Why won't there be a Jack Ryan season 5?

Before the series comes to an end, this new season will see a shake-up in the show's cast, with Abbie Cornish returning as Cathy Mueller after a two season absence, and Michael Peña joining as fan favourite book character Domingo Chavez.

But why won't there be a fifth season of Jack Ryan, and is it possible that we could see any spin-offs set in the same universe?

Read on for everything you need to know about why there won't be a Jack Ryan season 5.

Why won't there be a Jack Ryan season 5?

It is not definitively clear why the team has decided to end Jack Ryan now, but Deadline has reported that it was always the plan to make the series a four season show.

At the time that it was confirmed the show would be ending, the publication reported that Krasinski had committed to doing four seasons of the show when he signed on, suggesting that the series is simply a matter of his contract coming to an end as was planned.

When it comes to the in-universe reason that Jack Ryan's journey is coming to an end, could it have something to do with the return of Abbie Cornish as Cathy Mueller? Cornish has been absent from the series since season 1, but could her return signal that Jack will ride off into the sunset for a quiet life with Cathy at the end of the series?

For now, only time will tell...

What has John Krasinski said about the ending of Jack Ryan?

In the weeks leading up to the final season's release, Krasinski has not addressed why the series is ending, but has told Reuters that he and the team "wanted to do a season that was exciting and action-packed...but also, really culminate these characters, these relationships in a way that would be satisfying to the audience".

When he was asked by the publication what it was like saying goodbye to the character, Krasinski said: "I probably put off the reality of it being over till the very last moment, and then realising that the show was done when they called ‘Wrap’ on my character was overwhelming, not only because it was over but also because I got the visual of a large number of people coming out to say goodbye."

The star also reflected on his experience playing the character when speaking with Screen Rant.

Krasinski said: "The whole experience, to be really honest with you, has been surreal. Because, as a kid, Jack Ryan was my favourite character in the books and the movies, and the fact that I got to play him for five minutes - let alone five years - is amazing.

"It really is true when everybody says it takes a huge group of people to make anything, but to make something good it takes a huge group of talented people. So we had the most amazing crew, writers, producers, and then this cast! We really did create a family on this show.

"These guys are involved completely in my life. Not just as coworkers, but as real family members, and that is the saddest part about leaving, for sure."

Will there be any Jack Ryan spin-off series?

It certainly seems like we will be getting at least one Jack Ryan spin-off series, with the most likely candidate to be one focussing on Michael Peña's Domingo Chavez.

Deadline reported back in May 2022, when it was confirmed that the original show would be coming to an end, that a spin-off revolving around Domingo was in the early stages of development.

Recently, RadioTimes.com spoke exclusively with Peña and his co-star Louis Ozawa about the potential continuation of the Jack Ryan universe.

When asked how final the ending of season 4 is, Ozawa said: "I think this chapter might be closed, but if I were a betting man I would say the Jack Ryan universe has more potential to carry on than not."

Meanwhile, Peña said: "I guess you're gonna have to see, what do the fans want? If it's something that the fans want and they ask for it, like, it'd be great to see Mike Kelly (who plays Mike November) back at it. You know what I mean, who knows?"

He also said that a spin-off specifically centred around Domingo would be "slightly different, obviously, without Jack Ryan", but "would be cool".

He added: "Yeah, I would definitely like to be involved."

Jack Ryan season 4 will start streaming from Friday 30th June 2023 on Prime Video – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.

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