Dax Shepard could be headed into Kristen Bell’s Nobody Wants This orbit if the Netflix romantic comedy returns for a fourth season.

Series creator and executive producer Erin Foster revealed that Shepard’s name is already part of the writers’ discussions, even though Netflix has not renewed the show for Season 4. During an appearance on Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Foster told him that the team had “been writing you into the season” and asked whether he would “say yes.”

The potential casting would bring Bell’s real-life husband into a series centered on her character’s increasingly complicated place within another family and culture. Nothing is official, however: There is no confirmed fourth season, and Shepard has not been announced as a cast member.

A bigger role is taking shape

Shepard raised the possibility while speaking with Erin Foster and her sister, executive producer Sara Foster. After watching Season 3, he said he had jokingly imagined arriving in the next chapter to disrupt the show’s seemingly perfect setup.

That suggestion was closer to the writers’ plans than he may have realized. Erin Foster said an idea involving Shepard had emerged several weeks earlier, when his name was placed on the board in the writers’ room. The concept then changed during a more recent discussion and developed into something more substantial.

“This idea for you actually pivoted and switched into something bigger,” Foster told him.

The extent of Shepard’s possible participation remains undecided. Foster said the writers wanted to know how many episodes he would be willing to appear in before committing to a particular direction. She made clear that the part would not necessarily require him for the entire season, but described it as “pivotal” and “an important role.”

She also characterized the idea as something that could be “very fun” and “interesting,” signaling that the proposed appearance is more than a quick cameo. No character name, storyline details or episode count were disclosed.

Shepard is newly open to acting again

The timing may work in the show’s favor. Shepard had gone without an onscreen acting role since the 2020 film Buddy Games, but recently ended that hiatus by taking a part in the upcoming second season of Apple TV’s Bad Monkey.

He explained that he would likely have rejected the Nobody Wants This idea a year earlier because he had been content not to act. His outlook changed after Bill Lawrence proposed putting him in a project where all of his scenes would be with Vince Vaughn.

That opportunity convinced Shepard to return. He said he enjoyed the experience and came away realizing he was “more open” to acting than he had expected.

Foster responded that the Nobody Wants This team might therefore be approaching him at exactly the right moment. Still, the conversation stopped short of confirming that Shepard had accepted the proposed role.

Where the series stands

Nobody Wants This is inspired by Foster’s relationship with her husband, music executive Simon Tikhman. The series follows Joanne Williams, an agnostic podcaster played by Bell, whose unexpected romance with progressive Rabbi Noah Roklov, played by Adam Brody, unsettles both of their families.

As Joanne becomes immersed in Noah’s culture, she decides to convert to Judaism. That relationship and its impact on the characters’ families form the foundation for the Jewish romantic comedy.

Foster has said there is “more story to tell” in a possible fourth season. The show has also become a subject of public discourse since Brody expressed support for “Free Palestine” amid the Israel-Hamas conflict’s continuing impact on Gaza.

ShowBiz Take

The Shepard discussion is notable because the writers are not simply floating a celebrity guest appearance. Foster’s comments indicate that they are developing a consequential, multi-episode possibility whose final shape may depend on how much time he is prepared to commit.

His recent return to acting makes the prospect more realistic than it might have been a year earlier, while his real-life marriage to Bell would add another layer of interest to an already family-focused series. But the key distinction remains: The writers have an idea, not a confirmed casting announcement.

What Happens Next?

The first unanswered question is whether Netflix will renew Nobody Wants This for Season 4. If it does, the writers will still need to determine the size of Shepard’s role and whether he formally agrees to appear. Until those decisions are made, his place in the show remains a promising plan rather than a completed deal.