Foundation is an American science fiction television series created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman for Apple TV+, based on the Foundation series of stories by Isaac Asimov. It features an ensemble cast led by Jared Harris, Lee Pace, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, and Laura Birn. The series premiered on September 24, 2021. The second and third seasons were released in July 2023 and July 2025, respectively. In September 2025, the series was renewed for a fourth season.
Plot In the far future, most of the known galaxy is despotically ruled by a triumvirate of leaders collectively known as Empire: the "genetic dynasty" of clones of the long-deceased Emperor Cleon, which include Brother Day, a Cleon in his prime; Brother Dusk, a retired and aging Cleon who serves in an advisory role; and Brother Dawn, a young Cleon being trained to succeed Brother Day. Unknown beyond the walls of Empire's keep is that the dynasty has been surreptitiously administered for 400 years by the regal Lady Demerzel, Empire's majordomo, secretly a unique, ageless humanoid robot, thought to be the last remnant of an army of robots defeated 6,000 years prior.
Young prodigy Gaal Dornick solves a complex mathematical proof and wins a galaxy-wide contest, devised by famed mathematician and psychology professor Hari Seldon to find another mind capable of understanding his work. Arriving on the capital planet Trantor, Gaal is thrust into the center of a conflict between the Cleonic dynasty and Seldon’s schools regarding the merits of psychohistory, which was created by Seldon to predict the events and actions of large masses of people across vast timelines. With Gaal to verify his findings, Seldon explains and publicly forecasts the decay and imminent fall of the empire, which cannot be averted, but the consequences of which may be mitigated by the creation of a Foundation to preserve the collective knowledge and innovations of humanity. The Cleons are initially dismissive of Seldon, but following the first of a series of predicted catastrophic events leading to the fall, tentatively allow him and his followers to establish the Foundation in exile on the remote planet Terminus. The series chronicles Empire's subsequent conflicts with the flowering Foundation and its allies over the course of the passing centuries, the characters and stories that bridge the divide between them, and how the galaxy's future is imperiled by the one event Seldon's psychohistory fails to predict.
Cast and characters
Main Jared Harris as Hariton "Hari" Seldon, a mathematician and developer of psychohistory, an algorithmic science that allows him to predict the future in terms of probabilities. Lee Pace as Brother Day (Cleon I, XII, XIII, XVI, XVII, XXIV), the middle-aged member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I, who reigns as Emperor of the 12,000-year-old Galactic Empire. Pace also portrays Cleon I in his prime. Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Hari's protégée, a self-taught young woman from Synnax, a planet where the pursuit of knowledge is considered heresy. Teyarnie Galea portrays Gaal as a child. Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin (seasons 1–2), the Warden of Terminus, 35 years after Seldon's trial, hero of the Foundation's first crisis, and Gaal Dornick's daughter. Laura Birn as Demerzel, the majordomo to the Emperors and one of the last surviving gynoids from the ancient Robot Wars. Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk (Cleon I, XI, XII, XVI, XXIII), the eldest member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I who retired from his duties as Emperor. Mann also portrays an elderly Cleon I. Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn (Cleon I, XIV, XVIII, XXV), the youngest member of a series of genetic clones of Cleon I and the successor-in-training of Brother Day. Cherry Jones as Felice Quent (season 3), the Foundation's ambassador to the Empire, and an old friend of Brother Dusk. Brandon P. Bell as Han Pritcher (season 3), the Foundation's captain of information. Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing as Song (season 3), Brother Day's consort, who hails from the Mycogen sector of Trantor. Alexander Siddig as Dr. Ebling Mis (season 3), a self-taught psychohistorian and diehard fan of Hari Seldon. Siddig also portrays Advocate Xylas, the prosecutor in Seldon's trial, in the first season. Pilou Asbæk as the Mule (season 3), a powerful Mentalic seeking conquest over both the Empire and the Foundation. Mikael Persbrandt portrays the Mule during Gaal's visions of the future in the second season. Synnøve Karlsen as Bayta Mallow (season 3), a renowned socialite and Toran's wife. Cody Fern as Toran Mallow (season 3), a descendant of trader Hober Mallow, and Bayta's husband. Troy Kotsur as Preem Palver (season 3), the leader of a colony of Mentalics on the planet Ignis who have evolved into the Second Foundation. Tómas Lemarquis as Magnifico Giganticus (season 3), a skilled balladeer and devotee of the Mule.
Recurring Alfred Enoch as Raych Foss (season 1; guest season 2), the adopted son of Hari Seldon Jairaj Varsani (season 1; guest season 2) and Kulvinder Ghir (season 2) as High Claric Poly Verisof, Brother Constant's superior and companion, who was a child at the dawn of the Foundation Chloe Lea as Gia (season 1), a child on Terminus and friends with Poly, Keir, and Laylo Buddy Skelton as Keir Fulham (season 1), a child on Terminus and Laylo's brother Joni Morris as Laylo Fulham (season 1), a child on Terminus and Keir's sister Mido Hamada as Shadow Master Obrecht (season 1), the Imperial spymaster during Cleon XIII's reign Elliot Cowan as Lewis Pirenne (season 1), the Director of the Foundation and first successor of Hari Seldon Sasha Behar as Mari Hardin (season 1), a Seldon follower and surrogate mother of Salvor Hardin Clarke Peters as Abbas Hardin (season 1), a Seldon follower, the first Warden and first Mayor of Terminus, and surrogate father of Salvor Hardin Daniel MacPherson as Hugo Crast (season 1; guest season 2), an interplanetary trader from Thespis who became Salvor Hardin's lover Kubbra Sait as Grand Huntress Phara Keaen (season 1), the top military officer of Anacreon who personally leads a raid on Terminus Pravessh Rana as Rowan (season 1), Phara's second-in-command Christian Contreras as Commander Kray Dorwin (season 1), an Imperial soldier sent to investigate the loss of contact with Terminus Amy Tyger as Azura Odili (season 1), an Imperial Palace gardener and love interest of Brother Dawn/Cleon XIV Ella-Rae Smith as Queen Sareth (season 2), the ruler of Cloud Dominion and bride-to-be of Brother Day/Cleon XVII Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Enjoiner Rue Corintha (season 2), Sareth's retainer and advisor Oliver Chris as Director Sef Sermak (season 2), a leader of the Foundation and Brother Constant's father Isabella Laughland as Brother Constant (season 2), a novice claric and traveling "magician" spreading the gospel of Hari Seldon Dimitri Leonidas as Hober Mallow (season 2), a roguish trader and con man who plays an important role in Seldon's plan Ben Daniels as Bel Riose (season 2), an admired general who was imprisoned for disobeying Empire Dino Fetscher as Glawen Curr (season 2), Riose's husband and second-in-command Judi Shekoni as She-Bends-Light (season 2), a Spacer navigator in Riose's flagship Rachel House as Tellem Bond (season 2), the leader of a community of Mentalics on planet Ignis Michael Akinsulire as Loron (season 2), a Mentalic and Tellem's chief enforcer Sandra Guldberg Kampp as Thalis (season 2; guest season 3), a young Mentalic and member of Tellem's community Rebecca Ineson as Zephyr Vorellis (season 3), Demerzel's new confessor and representative of the Luminist faith on Trantor Leo Bill as Mayor Trenton Indbur (season 3), the leader of New Terminus Darren Pettie as Randu Mallow (season 3), a member of the rebellious Trader faction of the Foundation and uncle of Toran Iðunn Ösp Hlynsdóttir as Sephone (season 3), Han Pritcher's colleague and fellow intelligence agent Ahir Shah as Zagreus (season 3), a personal aide to Empire Miltos Yerolemou as Presider Kinn (season 3), the leader of the Galactic Council Ibraheem Toure as Mavon (season 3), a high-ranking Claviger in service to Brother Day Isla Gie as Skirlet (season 3), the daughter of the ruler of Kalgan, who is taken prisoner by the Mule Krista Kosonen as Fallon Greer (season 3), the Warden of New Terminus Laura Berlin as Oceanglass-49 (season 3), Song's partner and a member of the robot-worshipping Inheritance cult
Guest
Jade Harrison as Bayla (season 1), Gaal Dornick's mother Chris Jarman as Jarko (seasons 1–2), Gaal Dornick's father Reece Shearsmith as Jerril (seasons 1–2), an Imperial agent during Cleon XII's reign Cooper Carter (season 1) and Cobhan O'Brien (seasons 2–3) as the child Brother Dawn/Cleon I, XIII, XXIV Chipo Chung as Reth Linn (season 1), an environment engineer and the voice of the Raven operating system Ian McNeice as Master Statistician Tivole (season 1), the head of Empire's team of mathematicians T'Nia Miller as Zephyr Halima Ifa (season 1), a senior priestess of the Luminist faith vying to become its next leader Nimrat Kaur as Yanna Seldon (season 2), Hari Seldon's deceased life partner Holt McCallany as Jaegger Fount (season 2), a Warden of Terminus Rowena King as Kalle (seasons 2–3), a mathematician whose work helped Hari Seldon create his Prime Radiant Noah Taylor as Hetman (season 2), a bandit on the planet Siwenna Jesper Christensen as Ducem Barr (season 2), an Imperial loyalist on Siwenna Philip Glenister as Commdor Argo (season 2), the ruler of Korell Ed Birch as Keeper Yartell (season 2), the guardian of the Empire's memory archives Fiona O'Shaughnessy as Dr. Tadj (season 2), the provost of the University of Helicon Ralph Ineson as Archduke Bellarion (season 3), the ruler of Kalgan Fisayo Akinade as Eely Karvis (season 3), the chief engineer in charge of creating the Novacula for Brother Dusk Vibeke Hastrup as Nee Tellamarus (season 3), a librarian at the Imperial Library on Trantor Blake Ritson as Sunmaster-18 (season 3), the spiritual leader of the Inheritance cult Ritakahn Chen as Enjoiner Beryl (season 3), the representative of Cloud Dominion on Trantor
Episodes
Season 1 (2021)
Season 2 (2023)
Season 3 (2025)
Season 4
Production Development On June 27, 2017, it was reported that Skydance Television was developing a television series adaptation of Isaac Asimov's science fiction book series Foundation with David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman serving as the production's writers. At the time of the report, the production company was in the midst of closing a deal with Asimov's estate for the rights to the book series. On April 10, 2018, Apple, through their Worldwide Video Unit, bought the series and put it into development with the potential for a straight-to-series order. Goyer and Friedman were also expected to serve as executive producers and showrunners. Other executive producers included David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Marcy Ross.
On August 23, 2018, Apple ordered the production of a first season consisting of ten episodes, with Asimov's daughter, Robyn Asimov, serving as an executive producer. On April 18, 2019, Josh Friedman left as co-writer and co-showrunner. Troy Studios in Limerick, Ireland, hosted production of the show. According to Screen Ireland the series would create more than 500 production jobs at the studio. Asimov's daughter, Robyn Asimov, provides familial assistance to the series. Goyer pitched the series in one sentence: "It's a 1,000-year chess game between Hari Seldon and the Empire, and all the characters in between are the pawns, but some of the pawns over the course of this saga end up becoming kings and queens."