Foundation Season 3: Cast reveals on The Mule’s arrival, crumbling Empire, and character evolutions during these exciting interviews.
Foundation, Apple TV+’s ambitious adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s legendary saga, has consistently pushed the boundaries of sci-fi television, and if the cast is to be believed, Season 3 is set to elevate the series to unprecedented heights. The show simply gets better and better with each episode, let alone with each season.
Mama’s Geeky caught up with some of the cast to discuss Foundation Season 3. In these interviews, stars Pilou Asbæk (The Mule), Jared Harris (Hari Seldon), Cassian Bilton (Brother Dawn), Terrence Mann (Brother Dusk), Laura Birn (Demerzel), Lee Pace (Brother Day), and Lou Llobell (Gaal Dornick) offer glimpses into the upcoming season, emphasizing its grander scale, the convergence of storylines, and the highly anticipated, impactful arrival of The Mule.
Pilou Asbæk on the Grand Introduction of The Mule
Pilou Asbæk, who portrays the pivotal character of The Mule, expressed immense pride and excitement for the new season, particularly regarding his character’s unexpected and grand introduction.
“Opening season three with a big, and you’re a geeky girl, so I’m going to say a big ass introduction to the Mule and to Foundation,” Asbæk shared. “It was incredible.” He candidly admitted to initially forgetting the significance of his opening scene, only realizing its magnitude upon watching it. Pilou Asbæk enthusiastically states that Season 3 sees “all of the worlds get together,” comparing the narrative cohesion to “Lego… it just went click.” This synergy, he explains, brings disparate storylines into one cohesive and narrative.
Pilou Asbæk also provided a fascinating look into his character’s portrayal. He revealed that receiving The Mule’s backstory allowed him to craft a far more complex and empathetic villain.
“When I got a bit of background story to The Mule, it made it much more nuanced,” Asbæk explained. “It made the audience understand why. Why he is who he is.” He highlights a particular line, “You will all come to love me one day. I just want to be loved,” as key to understanding The Mule’s core desire – a universal yearning for affection that he lacks.
This emotional void, Asbæk suggests, is what truly forges him into a villain, making him relatable despite his destructive power. He also praises the show’s writing for creating characters that are “three-dimensional,” allowing audiences to “identify with the choices they have to make,” and noting that even the Cleons are becoming “more and more human, and therefore more and more flawed.”
Lou Llobell on Gaal’s Softer Side
Lou Llobell was particularly excited about Gaal Dornick’s romantic storyline in Foundation Season 3, revealing she had “honestly begging David after season two… please just get her a boyfriend.”
She loved finally seeing this softer, more delicate side of Gaal, which hasn’t been present since the short-lived relationship with Raych. Llobell noted how “beautiful” it was to explore this facet of her character while Gaal simultaneously evolves into a powerful, strong, and confident adult. Gaal is now fully embracing her responsibility, determined to defeat The Mule, even if it means being “a little bit obsessive” in her noble quest to save humanity.
Lou Llobell reflected on Gaal’s unique experience with time, noting that while hundreds of years have passed for her due to cryosleep, she was “so young when she got this information,” and the actual subjective time for processing it hasn’t been long at all. This led Llobell to ponder the nature of cryosleep itself: “is she dreaming or is she asleep or is she just like… shut down?”
She finds it intriguing to consider whether Gaal is conscious or processing information during these periods, as it directly impacts how much Gaal has genuinely absorbed and processed versus what only happens upon waking. This unresolved question highlights the complex psychological impact of Gaal’s journey.
Crafting Hari Seldon’s Many Faces
When David Goyer first approached Jared Harris about Foundation, a core part of the pitch revolved around the idea of multiple versions of Hari Seldon. These iterations needed to be distinct from each other, with their evolution deliberately obscured to keep audiences guessing. Harris explained that this intricate journey for each character is a collaborative process with the writers, where they discuss how best to tell the story and what information is crucial for his portrayal of a particular Seldon.
Harris delved into the specifics of playing the Vault Seldon, noting that this version “can’t know anything about Second Foundation.” This is a direct consequence of his consciousness being “reedited,” meaning he would have no awareness of its creation or the actions of individuals like Raych connected to it. This lack of knowledge presents a “complete mystery” to Vault Seldon, and Harris works to incorporate these specific blind spots into his performance, finding ways to make them “useful” in how scenes are imagined and developed.
The Evolving Faces of Empire: Pace, Birn, Bilton, and Mann
The Cleonic dynasty, a cornerstone of Foundation‘s narrative, undergoes significant transformations in Season 3. Lee Pace, who embodies Brother Day, expressed his excitement about playing a drastically different version of the character. “The character we built this season is someone who doesn’t care about power, doesn’t want to be the Emperor, hates all the jerks in the palace, resents that they think they can control things,” Pace shared. This rebellious, almost apathetic iteration of Day, he believes, is “a fun character to put as… the center of the galaxy.”
Laura Birn, who portrays the enigmatic android Demerzel jokingly adds, “Don’t you feel safe to know that there is a robot ruling the galaxy?” She goes on to describe Demerzel’s journey as “heavyweight,” contrasting it with previous seasons. “She carries the burden on her shoulders and by herself,” Birn explains, highlighting Demerzel’s 25,000 years of memories and the increasingly ambiguous information from the Prime Radiant. “It’s starting to be more spiral than just one direction,” she notes, indicating a less clear path forward for the galaxy’s most powerful AI.
Cassian Bilton, as Brother Dawn, also experiences a significant evolution with this version of his character. He reveals a “very different Dawn from the Dawn that we know from previous seasons.” Unlike his season one counterpart who was “a lot more unsure of himself,” this Dawn is “very sure of himself, is very singular and very determined.” Bilton highlights a scene where Terrence Mann’s character describes Dawn as “the best of us,” emphasizing Dawn’s ambition to be the “best possible public face for this family that is falling apart.”
Terrence Mann, playing Brother Dusk, shared his excitement about the “chewy” nature of the scripts, describing them as a “real page turner.” He articulates the show’s current state: “everything changes… the wheels are coming off the wagon on every aspect of Foundation, of the empire, of the Cleonic dynasty, of everything exploding.” Mann particularly relished the opportunity to play a “King Lear in space,” portraying a king’s “devolve[ment]into tyrannical mania.” He emphasizes the thrill of having “that much at stake” for his character.
Convergence and Real-World Magic
Beyond individual character arcs, the cast universally praises the interconnectedness of Season 3. Llobell highlighted how The Mule’s arrival serves as a unifying “focus for both Foundation and Empire,” bringing a “new nuance” to the narrative. Mann echoed this sentiment, stating that “it’s very satisfying… the greyhounds have been let loose and they’re now chasing the rabbit.”
The actors also shared lighthearted moments, with Pace revealing the joy of working with real animals on set – a real ferret, camel, and lamb – showcasing the show’s commitment to tangible spectacle alongside its impressive CGI.
The cast’s insights promise a season where the stakes are higher than ever, characters are pushed to their limits, and the epic saga of humanity’s future truly “comes together” in a thrilling and unpredictable fashion.
Be sure to watch our full Foundation Season 3 interviews with the cast to learn more about the upcoming season.
Foundation Season 3 premieres on Apple TV+ July 11th. Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.