Ted Lasso's Nate Star Addresses Whether Former Villain Will Return In Season 4

Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed has addressed the possibility of reformed villain Nathan Shelley's return in season 4. Premiering on Apple TV this summer, Ted Lasso season 4 will see Jason Sudeikis' Kansas-born coach arrive in London to train Richmond AFC's women's team.

Confirmed to return to the show are several fan-favorite characters, including Hannah Waddingham's club owner Rebecca Welton, PR guru Keeley Jones (Juno Temple), and Brett Goldstein's foul-mouthed Roy Kent. Mohammed's Nate, on the other hand, has not yet been confirmed to return for Ted Lasso's next outing, though the actor hasn't outright denied his involvement.

While Mohammed remained tight-lipped when RadioTimes.com asked whether he'd be reprising his role in Ted Lasso, the actor did reveal that he'd known about the show's new season for a while. "It's all speculative as to whether Nate will be back, but this is a show that's focusing on the women's football team. But yes, really exciting it’s back."

"I knew for a while that it was coming back, that Jason was keen to do something focusing on the women's football team, and just delighted, because it's such a nice show. Just lovely people, lovely cast, lovely crew."

Previously, Mohammed had told RadioTimes.com that he'd "love to do some more at some point," and there's certainly room for Nathan's character to come back in Ted's upcoming story. The team may be different, but the staff doesn't have to be.

In Ted Lasso season 3, Nate had to learn to live with the way he betrayed Ted after leaving Richmond to coach West Ham. Slowly but surely, Nate admitted his wrongs and apologized for his behavior (off-screen, at times), though not everyone was equally enthusiastic about his coming back to the team. In the end, Nate reclaimed his place at Richmond, and all was seemingly well.

While Mohammed didn't reveal Ted Lasso season 4's secrets, the actor did share his thoughts on Nate's development and what might be in store for his character should he appear in the series. "I like to think that seasons 1 to 3, he had a nice journey there, where he ultimately has a forgiveness arc."

"I'd like to think that he's back to being a little bit more like old Nate, rather than the slightly Darth Vadery Nate that came in season end of season 2, beginning of season 3," he told RadioTimes.

He continued, "I feel like Nate is, or was, a troubled soul, and I don't know if that stuff ever really goes away. He obviously did have insecurities. And I'm sort of talking generally now, but with the right support network and so on, people can get through stuff and are able to cope a lot better... But I feel like some demons never fully go away, maybe."

Mohammed left the interview with one last teasing remark: "We’ll have to wait and see if and when the writers write that or not."

Whether or not Mohammed goes back to Nelson Road, Ted Lasso's upcoming season will feature plenty of new characters as well. Joining the show's beloved cast are Sex Education's Tanya Reynolds as Ted's new assistant coach, Grant Feely (Obi-Wan Kenobi) as Ted's son, Henry, Andor's Faye Marsay, My Lady Jane's Abbie Hern, as well as Jude Mack, Rex Hayes, and Aisling Sharkey.

Ted and Rebecca will have their hands full managing this new football team, but there's no better time to tell this story. The popularity of women's football is on the rise globally, but arguably even more so in England following the national team's championship wins at the Women's Euro 2022 and 2025.

With Nate's coaching experience and tactical prowess, he could be a valuable asset to Richmond AFC's newest venture in Ted Lasso's upcoming season.

Ted Lasso season 4 premieres on Apple TV this summer.

Release Date August 14, 2020

Showrunner Bill Lawrence