High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Showrunner Confirms Olivia Rodrigo’s Exit in Season 3

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is returning to Disney+ for its third season at the end of the month, taking fans on a journey away from East High and to Camp Shallow Lake. While plenty of fun has been promised this season, there will also be an incredibly difficult goodbye, as Season 3 will be the last for Olivia Rodrigo and her character, Nina. The farewell tour for the character is going to stretch out over the course of the season.

This has felt inevitable, given Rodrigo’s meteoric rise to fame following her acclaimed debut album, Sour, and her on-screen journey is mirroring the events of her real life. At the end of Season 2, Nina was given the opportunity to go to Los Angeles and pursue a career as a songwriter. In Season 3, Nina will be in Los Angeles chasing those dreams on her own, separated from the rest of the characters.

“I think she’s ready to explore the world outside the halls of East High,” showrunner Tim Federle told ET in a recent interview. “And Olivia herself was having such a monumental explosion in the music industry that it felt like the right thing to, frankly, work with Olivia to say, ‘How do we get you out there into the world with us taking a little bit more of a backseat?’ Which we were all proud to do to support her.”

Federle went on to say that Olivia’s story in Season 3 of High School Musical is to give Nina a “proper sendoff,” which in turn will give other characters more time in center stage.

“And so this season it’s about trying to give her character a proper sendoff while also leaving room for other characters to really step into the fray and step into the spotlight,” he said. “And personally, it’s a joy to see Olivia’s music explode in such a big way. It was so fun to have her back and reminisce on the beginning.”

Are you excited to see where Nina’s journey takes her in Season 3? Are you disappointed to see Olivia Rodrigo leave the show? Let us know in the comments!

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series returns to Disney+ on July 27th.