Early in 2023, it was confirmed that the psychological thriller Mindhunter would not return for a third season. Directed by David Fincher, known for films like Fight Club and Seven, the Netflix TV series depicts the founding of the FBI Behavioral Science unit. Following the efforts of FBI Agents to study serial killers, the series explores the psychological impact of wading into the darkest parts of the human psyche. The mix of experimental visuals with stories about scientific exploration created a groundbreaking and unique approach to depicting true crime stories that helped the series stand out in a glut of true crime content.

Mindhunter‘s stories and characters deeply resonated with fans of intense crime thrillers and received critical acclaim, but Netflix ultimately canceled the show. The shocking cancelation of the acclaimed series was initially attributed to David Fincher’s need to focus on other projects for Netflix, like his Oscar-winning film Mank. However, in more recent interviews, Fincher indicated Mindhunter‘s cancelation was more from budgetary reasons than scheduling conflicts.

Updated March 5, 2025, by Arthur Goyaz: Mindunter had a very short run on Netflix, but fans aren’t likely to forget about the show soon, holding on to the hopes of a potential return. This article was updated to discuss the latest news about Mindhunter and whether there will be a Mindhunter Season 3.

Cancelation of Netflix’s Mindhunter Still Surprises Fans

Mindhunter’s Production Cost Never Matched Netflix’s Ratings Goals

 Based on the 1995 book Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, the television series Mindhunter is regarded as one of Netflix’s best television shows, so the decision to end the series has continued to baffle fans. It’s also surprising, considering Netflix’s success with true crime projects like Tiger King and Making a Murderer. David Fincher stated the main reason for the show’s cancellation was budget-related.

One of the elements that made Mindhunter a pricey show to produce was its heavy use of VFX. In addition to depicting disasters like explosions, the series had to rely on VFX to add vintage logos and historic exteriors to neighborhoods to create Mindhunter‘s setting in the 1970s. Fincher described the show as “…neither X-Files, nor CSI, nor Criminal Minds,” and this commitment to a very unconventional style garnered him praise for his artistry but prevented the show from appealing to a broader audience.

Netflix’s decision to cancel Mindhunter can be explained simply as a lack of return on investment. In an interview with Vulture, Fincher explained that “dollars have to equal eyeballs.” The high cost of the show’s production was not leading to a high number of viewers, and Fincher refused to change the show to make it appealing to a wider audience, so Netflix did not see renewing the show as a good business decision.

Mindhunter Stands Apart from Netflix’s Other Portrayals of Serial Killers

Mindhunter Still Holds Up Despite an Increase in Criticism of True Crime Media

Image via Netflix

Netflix is facing increasing criticism for its portrayals of serial killers in other projects, with many arguing that the streaming platform’s series glorify serial killers rather than examine the psychological and societal factors that lead to their creation. Many experts view Netflix as irresponsible for their use of Hollywood heartthrobs to portray killers, claiming it makes these criminals more appealing to the public.

Netflix projects also often fail to respect the wishes of victims’ loved ones. Netflix’s Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story infamously ignored requests from the friends and family of Dahmer’s victims. In its depictions of history’s most notorious killers, Mindhunter often had a more respectful approach to handling its difficult subject matter, making the show a refreshing change from the norm.

Criminal profiling has come under more scrutiny in recent years, with many critics arguing it’s more of a pseudoscience — Mindhunter didn’t shy away from these accusations. The series showed how racism, classism, and homophobia influenced investigations and was always willing to show that criminal profiling isn’t an infallible process. Mindhunter only gave brief glimpses of killers’ violent acts and usually wasn’t gratuitous in its depictions of sexual assault or murder. The series always gave just enough detail to make the audience understand the stakes at hand.

Calls for Mindhunter Return Adds to Frustration Over Netflix’s Approach

Netflix Subscribers Are Increasingly Perturbed by the Its Cancellation Trends

Image via Netflix

Mindhunter was originally planned for a five-season run on Netflix, and there were already detailed plans in place for season three before its cancellation. Mindhunter Season 3 would have focused on the BTK Killer, and Season 2 director Andrew Dominik has said there were plans to take the characters to Hollywood to explore how criminal profiling and serial killers became part of pop culture. Many fans are dedicated to promoting the series and advocating for a renewal.

The cast has also been extremely vocal in their desire to return for more seasons of Mindhunter. Jonathan Groff, who plays Agent Holden Ford, has stated, “The minute [David Fincher] says he wants to do another one, I’ll be there in a second.” Holt McCallany, who plays Agent Bill Tench, frequently expresses his desire for more seasons of Mindhunter, stating in interviews that he would say “Yes immediately” if a new season is greenlit.

Mindhunter is often brought up in discussions about frustration over Netflix canceling quality shows. Subscribers criticize the streaming service for sacrificing creative shows to pay for more, lower-quality programming. Fans of Mindhunter and other highbrow shows accuse Netflix of having a quantity-over-quality mindset in their approach to television production and fear creative projects will suffer in the increasingly competitive streaming market.

Will There Be a Mindhunter Season 3?

Two Years After Mindhunter’s Official Cancellation, Fans Still Hope for a Return

Image via Netflix

Considering that every Mindhunter cast member and even David Fincher himself wished Mindhunter could return for a third season, fans have a hard time discarding the possibility of Mindhunter Season 3. In May 2024, a fakeout poster went viral on Facebook, claiming that Mindhunter was returning for a third season on October 11, 2024. Though obviously fake, the post has over 8,000 shares and 52,000 likes. A disclaimer at the end stating “For entertainment purposes only” didn’t prevent Mindhunter fans from sharing the exciting yet fake news.

The profile behind the post was famous for fake announcements of this kind. Only two months before posting about Mindhunter Season 3, YODA BBY ABY shared “news” about a new Breaking Bad movie in the works — news that turned out to be utterly false. While it’s nice to keep hopes high about Mindhunter‘s potential return, it’s important to always check the source first. As of early 2025, there has been no word about a Mindhunter Season 3 announcement.

Meanwhile, the Mindhunter cast is focused on other projects at the moment. Jonathan Groff, widely known for his performances on stage and TV, continues to lead big Broadway musicals. After starring in M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin and playing a bounty hunter in the new Doctor Who series, Groff is set to play real-life American actor and singer Bobby Darin in Just in Time, a Broadway play scheduled to open in April. Anna Torv, who played Dr. Wendy Carr, has recently starred in HBO’s The Last of Us and The Newsreader. As for Holt McCallany, who played Bill Tench, the actor recently appeared in The Iron Claw as the head of the Von Erich family and in the TV show The Lincoln Lawyer as Neil Bishop.

There Aren’t Hard Feelings Between Fincher & Netflix

Mindhunter is Just One of Many Projects David Fincher Has Created for Netflix

While disappointed about Mindhunter‘s cancelation, David Fincher understands Netflix’s decision and still believes the streaming service is a supportive partner for creative endeavors. In 2020, Fincher signed a four-year deal with Netflix, leading to the creation of projects like Mank and The Killer. Fincher believes the risky choices required to make films like Mank, a black and white film about the creation of Citizen Kane, probably would not have been approved by other companies.

While it’s frustrating that Netflix’s Mindhunter won’t be finished, Fincher has a long history with the streamer. Before Mindhunter, he worked as an executive producer and director for the hit television series House of Cards. Fincher has continued to bring critical acclaim and popularity to Netflix with projects like the anthology series Love, Death, and Robots, helping the streaming giant gain a reputation as a producer of exceptional film and television. To explain how Mindhunter‘s time at Netflix ended, Fincher stated, “I always take a slight step aside from what is expected of me. Otherwise, I’m not interested.”

When Netflix wanted the atypical true crime series to go in a new direction, Fincher refused and accepted the series’ cancelation. Mindhunter’s discontinuation is far from the end of Fincher’s time at Netflix. Fincher is currently working with Robert Towne on a prequel series to the 1974 film Chinatown and is creating a new Squid Game series. Fans of Mindhunter can continue to look forward to plenty of Fincher-led projects on Netflix.