Zoe Saldaña is already making her case for Michael Kelly to return if Lioness gets a fourth season.

Paramount+ has not officially renewed Taylor Sheridan’s spy thriller for Season 4, but Saldaña, who plays CIA operative Joe McNamara, has made it clear that she wants Kelly to remain part of the ensemble.

Speaking about the possibility of continuing the series, Saldaña jokingly insisted that Kelly should prioritize Lioness over his other Sheridan projects.

Zoe Saldaña Wants Michael Kelly to Stay on ‘Lioness’

Kelly plays Byron Westfield, the CIA deputy director who works closely with Nicole Kidman’s Kaitlyn Meade. Together, the two have developed one of the show’s most established professional partnerships, often coordinating the operations involving Joe and the Lioness team.

Kelly has also been confirmed to appear in Season 3 of Landman, another series from Sheridan. But Saldaña made it clear that she wants her co-star to remain committed to Lioness if the show returns.

“Michael can’t be going there and doing more work,” Saldaña said. “If we do come back for Season 4, we have him first.”

The actress also praised Kelly’s performance as Byron, saying she could not imagine anyone else taking over the role.

“I don’t see anybody else playing Byron,” she said, adding that Kelly is “such a talented actor” and that she enjoys working alongside him.

Saldaña also said she learns a great deal from her co-star, underscoring how much she values their on-screen partnership.

Her comments, however, do not mean that Kelly has officially signed on for another season. They simply show that Saldaña wants Byron Westfield to remain part of the story if Lioness continues.

Season 3 Leaves Joe’s Future Uncertain

Joe’s journey became increasingly difficult throughout Season 3.

The CIA operative was kidnapped and tortured, putting her in an unfamiliar position as the target of an operation rather than the person controlling it. Although Joe survived the ordeal, the experience had serious consequences for her personal life.

By the end of the season, her husband, Neal McNamara, had left their family home with their daughters. Joe was therefore forced to confront the consequences of a career that has repeatedly placed her work at odds with her family.

Saldaña has described the ending as heartbreaking and expressed hope that Joe and Neal could eventually find their way back to each other if the series returns.

Joe’s professional future is also complicated. Her kidnapping was ultimately revealed to have been orchestrated by Aaliyah Amrohi, tying the Season 3 storyline back to the events surrounding Cruz Manuelos from the first season.

Why Byron Matters to the Series

While Joe’s personal life is increasingly unstable, Byron remains one of the key figures within the CIA side of the story.

His relationship with Kaitlyn has become an important part of the series, with the two characters demonstrating a level of professional understanding that allows them to anticipate each other’s decisions.

Their dynamic has even been described as a kind of “work marriage,” reflecting how closely they operate within the CIA.

Bringing Kelly back would allow the show to maintain one of its most established character relationships while continuing to explore the agency’s operations in a potential fourth season.

Has ‘Lioness’ Been Renewed for Season 4?

For now, Lioness Season 4 has not been officially ordered by Paramount+.

Still, members of the cast have expressed interest in continuing the series. Nicole Kidman has encouraged fans to make their voices heard if they want more Lioness, while other cast members have also indicated that they would be open to returning.

Saldaña has similarly expressed interest in discovering what comes next for Joe. After the Season 3 finale, she said she did not know what Sheridan had planned for the character if the series continued, but remained hopeful about Joe’s future.

For now, the fate of Season 4 remains undecided. But if Lioness does return, Saldaña clearly wants Michael Kelly’s Byron Westfield to remain part of the team.

Source: Compiled from various sources