Season 3 of Smiling Friends will be its last, according to series creators and voice actors Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel.
In a video deemed an “important announcement” that was shared by Adult Swim‘s X account on Wednesday (Feb. 25), Cusack and Headel broke the news about their animated comedy, clarifying that “this is not a bit” and “not a joke.”
“Michael and I are here to announce that Smiling Friends will be ending after Season 3 is done,” Headel said.
After acknowledging how the news is “super disappointing,” Cusack offered up an explanation as to why they chose to call it quits.
“To be perfectly honest, after we finished Season 3, Zach and I just both had the same feeling where we felt pretty burnt out after putting years and years into this, but also pretty accomplished,” Cusack elaborated. “We just came to this feeling where we’re like, ‘I think that could just be it after Season 3.’ And yeah, we both felt like it was right.”
Hadel added, “Even from the very, very beginning of the show, we knew we always said, ‘Oh man, how great would it be to really try to make this show as good as it can be and really put 110% into it, and then go [out on] what feels like on top?’ What feels like leaving wanting more as opposed to, ‘Oh, that show is still on the air?'”
“After several years of really really grinding on this show, non-stop without any breaks, 24/7, we got to a point where we just felt like a good spot to end it,” Hadel highlighted, noting that it would be unfair to give fans “half-hearted” or “burnt out” new seasons.
Plus, Cusack said it “would feel too weird” to hand the show over to other writers in order for it to live on, teasing that they’re “so control freaky over it.”
“It’s very weird to do this, but this was our decision,” Cusack shared. “Adult Swim are very supportive. When we told them exactly this, they said, ‘If you’re not feeling making a cartoon, we’re not going to stop you. Go have a break. Either come back or don’t.'”
Cusack said the door is open for them to “come back in the future and make more episodes” if they would like, though they will “have to determine that in the future.” He also specified that this is “not the end” of the duo’s collaboration.
The third season of Smiling Friends premiered in October 2025. While the season was originally announced as having eight episodes, all of which are currently streaming on HBO Max, Cusack and Hadel revealed that there are “two extra episodes of Smiling Friends” premiering on Adult Swim at 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. The two said that these new episodes “are not finales” and are “part of Season 3.”
The duo concluded by praising the show’s fans and its crew, signing off with the Looney Tunes’ signature line, “That’s all, folks.”
