The Bear Season 5 filming is underway in Chicago, and it is expected to be released later this year, with most signs pointing to the show hitting the 2026 TV schedule this summer.
The idea of The Bear Season 5 was up in the air for a bit after the ending of Season 4. But thankfully, it wasn’t long after the show’s fourth-season premiere that it was announced that Season 5 would happen, and now there is good reason to suspect that this will be the final season for the show.
What is Season 5 going to be about? When can we expect to see it? Will it be the last season? Here is what we know so far about The Bear Season 5.
Article continues belowWhat Is The Bear Season 5 Premiere Date?
We don't have an exact date, but it looks like the show will premiere in June 2026. A few things lead us to that speculation. First, we know that filming has been underway for a few weeks now, after kicking off in early February 2026, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Second, every other season of The Bear has dropped in June like clockwork.
It's rare for (what we think of as) streaming shows to be so predictable, almost like a network show, but there is no reason to think The Bear won't stay on the same schedule it's been on since it debuted in June 2022. Granted, The Bear is also on FX (since FX has a deal with Hulu where their shows premiere on the platform). Even so, having it released on a regular schedule is an absolute win.
We can also say that it looks like this just might be the final season for the show. In February, Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Donna, announced on her Instagram that the show "finished strong."
In March, multiple outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, reported that this would, indeed, be the final season for the hit show after Curtis told Entertainment Tonight that "it is the end of the show." It should be pointed out that, thus far, FX and Hulu have not officially commented on it.
The Bear Season 5 Cast
For a while, the cast of The Bear was a bit up in the air. Due to the nature of The Bear Season 4 finale, it was speculated that Jeremy Allen White, who portrays Carmy, would not return in a series regular role. That has been settled, and White is returning to the role that he has won multiple Emmys for playing.
There are plenty of other members of The Bear cast who are also returning, including:
- Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie Jerimovich
- Lionel Boyce as Marcus Brooks
- Liza Colon-Zayas as Tina Marrero
- Abby Elliot as Natalie Berzatto
- Matty Matheson as Neil Fak
- Edwin Lee Gibson as Ebraheim
- Molly Gordon as Claire Dunlap
This is just the main cast, but many other characters could appear in Season 5. Will Poulter’s recurring guest role as Luca became a bigger part of Season 4. Jaime Lee Curtis’ character, Donna, who continues to make us cry every season, also had a significant amount of screen time in the fourth season is obviously returning.
It's a fair bet that we'll see a lot of the series semi-regulars and guest stars return, like Gillian Jacobs (Tiff), Sarah Ramos (Jess), and others. The show has had a cavalcade of big stars rotate in and out, and with it likely being the final season, the sky's the limit on who could return.
What Could The Bear Season 5 Be About?
Alright, so here’s where things get interesting, because there isn't much out there for what Season 5 could be about. After the ending of Season 4, it's really hard to predict where the story is headed, but we'll do our best.
What Happened At The End Of Season 4?
As a refresher, the finale of The Bear Season 4 was crazy in so many ways. Carmy, Syd, and Richie had the conversation of a lifetime. What was it, you might ask? Well, Carmy is thinking of leaving not only the restaurant but the industry altogether.
He signed away his portion of The Bear to Syd, and is essentially considering leaving everything behind – a choice that we still don’t know is the right one or not. Neither Syd nor Richie is the biggest fan of his decision, and right now, it’s only those two, as well as Natalie (who came in at the last second), that know what he plans to do.
It would be a big shock to everyone. Lionel Boyce even talked about it in an interview with Collider in June 2025, saying that he’s not even sure how Marcus would react to the news, considering it was Carmy who inspired him to become the baker he is:
I asked the same thing. I was like, 'I wonder what Marcus will think about this when he finds out.' The person who pushed him in this direction, I wonder what the dynamic of that conversation will be between those two because that’s such a big thing. Carmy makes a choice for his personal life, but what does that mean?
This would be even bigger news for Marcus, because he was just named one of the Best New Chefs in Food & Wine magazine. That’s wild.
Would Could Possibly Happen Next?
There’s a lot that could happen next. We wouldn't be surprised if Carmy ends up staying away from the kitchen, but where does that leave everyone else?
With Marcus named as a new chef, his new career is on the line. Sydney has been wavering about leaving The Bear, but with Carmy putting her in this new position, she might not have a choice, and will have to stay. The restaurant isn’t necessarily sinking anymore, but most of the investors agree that they still feel it needs to close. There are a lot of what-ifs up in the air right now.
There’s also the fact that we could explore a lot more backstories as well. In an interview with Vulture in July 2025, Edwin Lee Gibson said that he would love to explore Ebraheim’s backstory and what makes him, well, him:
I’d like to see his psychological trauma. We haven’t seen that yet. We’ve seen everyone else’s thing, that ticking clock. We haven’t seen what Ebra’s is yet. I’d love to see him doing his thing, but then his trauma hits, and we’re thrown back into what happened many years ago.
We did see a lot more of Ebraheim in Season 4, so it wouldn’t be that shocking if he is featured way more in Season 5.
What are you excited for with The Bear Season 5? All I know is that I’m already dying for all the new food we’re going to see—time to learn all the latest recipes.
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