Season 3 of Cross is in production, and creator and showrunner Ben Watkins has revealed what theme will drive the next chapter of the Prime Video drama. Speaking at a Deadline-moderated Q+A at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival, Watkins said the new season will explore addiction through the lens of Alex Cross's relentless pursuit of justice.
"We need to see this character confronting a different challenge about himself and the people around him, and in Season 3 we have this conversation about addiction because Cross as a detective is really addicted to the hunt," Watkins said. He added that "when you think about people who are addicted and the impact they have, it doesn't have to be narcotics or alcohol."
Watkins sketched a four-season roadmap for the drama but said the show could run far longer. "Cross is the type of show that can go forever," he said. "The challenge is, what is the character's journey?"
Title star and executive producer Aldis Hodge was also at the festival and explained what drew him so deeply into the role. "I found relief in the writing," he said. "What I realized was the immediacy of this character being presented as smart, intellectual, unapologetic, charismatic, raw, dangerous, vulnerable – all of these things without having to submit or compromise his dignity or humanity." Hodge described Cross as "a Black man walking in the world of police and justice and law, but not having to submit to other people's bias."
Watkins said he tested studio executives early to make sure they were aligned with his vision for the character. "One of the messages that I wrote into the script was 'this is going to be an unapologetic Black man who is amazing at his job and is always the smartest person in the room,'" he said. He added that he had sent similar material to executives on other projects before and heard responses indicating discomfort.
Season 1 of the Amazon MGM Studios and Paramount Television Studios production surged to 40 million viewers globally in its first 20 days on the streamer. It ranked as the third-most-watched premiere on the platform in 2025. A third season was greenlit in March. Hodge is also set to appear in the Road House sequel.
Both Watkins and Hodge described the working environment on Cross as one built around inclusion and intentionality. Watkins said he wants to be "in an environment where I'm reminded that what we do is very rare and can be magic if we approach it the right way."
