HBO has released a new, first-look photo of Colman Domingo as Ali Muhammed for the upcoming Euphoria Season 3. The image is part of a weekly series of photos the network is sharing leading up to the season’s premiere in April. The photo gives fans a glimpse of Ali’s return in the new season, which will jump forward in time, showing the characters’ lives years after high school.
Ali is a recovered drug addict who first met Zendaya’s character, Rue Bennett, at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in the show’s first season. He became her sponsor, offering guidance as she struggled with sobriety. Domingo’s role has been a fan favorite, providing a voice of stability amid the chaos of the teenage characters’ lives.
Colman Domingo’s Ali Muhammed in Season 3: New Photo Details
The newly released photo features Colman Domingo‘s character in a simple, button-up shirt and a baseball cap. He is standing in what appears to be a wide-open, rural space. The setting offers little immediate context for what Ali is doing or where the story will find him in the new season.
This visual is a significant change from where viewers last saw Ali, often in more intimate, indoor settings like NA meetings or at Rue’s home. The open landscape in the new photo has sparked questions and theories among fans about his journey in Season 3.
The photo release follows HBO’s strategy of sharing a new image each week to build excitement for the April 12th premiere. Previously, the network released photos of the main cast, including Zendaya as Rue, Hunter Schafer as Jules, and Jacob Elordi as Nate.
The Time Jump and New Story for Season 3
Euphoria Season 3 will feature a major time jump, moving the story forward by several years. The characters are now in their early twenties, navigating life after high school. The first trailer, released in January 2026, established this shift.
In the trailer, Rue narrates, “A few years after high school, I don’t know if life was exactly what I wished. But somehow, for the first time, I was beginning to have faith”. The new season will explore the group of friends as they “wrestle with the virtue of faith, the possibility of redemption, and the problem of evil,” according to HBO’s official description.
Creator Sam Levinson has said the new season is about the characters navigating “being out of the safety net of school” and the challenges of early adulthood. Zendaya has shared her thoughts on Rue’s path forward. “I think it’ll be exciting to explore the characters out of high school. I want to see what Rue looks like in her sobriety journey, how chaotic that might look,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
What to Expect from Ali’s Character and Storyline
While details are scarce, Colman Domingo has offered some clues about his character’s expanded role in the new season. At the 2026 Golden Globe Awards, he hinted that audiences would learn more about Ali’s past.
“I think you get to look at the building blocks of Ali. I think you may get a little bit of his origin story, which I think is great, and so you can understand why Ali is who he is,” Domingo told Deadline.
This suggests that Season 3 could use flashbacks or deeper conversations to explore what led Ali to recovery and his role as a sponsor. His relationship with Rue is expected to remain central, especially as she continues to face pressure from her past. The trailer hints that Rue still owes a debt to the dangerous drug dealer Laurie from Season 2, adding to her struggles.
Domingo has also praised the scale and vision for the new season, calling it a groundbreaking step for television. “We’re gonna have a devastatingly gorgeous, epic season that I think is breaking the mold of television,” he said on the Golden Globes red carpet. “I think it’s gonna become more cinema than television”. The season was filmed using high-quality 35mm and 65mm film formats, supporting his claim of a cinematic look.
The Returning Cast and Exciting New Additions
The main cast from previous seasons is set to return for Euphoria Season 3. This includes Zendaya as Rue Bennett, Hunter Schafer as Jules Vaughn, Sydney Sweeney as Cassie Howard, Jacob Elordi as Nate Jacobs, Alexa Demie as Maddy Perez, and Maude Apatow as Lexi Howard.
One character who will not return is Fezco, played by the late Angus Cloud. The actor passed away in 2023. The show will move forward without his character.
Season 3 introduces a large group of new cast members and guest stars. The list includes major names like Sharon Stone, singer Rosalía, Natasha Lyonne, and Eli Roth. Other new additions are Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Danielle Deadwyler, former NFL player Marshawn Lynch, and internet personality Trisha Paytas. Martha Kelly and Chloe Cherry, who played recurring roles, have been promoted to series regulars.
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Official Release Date and Where to Watch
Euphoria Season 3 will premiere on Sunday, April 12, 2026. New episodes will air weekly on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The season is confirmed to have eight episodes, with the finale scheduled for May 31, 2026.
The show will air from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM Eastern and Pacific Time on HBO. For viewers in the United Kingdom, the series typically airs on Sky Atlantic and streams on NOW shortly after its U.S. premiere. In Australia, it is expected to be available on Binge. Canadian viewers can watch on Crave.
The long wait between seasons—over four years since Season 2 ended in February 2022—was due to several factors. These included the Hollywood strikes, the busy schedules of the in-demand cast, and extensive script rewrites by creator Sam Levinson.
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