Popverse's top stories of the day

• DC Studios' James Gunn is coming to NYCC 2024, and he's bringing his Creature Commandos with him
• WATCH: You may think Rings of Power season 2's wizards are Gandalf and Saruman, but J.R.R. Tolkien's writings offer a different possibility
• Prepare for a Long Cold Winter, courtesy of Mad Cave Studios and Italy's finest comic creators

Ted Lasso was one of the most talked-about shows in modern times during its three-season run from 2020 to 2023, and after the uneven reception to the 'final season' left many of us wanting - it felt like a desultory end to the sports comedy-drama. While many of us hoped for more, the release of the official three-season boxed set dubbed 'The Complete Series' and the official expiration of all the Ted Lasso actors' orgiinal deals meant an end for the series.

But like many a sports drama, there's rumbling of a surprise third act-nee-fourth season.

Deadline reports (and Variety and The Hollywood Reporter were quick to confirm) that work has begun in earnest to reunite the cast and crew for a new season, and its coming from a place fans would be surprised of: Warner Bros. Although Ted Lasso is framed as an Apple TV+ original, it is in fact a Warner Bros. Television-produced show whose rights were sold to Apple TV+ - and its David Zaslav's Warner Bros. Television that sees an opening to score one more goal.

According to the Hollywood trades, the potential Ted Lasso rebound began with signing on the return of three of its three key UK actors - Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca Walton), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), and Jeremy Swift (Leslie HIggins). Its next step, according to Deadline, is to secure new deals for show co-creators (and stars) Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) and Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso), along with their other US-based star Juno Temple (Keelyey Jones).

What could possibly stop a Ted Lasso revival? According to Deadline, one of the key sticking points is money. Before the third season of Ted Lasso, Sudeikis and several of the other of the show's stars (as well as showrunner Bill Lawrence) successfully renegotiated their three-season contracts with Warner Bros. for the show. Although terms of the deal weren't revealed entirely, Sudeikis salary reportedly quadrupled from season 2 to season 3. 

Even following that, in 2023 Sudeikis was steadfast in saying the season 3 finale was the end he and his co-creators wanted for the show.

"This is the end of this story that we wanted to tell, that we were hoping to tell, that we loved to tell," Sudeikis told Deadline. "The fact that folks will want more and are curious beyond more than what they don’t even know yet—that being Season 3—it’s flattering."

Assuming Sudeikis does join the Ted Lasso revival though, one has to wonder - would Warner Bros. necessarily renew its deal with Apple TV+ to air it or could they look for other suitors? If not for airing new episodes, but for airing re-runs like one of its other big TV shows, Big Bag Theory.