When it comes to new shows released in 2025, there's no question that Hulu's political thriller Paradise ranks very highly on the list of the best shows of the year. The series, which comes from This Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and stars Sterling K. Brown, became an instant sensation, thanks in part to the shocking plot twist in the first episode that remained tightly under wraps.
Paradise season 2 earned a quick renewal before the first season even came to an end and revealed the identity of President Bradford's killer. While that reveal was rather lackluster, it helped set the stage for Agent Xavier Collins' next mission, which takes him outside of the Paradise bunker in season 2 to search for his presumed alive but missing wife. He'll meet some new faces in season 2.
After filming on Paradise season 2 got underway earlier this year, an exciting casting announcement brought some extra star power to the hit Hulu series. Emmy Award nominated Big Little Lies star Shailene Woodley joins the cast of season 2, and even though we still don't know the name of her character or exactly what she'll be up to, the creator just gave us some new details.
Shailene Woodley's character in Paradise season 2 isn't from the bunker
In a new interview with Deadline, Fogelman confirmed what had been rumored about Woodley's major recurring role in season 2. Her character doesn't originate from inside the bunker, meaning she will be someone Xavier meets during his excursion to the surface. She could be one of the survivors or she could be someone trying to help the survivors. Is she from somewhere else?
The answer to that question remains to be seen, but Fogelman also teases that "paths start crossing as the season progresses," which could potentially indicate that Woodley's character could interact with people inside the bunker, too. Does Xavier bring her back into the bunker? There are so many questions to discover about the character, including her backstory and "interesting profession."
Here's more of what Fogelman shared about Shailene Woodley's character in Paradise season 2:
"Yes, it’s somebody who’s not from the bunker. I think the fun part of our current coming season is that it lives partially in the bunker and the world that we all know. And then you also explore what life has been like in the time we’ve missed while our main characters have been in the bunker and some of the outside world stuff. And then paths start crossing as the season progresses, and so she’s one of those people, and I think she’s got a kind of interesting backstory and a very interesting profession that affects one of our early episodes of the season."
The creator and writer elaborated that Woodley's character and the story being told in season 2 is "a big swing" and "ambitious." But it's all part of Fogelman's three-season plan for the series. He has already plotted out the full arc of the series, and he's now filling in all the gaps that make each season unique and dynamic. Woodley's talent is all part of that plan, as Fogelman and Brown tell it.
We have already seen Brown and Woodley's playful rapport when the show's official Instagram page announced Woodley's casting with a fun behind-the-scenes video. Fogelman and Brown both sang Woodley's praises in their joint interview with Deadline, with Brown saying, "She’s awesome. She’s a wonderful human being. She fit in hand-in-glove." That makes me so excited for season 2!
Woodley's no stranger to stories that are a bit sci-fi and dystopian thanks to her leading role in the three Divergent movies. (I'm accepting Paradise season 2 as the canceled fourth movie, thank you very much.) We'll get to see her back in action in a brand-new dystopian world when Paradise returns to Hulu sometime in early 2026. Stay tuned for more news and updates from Show Snob!