Gwendoline Christie, Alia Shawkat, Merritt Wever join Severance's second season

If you felt something in the universe shift recently, it’s because the second season of Apple TV+’s Severance started filming. For the new season of the sci-fi thriller, the cast has expanded greatly, adding eight new roles to its regular roster.

The new additions include Games Of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie, Bob Balaban, Merritt Wever, Search Party’s Alia Shawkat, Robby Benson, Stefano Carannante, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (who was once described as the “hottest man in Iceland”), and John Noble. No details on who’s playing who have been made available just yet.

They join those making a return for season two, including Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Dichen Lachman, Jen Tullock, Tramell Tillman, Michael Chernus, and Christopher Walken.

“We are thrilled and delighted to be back on set for the exciting second chapter of Severance,” says director and executive producer Ben Stiller. “Though we don’t know how long we’ve been gone or who we are outside, we are told people enjoy the show and we couldn’t be happier. Praise Kier!”

The first season of Severance earned 14 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. When we last saw our characters, their innies had been out in the real world, trying to piece together who they are and some truths about the mysterious Lumon Industries. Adam Scott’s Mark had just made a revelatory discovery before the switch flipped once again, shutting down the work side of his brain.

“We tried to make something that gave us some satisfaction, some modicum of joy, but also opens the door for a lot of different new avenues that we’re gonna go,” series creator and executive producer Dan Erickson previously told The Hollywood Reporter about the cliffhanger. “It’s fun to think about how the events of this episode change the world and change the game for all the characters and how they’re now going to have to contend with that.”