Succession Season 3 Adds Another Huge Name To Its Cast

Many critics consider HBO's "Succession" to be one of the best shows on TV. On the surface, the hour-long dramedy is about the least relatable people imaginable: the Roy family, owners of Waystar-Royco, one of the world's largest media companies. But all the billionaire boardroom hijinks are secondary to what "Succession" is really all about: family relationships — and those, as we well know, are universal.

Much of the show's conflict derives from the Roy family and their internecine squabbles over control of the Waystar-Royco corporation. In this, the Roys are often their own worst enemies. "Succession" has also introduced many different outsiders who have tried to wrest control of the company away from them. Many different plutocrats have tried and failed to take control of Waystar-Royco over the first two seasons, and it looks like Season 3 will be continuing that trend by adding yet another potential Roy enemy to the cast. This time, the character will played by an Oscar winner.

According to Variety, "Succession" will be adding none other than Adrien Brody to its cast, and his character will be central to Season 3's main storyline. At the end of Season 2, wayward son Kendall (Jeremy Strong) finally broke ranks with his family and exposed his father's corruption vis-a-vis the ongoing scandal involving Waystar-Royco's cruise lines. Kendall's shocking decision both infuriated his father and kicked the struggle over control of Waystar-Royco into high gear.

Brody will be playing a character named Josh Aaronson, whom Variety describes as a billionaire activist and investor who joins the fight for control of the company. That's a fairly vague description in the context of a show populated mostly by billionaires vying for control of the Roy empire. Will he be trying to transform Waystar-Royco into a more ethical company that aligns with his own values? Or will his activism be a mask that conceals his greed?

It wouldn't be the first time a billionaire with loftier goals than the Roys tried to take control of Waystar-Royco. During Season 2, the Roys tried to buy a media company owned by the rival Pierce family, who were concerned about the Roys' history of bending the truth to sell newspapers. In exchange for their company, the Pierces required that Siobhan Roy (Sarah Snook) be put in charge of Waystar-Royco, but in the end, the Pierces needed the money and gave up their demands.

This time around, the Roys will presumably be in a much weaker position, which would give someone like Aaronson more leverage. We'll have to see if he's strong enough to do what no one else has yet accomplished: force the Roys to behave decently. Or at least decent-adjacent.