Black Mirror Season 6 - What We Know So Far
It's been a long time since we've had any new episodes of "Black Mirror." In fact, it's the longest hiatus the show has ever seen since its premiere in 2011, even after the delay of its fifth season, with it having been over two years since then.
The anthology series has been met with critical acclaim and massive popularity, taking place in the past, present and future and analyzing how all different forms of technology and screens — hence the name, "Black Mirror" — could change our lives, sometimes for the better but often for the worse. Although some episodes are certainly better than others, its cultural impact has been undeniable, and the past two years without getting to see new stories from the mind of Charlie Brooker have been difficult.
To make the wait a little more bearable, we've decided to take a look at all the information currently available about the future of "Black Mirror" and make some educated guesses at when we might be able to see Season 6, as well as what stories and actors we could see within it.
When is Black Mirror Season 6 coming out?
Unfortunately, we don't have official word on whether Season 6 of "Black Mirror" is happening or not, much less when it would. Although the show hasn't been outright canceled, it seems to be on an indefinite hiatus, with creator and writer Charlie Brooker stating that the horrors of 2020 might decrease audiences' appetite for the dystopian series. Instead, Brooker took part in writing and producing the "Death to 2020" comedy special for Netflix, which released at the tail end of the year. We don't know what he's been up to this year, but it's possible he's been working on writing for a new season, just as much as it's entirely possible he hasn't been.
Whatever the case, it's safe to assume from past production cycles that a new season would take at least a year to produce, meaning that if writing started in January 2021 after Brooker finished "Death to 2020," the earliest we would likely see a new season of "Black Mirror" would be early 2022.
What is the cast of Black Mirror Season 6?
"Black Mirror" is an anthology series, which means that each episode contains an entirely new cast with original characters. However, there have been exceptions where the same actor has portrayed multiple characters in different episodes, including Hannah John-Kamen, Michaela Coel, and Daniel Lapaine. Brooker also stated in an interview with The Independent that he had ideas for sequels to the episodes "White Bear" and "Be Right Back," potentially providing the opportunity for both episodes' casts to return, including Lenora Crichlow, Hayley Atwell, and Domhnall Gleeson.
With more recent seasons casting both British and American actors, from celebrities like Miley Cyrus to lesser-known cast members, there's really no limit to who we might see in the future. As discussed on a Reddit thread by u/DeviantDevi, some actors fans would love to see include Bryan Cranston, Hugh Laurie, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tatiana Maslany, Rosamund Pike, Jared Leto, John Boyega, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Adam Driver, Danny DeVito and "the whole parks and recreation cast." Honestly, nobody is off limits.
What stories will we see in Black Mirror Season 6?
Like its cast, the nature of an anthology series makes it difficult to predict exactly what might happen in a future season of "Black Mirror," with every episode so far being self-contained. That said, every episode takes place in the same world, with Easter eggs and similar technology popping up in different stories.
As it often takes place in the present, it would be interesting to see how a dystopian show like "Black Mirror" could work with the pandemic we're all experiencing. Could we see a story in which technology helps people stay connected, or how it distorts reality as a person's only view of the outside world is their screen? How about a story set in a future pandemic, hundreds of years from now?
If we end up getting sequels to "Be Right Back," it would be interesting to see how the android recreation of the deceased Ash (Gleeson) changes as time elapses. As he gains new experiences over the years, is he still Ash? Or does he begin to deteriorate as time goes on, becoming a sort of abomination? For "White Bear," we could imagine a scenario where the people being tortured by experiencing the same horrific day over and over again before having their memories wiped somehow manage to escape, kind of like a demented version of "The Good Place."
All five seasons of "Black Mirror," as well as the interactive film "Bandersnatch," are currently streaming on Netflix.