Zoe Saldaña Officially Refuses Future Taylor Sheridan Shows After Lioness

Zoe Saldaña has made it clear that Lioness is the only Taylor Sheridan show she’s signing up for, at least for now. The Oscar winner is thankful to be part of Sheridan’s hit spy thriller, but she has no plans to jump into any other corner of his ever-growing TV universe.

Speaking to PEOPLE in a recent interview, she said, “I think that Joe McNamara and Lioness is all that I can handle at this time.” She followed it up with, “I can’t imagine me taking on more of a Taylor Sheridan world.”

In Lioness, Saldaña’s Joe is brilliant in the field, but her job constantly costs her at home, and Season 3 pushed her further than ever. So why is she saying no to more Sheridan projects? The answer has everything to do with how demanding this one role already is.

Why Zoe Saldaña Says No to Other Taylor Sheridan Shows?

For Zoe Saldaña, it all comes down to her busy schedule on Lioness. As the lead of the show, she carries a big chunk of the workload, and it starts long before cameras roll. She explained, “I’m number one on the call sheet. I am first one in, last one out. I am prepping months before anybody ever is able to prep. So it’s already a lot of work for me.”

So, this clearly isn’t a problem with Sheridan himself. If anything, Saldaña seems to share a great working relationship with him. She said, “The good takeaway that I’m grateful for is that he knows that I’m reliable, just like Joe is.” She also added, “I have my views, and I come with all heart, all brains, all muscle at all times. So, no, I think I’m good here at Lioness.”

This isn’t the first time the actress has shown her support for Sheridan. Earlier, she even defended him against one of the biggest criticisms of his work, that his stories are too male-focused.

She shared with PEOPLE that Sheridan “kind of defies gender and race,” adding, “I have a great deal of respect for men that really know how to write women and I think that Taylor gives himself enough credit.” Clearly, Saldaña has nothing but respect for Sheridan. She simply wants to give Joe McNamara her full attention.

When Is Lioness Season 4 Releasing?

Zoe Saldaña as Joe in Lioness Season 3 | Credits: Paramount+

As of this writing, Lioness has not officially been renewed for a fourth season. However, this shouldn’t be any cause for alarm. Season 3 wasn’t announced until October 2025, nearly a year after Season 2 had ended. So, a long wait before any official news is pretty normal for this show.

The way Season 3 ended also makes a fourth season feel almost certain. The finale revealed that Stephanie Nur’s Aaliyah Amrohi, the Season 1 character whose father and fiancé were killed in her own home, was the one who paid for Joe’s kidnapping.

Now a wealthy woman with a grudge, she wants to lure Joe out of the country so she can take down the whole Lioness team. On top of that, Joe returned home to find her family gone. That’s way too many loose ends to leave hanging.

The numbers are on the show’s side too. The Season 3 premiere drew 7.1 million viewers in its first week, well ahead of Season 2’s debut, and the show has spent months near the top of Paramount+’s charts (via Variety). Even co-star Jill Wagner has publicly said she’s confident Season 4 is happening (via ScreenRant).

What do you think of Saldaña’s comment? Let us know in the comments below!

Lioness is now available for streaming on Paramount+.