Showrunners Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith aren’t pulling any punches this time — they’re ready to throw Agent Kyle Turner far outside his comfort zone.

After storming its way into Netflix’s Top 10 with a critically acclaimed debut season, UNTAMED is officially coming back for a second round — and things are about to get even more intense.

“I am absolutely thrilled that we get the chance to bring another season of UNTAMED to life,” star Eric Bana said in a statement. “The response to Season 1 has been a testament to the incredible effort by our crew to deliver something truly unique. I can’t wait to take Kyle on his next journey. Massive thanks to Netflix, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television and our fans.”

Bana returns as Kyle Turner, the hard-edged, emotionally complex agent of the Investigative Services Branch (ISB) within the National Park Service. Season 2 will thrust him into an entirely new investigation — and a park unlike any he’s seen before.

While UNTAMED was originally conceived as a limited six-episode story, its creative potential quickly outgrew the initial blueprint.

“Elle and I envisioned it as a stand-alone,” Mark L. Smith tells Tudum. “But then the more we got into it, it was just such a great cast … we just thought, ‘How do we keep this going?’”

Season 1 wrapped with Turner finally leaving behind Yosemite, both physically and emotionally. After solving one of the most harrowing cases of his career, he hits the road — a symbolic escape from years of internalized grief and trauma that had become embedded in the wilderness he once called home.

This narrative twist mirrors the reality of ISB agents, who are often assigned to multiple parks throughout their careers. Turner’s path between seasons hasn’t been idle — quite the opposite.

“He’s been to a lot of parks. He’s been busy, taking on a lot of cases,” Mark reveals. “This will be the latest — and it’ll be more impactful for him.”

This time, Turner won’t be in his element. Season 2 deliberately drops him into a dramatically different environment — geographically, culturally, and emotionally.

“We’ve done Yosemite. What’s the next park that could feel different?” Elle Smith explains. “Each national park has a distinct personality, and we want that to be reflected in the story.”

The park won’t just be a backdrop — it will once again be a character in its own right, shaping the mood and mindset of everyone who enters it.

“Our theme has been that the park is our main character,” Elle says. “Whichever location we choose, it will reflect Turner’s emotional journey.”

And just like the terrain, the mystery itself will take on a new tone — one rooted in the uniqueness of its setting.

“We can make the case organic to a different kind of park, a different kind of landscape — not just have someone fall off another mountain,” Mark adds with a laugh.

But perhaps the most compelling shift is Turner’s new role. Once the experienced guide through the woods, he’ll now be the one learning to navigate unfamiliar ground — both literally and metaphorically.

“Turner was so comfortable in Yosemite,” Mark says. “Now, we’re putting him on his back foot. He’s going to be the one finding his way.”

Along that journey, Turner will encounter a whole new cast of characters — some helpful, some not.

“We’re going to populate it with people who challenge him in both good and bad ways,” Mark notes.

And what about familiar faces from Yosemite? Could some return? It’s still up in the air — but the showrunners aren’t ruling anything out.

“We loved our cast,” Mark teases. “In an ideal world, we’d find a way to bring some of them back.”

While fans wait for further announcements, there’s no shortage of character-driven Americana tales on Netflix’s horizon. If you haven’t already, dive into other atmospheric dramas like Virgin River, The Lincoln Lawyer, Ransom Canyon, and The Waterfront.

But make no mistake — UNTAMED Season 2 is set to raise the bar once again. New park. New danger. Same Kyle Turner… only this time, he’s the one lost in the woods.