Why Donald Glover Chose to End 'Atlanta' After Season 4—'It Ends Perfectly'

Donald Glover has received widespread acclaim for the FX show Atlanta, but he's decided to bring it to a close with the Season 4 finale.

Fans waited years for another season of Atlanta, and then two arrived in the space of a year. Season 2 aired in 2018, but because of various things, including the pandemic, Season 3 didn't arrive until March 2022. Now just months later, Season 4 is coming to an end, with Glover confirming that this will be the end for the show.

Glover, aka Childish Gambino, created and starred in the show as Earnest "Earn" Marks, while Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield also appeared as major characters. Each of the actors have moved on to star in other major projects, but that hasn't been cited as a reason why the show is ending.

The creator Glover spoke out on his reasons for ending Atlanta at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour earlier this year.

"Death is natural," he said. "I feel like when the conditions are right for something, they happen, and when the conditions aren't right, they don't happen. I don't feel any longevity. Because then things start to get weird. The story was always supposed to be what it was. And the story, it really was us. Everybody in that writers' room, everybody on set. It really was what we were going through and what we talked about. I think it ends perfectly."

Though this is the end for Atlanta as a series, Glover didn't rule out revisiting that world and its characters one day.

"If there's a reason to do it, of course. Like a Christmas special," he joked. "It always depends. I like keeping my options open."

Many fan-favorite shows over the years have ended, but come back for one-off special episodes or even movies. The UK Office, Sense8, Breaking Bad and M*A*S*H are just some classic shows which have found a second life in follow-up specials. Even Community, Glover's previous sitcom, is coming back for a new movie on NBC's streaming platform Peacock.

At the same event, Beetz, who has played his love interest Van for four seasons, agreed with the decision to bring the show to an end.

"I agree with Donald that we're ending on what feels like a peak and not letting it peter out. I think the best thing is knowing when to end it, and knowing when to move on with things." She added. "We are all doing other things."

Beetz has starred in a number of blockbusters since beginning her time on Atlanta. She appeared in Deadpool 2, Bullet Train and Netflix movie The Harder They Fall.

Brian Tyree Henry, who played the rapper Paper Boi, has starred in another Marvel movie Eternals, as well as co-starring in Bullet Train. He also appeared alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the Apple TV+ movie Causeway.

LaKeith Stanfield had a number of major roles before Atlanta, but has also appeared in Knives Out, Get Out and was Oscar-nominated for Judas and the Black Messiah.

Glover is currently preparing to bring out a reboot of Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime, and is also rumored to be releasing new music.