Is Adult Swim’s Primal Season 3 a reboot? Series creator Genndy Tartakovsky weighs in

Primal Season 3 is all set to return with its impressive storytelling that made the series one of Adult Swim’s most lauded animated dramas.

Acclaimed for its savage beauty and emotional resonance, the series revolves around the Neanderthal warrior Spear and his dinosaur companion Fang, who travel across a brutal, prehistoric world teeming with survival, loss, and unspoken kinship.

Season 2 ended with the assertion of Spear's death being a shock and a new generation through his family with Mira. It’s been a long wait, and now Primal Season 3 is set to go back even darker and more surreal while staying true to its roots.

As fans await the release of Primal Season 3, many have been wondering if it is a reboot. However, in a recent interview, series creator Genndy Tartakovsky confirmed that Primal Season 3 is not a reboot.

Genndy Tartakovsky confirms Primal Season 3 is not a reboot

At the New York Comic Con panel, Genndy Tartakovsky revealed the very first look at Primal Season 3 and answered one major question: that this is not a reboot. Tartakovsky spoke with Entertainment Weekly and revealed that the series picks up right from where it left off, regardless of its daring new direction featuring an undead Spear. He said:

"It's this f---ed up world that's really crazy, and now we've entered this part, but you feel like it's the same show. It's amped up and the story's crazy, but it feels like you're watching a Primal episode. It's not a reboot, it's none of those things."

Tartakovsky is still involved in the production and is very passionate about his vision of Primal as an ongoing anthology, pulpy without dialogue, story-driven series that pushes animation’s boundaries.

Tartakovsky explained that after killing off the main character, he initially planned to move on to a new story but later reconsidered. He added:

“I just spent 20 episodes having people care, and then I kill off the main character, which is okay, but then, what are my options? The other stuff I was doing wasn’t feeling quite right, maybe because I hadn’t finished the story.”

When asked if the new season takes place in a different reality-space, Tartakovsky clarified that the show’s continuity is still intact. Rather, he explained that Primal Season 3 is a logical next step within the same world with pulp elements inspired by the themes of Robert E. Howard’s Conan and Solomon Kane stories.

“This is part of our world. It’s pulp. It’s the ultimate pulpy thing, the undead.”

Primal Season 3’s first trailer reveals a bleak tonal shift transmogrifying the show into a surreal, violent journey of renewal and decay. The trailer features a resurrected Spear fighting skeletal warriors, fighting monstrous beasts, and facing visions that cross from life to death.

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The latest season also advances to Spear’s family aspect, and the next generation is introduced in the season 2 finale. While Tartakovsky didn't say much about their role, he did say that the same characters from season 2 will continue to be central to the story. The showrunner hinted at bigger questions about identity and acceptance, what an undead Spear’s reunion with his family would look like, and even if he has any memory of who he used to be.

With a January 2026 premiere, Primal Season 3 is poised to combine myth, madness, and motion to deliver a chilling sequel to one of Adult Swim’s most visually striking and emotionally charged series.

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