'Jack Ryan' Could Be A Much Different Show When It Returns For Season 3

Given the success of Season 1 and the creative forces behind Season 2, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told attendees of a Television Critics Association panel back in February that she "saw no reason not to" bring back Jack Ryan for Season 3. Renewing a series in advance of its newest season isn't a particularly uncommon move, but it is one that showcases just how confident Amazon is in Jack Ryan's longevity.

That being said, it's likely that the third season will look slightly different after a switch-up in the show's creative team. Lost co-showrunner and Jack Ryan co-creator Carlton Cuse helmed Seasons 1 and 2 of the thriller series alongside Graham Roland, but Cuse stepped aside for Season 3 so that he could focus on Netflix's Locke and Key.

In his absence, Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring will now take over. According to Variety, All the Money in the World screenwriter David Scarpa was originally going to step into the showrunner role but bowed out not long after it was announced. It's way too early to speculate about what this change of hands will mean for Jack Ryan, but if anything, Scheuring's experience in telling high-stakes stories should come in handy.

It's also unclear when Season 3 of Jack Ryan will premiere. With Season 2 hitting Amazon on Nov. 1, roughly 14 months after the Season 1 premiere on Aug. 31, 2018, it seems likely that the third season will be released toward the end of 2020 at the earliest. After all, given the showrunner shake-up, it's doubtful that any scripts have been written, let alone that filming has started.

There's also Krasinski's directing and producing career to consider. According to Collider, he's spent the hiatus between Seasons 2 and 3 directing A Quiet Place 2, and according to his IMDb page, he's currently in pre-production for Not Fade Away, a movie starring his wife, Emily Blunt, which he's producing. It's due out in 2020, so filming the next season of Jack Ryan would need to fit around this, too, and that could delay things further.

In the meantime, there's still Season 2 of Jack Ryan to look forward to. Krasinski has teased a "more morally ambiguous" Jack, which could allow for more risky, adventurous storytelling, given that the character has accepted that not everything is black and white, and he'll have to make some tough choices.

"Season 2 is a really nice stepping stone from where he went in season one," Krasinski told Digital Spy, adding that this new version of Jack "is really exciting to play."

When Jack Ryan returns for Season 3, he could be in even more nebulous territory.