahead.

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

Lucifer Season 5B Will Premiere On May 28th

Hell will reign on Earth once more. Following an extended multi-month delay, Lucifer Season 5B will be available on Netflix starting May 28th. That's still weeks away, but that prolonged break gave fans plenty of folks time to catch up or revisit the previous seasons. We'll only get a handful of episodes to tide us over this time around, as we'll discuss in a moment, but do not fret. Season 6 is confirmed and already in the works.

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

Just Like Season 5A, Lucifer Season 5B Consists Of Eight Episodes

Admittedly, this information shouldn't come as a major surprise considering the 16-episode order that Season 5 received from Netflix, but Lucifer Season 5B will follow Season 5A's lead and release eight episodes during its second block. The reason for the split shouldn't be surprising either. Lucifer was in the midst of filming Season 5 when production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By Tom Ellis' admission, Season 5 was 60 percent finished when everything shut down. Rather than delay it entirely, Netflix put Lucifer Season 5A out in a timely fashion and waited until this year to finish and release the following eight episodes. Hopefully, the wait will be worth it!

The Cast of Lucifer

All The Main Cast Members Are Expected To Return For Lucifer Season 5B

Additionally, fans shouldn't be shocked to learn that all the major cast members of Lucifer are expected to return for these next eight episodes. That includes Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Aimee Garcia, and Rachael Harris. Additionally, as discussed later in this article, Dennis Haysbert plays a sizable role as the Lord Above, though his part might only be temporary. At least, based on the new trailer. We should expect a few more surprise appearances along the way.

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

Tom Ellis Continues To Pull Double Duty As Lucifer And Michael

In Season 5A, Tom Ellis pulled double duty in the roles of Lucifer and Michael, the contemptuous and attention-seeking twin character of our titular character. It was two for the price of one for the handsome, hard-working actor, and we should expect more from Michael in the episodes ahead. But will we see Michael in Season 6? That's the question. Naturally, Ellis was coy about the answer; we'll have to wait to see how Season 5B shakes up before we figure out what's in store for our main character(s) in the final season. But love or hate him, Michael will return in these new eight episodes.

D.B. Woodside, Tom Ellis - Lucifer

There Will Be A Musical Episode

Time to warm up those vocal cords. As we've suggested throughout the article, there will be plenty of surprises in this month's half-season of Lucifer, including the delightful addition of a musical episode, which should be a highlight, to say the least. While the show has introduced musical elements before, this toe-tapping installment will be a big extravagance, and it will test the versatile song-and-dance talents of our lead actors.

Considering how often Lucifer ups the ante, to the point of literally moving heaven and earth, it's not shocking that we'll get something this outlandish. Still, it'll be intriguing to discover how the devil-may-care streaming show incorporates such a broad tonal shift.

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

The Episodes Were Rewritten To Accommodate The Upcoming Sixth Season

It's been a tough road to the finish line for Lucifer. (There's a good joke to be made here about The Road to Hell, but alas.) The comic book adaptation was canceled not once but twice over the course of its run, made a jump from network TV to streaming service, and faced several more setbacks along the way. But the end is nigh — though, in a strange turn of events, Lucifer will run longer than the showrunners once anticipated.

Previously, Season 5 was set to be the show's final hours, which would've made 5B the conclusion. But Netflix opted to give Lucifer another season (albeit a condensed one), which means that Lucifer's once-final season needed to be retooled to account for these reworked plans. The showrunners claim that the changes weren't substantive. By their admission, though, there were definitely some tweaks made to Season 5's final few scenes. We'll have to wait to see whether or not these rewrites were stark or subtle.

Dennis Haysbert - Lucifer

We Should Expect God’s Arrival To Make An Impact On Season 5B

God will walk the earth once more. Our heavenly maker made His divine entrance near the end of Lucifer Season 5A, and you better believe that His presence will have major consequences in the second half of the season. That said, the decision to include God in the proceedings didn't come lightly. The showrunners deliberated on the choice; it wasn't always a given that the Heavenly Father would have a place in a less-than-holy program about The Father of Lies. Despite the showrunners being nervous to include the Man Upstairs in the streaming series, Lucifer's team made a great choice by picking Dennis Haysbert (and his smooth, insurance-friendly voice) to play the almighty part.

Lauren German, Tom Ellis - Lucifer

Co-Showrunner Joe Henderson Said The Season 5B Trailer Will Make Fans ‘Shit’ Themselves

Before checking out the newest Lucifer trailer, fans should prepare accordingly. At least, by co-showrunner Joe Henderson's admission. In a recent interview (via CBR.com), Henderson claimed that Lucifer lovers will "shit themselves" when they see what's in store for this newest half-season. At the time, Henderson didn't specify what exactly might provoke such a visceral reaction, but the writer giddily admitted that he was surprised by how much the creative team managed to squeeze into eight episodes.

Here's what Joe Henderson said about Lucifer's Season 5B trailer:

You guys are gonna shit yourself when you see that trailer. It is awesome. I mean, the season itself is awesome, but when you guys see the trailer — I will warn everyone that the trailer does have some spoilers that you might not want to see — but it won't ruin the experience, it will only add to it in my opinion. But it's got a lot. I was just watching it and I was like, 'Did we do all that in eight episodes? Wow!’

Tom Ellis - Lucifer

Sure Enough, Lucifer's Season 5B Trailer Is A Devilish Delight

Now that the long-awaited trailer for Lucifer Season 5B is here, we can finally see what Joe Henderson was teasing with his explicit comments. Our first glimpse at the next eight episodes gives us a lot of information at once, while also not making it completely clear what's going to go down. There are loaded confrontations between God and Lucifer, the looming threat of Michael's presence, wild partying, big musical numbers, and a bus driving off a cliff — among other odd slices of footage. Surely (or hopefully), it'll make sense when the half-season premieres this month. Watch the trailer below:

Before Lucifer Season 5B arrives, you can stream the whole damn show on Netflix.

Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.