Foundation creator reveals why he is leaving the show after Season 3

Foundation wrapped its third season on Apple TV+ with the shocking deaths of some characters who were central to the story.

It's not the first time a show of such a creative scale has killed its crucial characters. HBO's Game of Thrones was also known for killing off some of its major characters, but it didn't lose too many viewers because of those deaths.

Unlike then, the television landscape has drastically changed, leading showrunners to make some unfortunate decisions, often for cost-cutting reasons. This was one of the reasons why David S. Goyer needed to make some creative changes in Foundation. However, after being the co-creator for three seasons with Josh Friedman, he is parting ways with the show.

Goyer discussed the said departure during his recent conversation with TheWrap, addressing how filming in European countries impacts his family life, leading him to make this difficult decision. He said,

"I’m not going to run Season 4. I hadn’t contemplated stepping back before Season 4, but between the strikes and COVID, we extended. I started working on the show six years ago, and without those two events, I would be four and a half years in."

Speaking about its effect on his family life, Goyer added,

"Then the other issue is that the show films in Europe. I’ve got three kids and a wife, and during COVID, they were with me. But when COVID kind of ended and everyone went back to school, they weren’t with me. I just underestimated the toll it would take on me and my family."

David S. Goyer speaks about his potential return to working on Foundation and the change in storytelling

During the interview, the Foundation co-creator also spoke about the changing scope of storytelling since the pandemic. Earlier, showrunners could take creative risks and not worry about whether they would be able to return for another season. Game of Thrones also continued for eight seasons despite the show's massive budget and bold storytelling.

David S. Goyer addressed how a similar risk-taking appetite has decreased in recent years, which also affects his decision about Apple TV+'s Foundation. While speaking about the possibility of him returning to the show, he said,

"I’m an EP. They have my plan for Season 4, but I’m the kind of person that I can either be all the way in or I can be more out. It doesn’t work - and I don’t think it works for them - to be halfway in."

He added,

"I’m not saying I wouldn’t potentially come back, but the other issue is this show is very expensive, and they lost a lot of money during the strike and justifiably wanted to recover some of that money. So they wanted to lower the budget, which is totally their prerogative. I just was worried that, having done three seasons of it, I was having a hard time figuring out how to keep doing my vision of the show on a smaller budget."

Besides the budget constraints, the Foundation co-creator revealed how filming away from his home in the US has affected his plans for the future:

"Our production home base is in Prague, and there aren’t even any direct flights to Prague, so doorway to doorway, it’s like 18 to 20 hours. So if this show were in Toronto or in Vancouver, and I had a three-day weekend, I could come home. But from Prague, I could only come home if I had a good nine days off."

Despite the departure, Goyer is proud of what he has achieved on the show:

"It was a hard decision to make because I love the show, and I’m super proud of it. I’ve had some things that I’m somewhat proud of and not completely proud of. This one, I think, really reflects my intention and my vision. But also, it was killing me."

Foundation can be streamed on Apple TV+.

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Also read: Foundation Season 3 showrunner reveals important details about the season finale death

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