Mindhunter: Holt McCallany Answers If He'd Return For A Season 3
While Holt McCallany has found success in such films as "Nightmare Alley" and "The Iron Claw" since the Netflix series "Mindhunter" came to an apparent end in 2019, the actor appears game to get back on the case should the opportunity present itself.
"Mindhunter," with industry veteran David Fincher serving as an executive director and one of the show's primary directors, debuted in 2017. The crime thriller chronicles the beginning of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, as agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (McCallany) recruit psychology academic Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) to develop a program where the team interviews America's most notorious serial killers.
Since the show's two seasons won critical and audience acclaim, the idea of another seemed like a real possibility. However, nearly five years after its second season aired, a third has never come close to materializing. McCallany explained to Awards Daily that "Mindhunters" Season 3 is unlikely to happen at this point. Still, he's ready to jump in should Fincher come calling. "I've heard that David's thought about it," McCallany told the publication. "I'm not saying it's going to come back. But what I am saying is that if it comes back, I'm coming back with it. You can take that to the bank, but it'll depend on what David wants to do. It's been a few years now, so it's probably unlikely, but just even that he would think about it is a hopeful sign."
"Mindhunter" was never given a high-profile or "official" cancelation like so many other shows before it. However, in February 2023, Fincher explained to the French publication LeJDD (via Forbes) that he and Netflix mutually decided to end the series because the show's price tag was too hefty to viably justify a third season.
No matter what happens, McCallany is grateful to have worked on Mindhunter
Instead of mourning the loss of "Mindhunter," Holt McCallany expressed his gratitude for having had the opportunity to star in the series and work with David Fincher in the first place. The actor likened the experience of starring in "Mindhunter" to his time starring in the 2011 FX series "Lights Out," a boxing drama starring McCallany as Patrick "Lights" Leary, a retired heavyweight champion who struggles with adjusting to life outside of the ring.
"Did I want 'Mindhunter' to be canceled after two seasons? Uh, no, but that's not my decision. That's my friend David's decision," McCallany told Awards Daily. "And if that's David's decision, that's David's decision. I understand, and I accept, and I move on. I remain grateful, and I mean this sincerely, for the opportunity to have made 'Lights Out,' for the opportunity to have made 'Mindhunter,' even if they didn't last as long as I might have hoped, I still got to be there, and I'm proud of the work that we did. You're talking about my two favorite projects."
At this point in his career, McCallany told the publication that he can only hope to find a TV series that matches the amount of fulfillment he gained on both "Mindhunter" and "Lights Out," even though he knows those hopes are not entirely realistic since great projects are few and far between.
"Not all series are created equal. Let's face it. Most of them are pretty forgettable," McCallany said. "I don't think you can say that about 'Mindhunter.' And for the boxing fans and for the people out there who really love the fight game, I think the same can be said for Lights Out."