Shōgun Star Confirmed to Return for Season 2

Shōgun Season 2 looks like it's happening, as star Hiroyuki Sanda signs a deal to return as Lord Toranaga.

By Kofi Outlaw

Shōgun star Hiroyuki Sanada has reportedly closed a deal to reprise is role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Season 2 of the hit Hulu-FX  TV series. 

According to Deadline's report, Sanada is only the first domino, as "other elements are still being worked out and deals are being finalized as part of an effort by FX to take Shōgun to a second season in light of the big commercial and critical success of the limited series."

There has been heavy debate about whether or not Shōgun needs Season 2. The first season of the series was an adaptation of author James Clavell's acclaimed 1975 Shogun novel; the series adapted the events of the book pretty directly, with Episode 10 covering the end of the novel. However, TV is a much different medium than a novel; even with all the acclaim the show has received, the Shōgun Finale left some viewers wanting, as it did not depict the epic battle the series had teased all along, nor did it firmly answer whether Toranga realizes his dream of becoming the first Shōgun Japan has seen in centuries. 

Those unanswered questions made a lot of casual TV viewers believe that Shōgun Season 2 was inevitable – and now it's looking like that was the right bet. 

There are some finer details to note about this announcement. There's heavy speculation that FX and Hulu are making this move and announcing it right now as part of their strategy for the 2024 Emmys. Shōgun was originally listed as a "limited series," which would only give it a limited range of Emmy categories to compete in. By announcing Season 2, Shōgun now shifts into a more traditional television drama lane, opening the door for all the accompanying Emmys considerations (writing, directing, acting, costuming, music, editing, production design, etc.). Given the masterful work done on all sides of the series, this is a worthwhile move. 

What Would Shōgun Season 2 Be About? 

will-shogun-get-season-2-canceled-renwed-ending.jpg
(Photo: FX / Hulu)

The story of Shōgun wasn't a fictional work by James Clavell, it was a dramatization of actual historical events. Clavell spent years researching 17th-century Japanese history to create his novel's story and characters –  many of whom (Blackthorne, Toranaga, Mariko, Ishido) are fictionalized versions of real historical figures. Clavell's novel was focused on its collection of principal characters (Blackthorne, Toranaga, Mariko) and how their fates converged to change the fate of Japan – it did not cover what happened after that character connection was severed. 

History and its subsequent events are succulent meat on the bone for Shōgun Season 2. It would be different in terms of characters and tone, but the next season could definitely continue focusing on Toranaga and his quest to gain (or hold onto) power over Japan. 

Related:

For Disney (owner of FX and Hulu) it's an opportunity to keep its biggest prestige content win going, and possibly expand it into a whole franchise of spinoff series. The same has worked for Game of Thrones (which led to the prequel series House of the Dragon becoming a major hit). In Shōgun's case, history has already written the source material needed to mine more content from – all it takes is the skilled team to properly adapt it. 

Shōgun is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+ (with the Hulu bundle). 

Trending Now: