After a four-year wait, Euphoria is returning with a major twist, with creator Sam Levinson revealing that Angus Cloud's character Fezco remains alive in the story.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the show’s Los Angeles premiere, Levinson said he could not keep Cloud alive in real life, but could keep his character alive in the series.
He said Fezco has "a great arc" in the new season and added that he believed Cloud "would be very proud of it".
Cloud, the Irish-American actor who played the fan favourite drug dealer in the HBO drama, died in July 2023 at the age of 25.
Born Conor Angus Cloud Hickey, he had strong Irish family roots and had previously spoken about almost moving to Ireland before landing his breakout role.
Levinson also spoke about the impact of Cloud’s death on the direction of the long-delayed third season, telling The Hollywood Reporter it made him step back and think more deeply about the story he wanted to tell and what really mattered.
That reflection, he said, pushed him towards bigger ideas around meaning, purpose, faith and belief.
The new season marks a major shift for the series, with a time jump taking the characters out of high school and into adulthood.
Levinson said he was drawn to the idea of the "wild west of adulthood", where anything feels possible, as a backdrop for exploring who these characters have become and the consequences of their choices.
Season three is also shaped by another loss. It will be Eric Dane's final television appearance following his death in February after a battle with ALS. Dane, who played Cal Jacobs in the series, was 53.
Levinson said that Dane had called him a few months before filming to share his diagnosis. He said he promised the actor they would make it work however he was able to show up, and described Dane as "magnificent" in the new season.
Euphoria returns to HBO Max in the UK and Ireland on 13 April, with the third season set to run for eight episodes.
