Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe are contracted for Outlander Season 7

Outlander -- Courtesy of STARZ -- Acquired via STARZ Media Center
Outlander -- Courtesy of STARZ -- Acquired via STARZ Media Center

Worried about Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe leaving after Outlander Season 6? They’re actually contracted for Season 7, and they do want to do more.

It’s natural to worry about the future of your favorite TV show. There has been a lot of back and forth on Outlander for some, with concerns that the stars aren’t going to want to stick around for the long-term. Well, it turns out the lead stars are contracted for Outlander Season 7.

We already know that STARZ is interested in more of the show. As long as the ratings look good, there’s going to be a seventh season. And that means we’ll get more Claire and Jamie.

But was there any real question about Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan sticking around? For some, there was, especially as Balfe and Heughan’s acting careers are growing considerably. There is the risk that they’ll walk away as soon as their contracts have come to an end.

At one point, there was a debate over what their contracts would be for. Most shows will contract actors for seven years. This tends to turn into seven seasons as the majority of shows do one season per year. However, that’s not been the case with Outlander. We can go more than a year waiting for a new season, and the first season was split into two halves to take up two years.

There was a concern that the seven years would mean just the six seasons due to the way the way the series has been filmed. However, in an interview during the STARZ winter TCAs, Balfe made it clear that she and her co-star are contracted for another season after Season 6.

For those who are sure the contract is for seven years and not seven seasons, jump to 1:40 in the video below, where Caitriona Balfe states:

"“Season 6 is a pickup, already confirmed. We’re contracted for one more after that.”"

How long will the show continue after that? This will depend on a number of factors. For Balfe, it’s about quality. She wants the production to remain at the level or better than it is right now. However, she has also previously said that she would like to stick it out as long as the show goes on for because of the fans.

Heughan has also said that he’d want to continue as long as the show goes on for the fans. He wants to see this through to the end.

Right now, though, at least we know that if STARZ renews the series, we have a show. Balfe and Heughan are contracted for it.

How long would you like to see Outlander go on for? What do you hope happens in Season 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Outlander Season 5 premieres on Feb. 16 on STARZ. Watch Outlander with a FREE 7-day trial of Amazon Channels!
Outlander Season 5 premieres on Feb. 16 on STARZ. Watch Outlander with a FREE 7-day trial of Amazon Channels!