Adult Swim announces the third season of Genndy Tartakovsky’s ‘Primal’

Adult Swim has announced the third season of Primal, the five‑time Emmy Award‑winning series from Cartoon Network Studios. Centred on a caveman at the dawn of evolution, the new season will debut on 11 January 2026 at 11:30 pm ET/PT, with episodes available on HBO Max the following day. Created by Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack), the series continues its exploration of survival at the edge of humanity.

After the seemingly final conclusion to Spear and his dinosaur companion Fang in S2, the new series takes a darker turn, moving away from earlier plans for an anthology format. The first two seasons depicted Spear’s bond with an endangered dinosaur and his eventual sacrifice in a fatal confrontation. Season three begins with Spear’s unexpected return in a transformed state, stripped of memory and humanity, and compelled to navigate a harsh, untamed world. As he confronts hostile environments and dangerous foes, fragments of his past resurface, drawing him towards a reunion that will challenge the limits of survival.

“After two seasons, I was ready to move on until an idea surfaced that was pulpier, bad-ass and undeniable. Everyone agreed and season three was born,” said Tartakovsky.

Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen shared, “I mean, not everyone can kill off their main character and then go ‘on second thought…’ and pull it off! But Genndy tends to not make things easy for himself, and what we get as a result is a season three that is more bonkers than the decision to kill Spear off in the first place! You thought there was emotion to the main character dying in season two, wait till you see what’s in store for season three.”

Primal is created by Tartakovsky, with art direction by Scott Wills (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Samurai Jack). The music was composed by Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, Samurai Jack) and Joanne Higginbottom (Salem, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal), while sound design was provided by Joel Valentine (Big City Greens, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal).