The world of Gilead is returning with a new generation. Hulu has shared the first official photos from The Testaments, the sequel series to the award-winning show The Handmaid’s Tale. The pictures give viewers their initial look at the cast, including Chase Infiniti, who plays a central character from Margaret Atwood’s novel. The series is scheduled to start streaming in April 2026 on Hulu and Disney+.
These first images were shown at the CCXP fan event in São Paulo, Brazil. They introduce a story set years after the events of the original series, focusing on young women who have known nothing but life under Gilead’s rule. The photos also confirm the return of a key character from the first show, linking the past and future of this dystopian world.
Meet the New Generation of Gilead
The Testaments adapts Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel, which she wrote over three decades after the original The Handmaid’s Tale. The story moves forward to follow a new set of young characters. The official description states it is a coming-of-age story about a generation of women in Gilead facing a limited future. For them, growing up in this society is normal, as they have no real memory of the world before it. They now face being forced into marriages and a life of servitude, pushing them to find allies in their fight for freedom.
A major visual shift is immediately clear in the released photos. The famous red robes of the Handmaids are gone, replaced by purple dresses. This purple clothing is for the “plums”—young girls Gilead considers to be of marriageable age who are being prepared for their roles as wives. The images show these young women in what appears to be a school setting, likely one of the “wife schools” mentioned in the later parts of the original series.
Chase Infiniti Takes on a Major Role
The first-look photos put a spotlight on actor Chase Infiniti, who plays a student named Agnes. This role is particularly significant for fans of the original series. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Agnes is known as Hannah, the daughter protagonist June Osborne was brutally separated from in the earliest episodes. The character was played by Jordana Blake as a child.
In The Testaments, Hannah has been renamed Agnes and has grown up entirely within Gilead’s system. The series picks up about four years after the conclusion of The Handmaid’s Tale, with Agnes now a teenager on the path Gilead has set for her. Show creator Bruce Miller explained how the original series’ ending was shaped to lead into this story, noting that author Margaret Atwood provided guidance on which characters must survive for the sequel.
“She threw herself back and she couldn’t walk away from her daughter, so June is still doing her job… Is June influencing The Testaments? Absolutely. She’s out there. She’s out there trying to get Hannah back,” Miller said about June’s ongoing mission.
While Elisabeth Moss, who played June, is an executive producer on the new series, it has not been confirmed if she will appear on screen.
Returning Faces and New Characters
The photos also confirm the return of Ann Dowd, reprising her Emmy-winning role as Aunt Lydia. In Atwood’s novel, Aunt Lydia is a central narrator, and her complex character becomes a crucial link between the old regime and the new rebellion. The series will explore her story further as she runs a school to prepare girls for life in Gilead.
The young cast surrounding Infiniti and Dowd includes several new characters:
- Lucy Halliday plays Daisy, a teenager living in Canada who discovers a shocking connection to Gilead.
- Rowan Blanchard is Shunammite, a privileged teen from an important Gilead family.
- Mattea Conforti plays Becka, a classmate and friend of Agnes.
- Other cast members include Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, and Birva Pandya, who play young women at various stages of preparation for marriage.
The full cast also includes Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, and Kira Guloien.
Behind the Scenes and What to Expect
The Testaments is produced by MGM Television and brings back much of the creative team from the original series. Bruce Miller, who created The Handmaid’s Tale for television and served as its showrunner, is the creator and showrunner for the sequel. He also serves as an executive producer alongside Warren Littlefield, Elisabeth Moss, Steve Stark, Shana Stein, Maya Goldsmith, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, Daniel Wilson, Fran Sears, and Mike Barker. Barker will direct the first three episodes.
The series is currently in production. According to reports, filming for The Testaments began just six weeks after the main photography ended for the final season of The Handmaid’s Tale. While a specific premiere date in April 2026 is still to be announced, the show is expected to run for ten episodes.
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