The world of Gilead is reopening for business, but with a new generation at the forefront. Hulu has set the full main cast for The Testaments, the upcoming sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale. The show brings back one pivotal character from the original while introducing a dozen new faces who will guide the story forward.
Only one actor from the original series is confirmed to reprise their role: Ann Dowd returns as the formidable Aunt Lydia. She is joined by a large ensemble of new actors, led by Chase Infiniti and Lucy Halliday, who will play the two young women central to the new story. The series has completed filming and is scheduled to premiere on Hulu in April 2026.
The Returning Star and New Leads
The connection between the original series and its sequel rests on the shoulders of Ann Dowd. Her character, Aunt Lydia, was a central authoritarian figure in The Handmaid’s Tale, responsible for the indoctrination and discipline of the Handmaids. In The Testaments, her role evolves.
“Although I could not continue with the story of Offred, I could continue with three other people… and tell the story of the beginning of the end, because we know from The Handmaid’s Tale that Gilead vanishes,” author Margaret Atwood said about the sequel’s focus.
The new narrative is built around three women, with Dowd’s Aunt Lydia serving as one narrator. The other two leads are newcomers to the story.
- Chase Infiniti plays Agnes: This character is the grown-up version of Hannah, the daughter Elisabeth Moss‘s character, June, spent years trying to rescue. Taken as a child and raised entirely within Gilead, she is known only as Agnes in this new life.
- Lucy Halliday plays Daisy: Described as a Canadian teenager, Daisy’s life is turned upside down when she becomes involved in the mission to dismantle Gilead. According to the narrative, Daisy is actually Nichole, the baby June smuggled out of Gilead to safety.
Meet the Full Cast of New Characters
Beyond the three leads, The Testaments features a wide cast of new characters who populate the halls of Gilead’s elite schools and the ranks of its Aunts. This ensemble represents the first generation to come of age under the regime.
- Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite: A pampered teenager from a powerful Gilead family. Her social status gives her a degree of respect and influence among her peers.
- Mattea Conforti as Becka: A kind but shy girl from a lower-class background who becomes a Supplicant—a young woman in training to potentially become an Aunt. She is an ally to Agnes.
- Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala: A powerful and fundamentalist Aunt who is in a position of authority and vies for power within the structure of Gilead.
- Amy Seimetz as Paula: She plays the harsh stepmother to Agnes.
- Eva Foote as Aunt Estee and Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Aunt Gabbana: Two other Aunts who help govern the society.
- Brad Alexander as Garth, Birva Pandya as Miriam, Kira Guloien as Rosa, Isolde Ardies as Hulda, and Shechinah Mpumlwana as Jehosheba: Additional cast members filling out the world.
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Story Details and the Fate of June Osborne
The Testaments is set years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale. While Margaret Atwood’s novel is set 15 years later, the TV adaptation will pick up roughly five years after the original series ended. The story is described as a coming-of-age tale, following young women who have no memory of a world before Gilead as they face forced marriages and a life of servitude.
A major question for fans is whether Elisabeth Moss will appear as June Osborne. While Moss is confirmed as an executive producer on the series, an on-screen appearance has not been confirmed. Show creator Bruce Miller has hinted that while June’s direct presence is uncertain, her influence is felt.
“She’s still doing her job, still doing what she was doing in The Handmaid’s Tale… Is June influencing The Testaments? Absolutely. She’s out there. She’s trying to get Hannah back,” Miller stated.
The creative team behind the original series is deeply involved in the sequel. Bruce Miller, the creator and former showrunner of The Handmaid’s Tale, stepped down from that role to focus entirely on developing The Testaments. He serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside fellow Handmaid’s Tale producer Warren Littlefield. Director Mike Barker, who worked on the original series, will direct the first three episodes.
Production for the series began in April 2025 and wrapped in August 2025. The first official images from the set were released in December 2025.
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