'What We Know About Season 4 of 'Only Murders in the Building' | Vanity Fair'

Written by Savannah Walsh

Hulu's Only Murders in the Building has aired four seasons and a burning question is plaguing its fans: When will New York declare the Arconia apartment complex, infamous for being an Upper West Side death trap, as unfit for residents? The titular amateur detectives and true-crime podcast hosts Charles (Steve Martin), Mabel (Selena Gomez), and Oliver (Martin Short) have yet to find an answer.

The unraveling of this scenario forms an integral part of season four, according to John Hoffman, the series creator. Hoffman was speaking to Vanity Fair post the third-season finale released in October. He noted that the mystery emanates from the same building’s courtyard which would be explored further.

The ‘incident’ in the storyline, the entry of new cast members, and a change in location - here’s what we know up to now about the fourth season of Only Murders.

News surfaced this week that Molly Shannon, known for her roles in Saturday Night Live and The White Lotus, will join the cast in season four of the humor-driven series. Reports from Deadline claim Shannon will portray a high-powered LA business entrepreneur who becomes entwined with the investigation set in NY. The actress confirmed her involvement via an Instagram post, expressing her excitement over the new role.

Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, and Martin Short will return for the fourth season, along with Meryl Streep in her role as actress Loretta, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. Other notable stars possibly reprising their roles from previous seasons could include Jackie Hoffman as the frank resident of Arconia - Uma, Oscar nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the often-conflicting detective with the trio, and, Jane Lynch who may return as Charles’s beloved stand-in via flashbacks. Jesse Williams could potentially make a comeback as Tobias, who played love interest to Mabel in season three. Tobias and Loretta, who was paired with Oliver, break up with their romantic partners to move to Los Angeles which creates an interesting plot given the upcoming season’s change in venue.

Hulu has not yet commented on the possibility of Williams’s return. The Hollywood Reporter had earlier quoted Hoffman stating his aspirations to retain former cast members. He maintained that he’d gladly welcome back Paul Rudd’s character, despite the character's demise in season three. Hoffman confessed his hopes of bringing back all previous characters, without exception.

The infamous Arconia residents will bid farewell to New York after three seasons and shift to the West Coast. Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich voiced his excitement over Charles, Martin, and Selena’s sojourn to Los Angeles during a Television Critics Association (TCA) panel meeting. The upcoming season, according to Erwich, will boast the distinctive Only Murders take applied to the Los Angeles setting.

The Season three ended with the unveiling of Wesley Taylor’s Clifford—Linda Emond’s Broadway producer Donna DeMeo's devilish nephew—as the murderer of Ben Glenroy, Paul Rudd’s movie-star character. Another murder mystery awaits resolution.

In the opening celebration of Oliver’s musical, Charles’s body double Sazz Pataki, played by Lynch, moseys into his apartment to pick up some booze and is ostensibly shot, leaving her to bleed in Charles's kitchen. The bond between Charles and Sazz forms the motivating backdrop for the central characters in the upcoming season, as per Hoffman. He added that the trio would unite now more than ever in order to nab the murderer, providing a myriad of possible story developments in the new season.

No official release date has been set yet, but it's anticipated that the series will likely premiere later this year, given the production timeline established with the first season being launched in 2021 followed by subsequent seasons in 2022 and 2023.