''Steven Universe Future'' is an American

animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

created by Rebecca Sugar for

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

. It serves as an

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the ...

to ''

Steven Universe ''Steven Universe'' is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (character), Steven Universe (Zach Callison), who lives with the Crys ...

'' (2013–2019) and a follow-up to its

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

'' Steven Universe: The Movie'' (2019). It premiered on December 7, 2019, and concluded on March 27, 2020. The series focuses on the aftermath of the events of ''Steven Universe'', where extraterrestrial magical Gems coexist in harmony with humans after the end of the war between the Crystal Gems and Gem Homeworld. Without the threats of the Diamonds or corrupted Gems,

Steven Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the firs ...

must deal with the everyday challenges that still come with his now relatively peaceful life, and question his new life objectives. Like the original series, ''Steven Universe Future'' received critical praise for its design, music, voice acting, characterization, and prominent

LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...

themes. The series was also praised for addressing issues some had with the original series, as well as for choosing to focus on the aftermath of the main story's climax and promoting mental health awareness through Steven's experience with

psychological trauma Psychological trauma (also known as mental trauma, psychiatric trauma, emotional damage, or psychotrauma) is an emotional response caused by severe distressing events, such as Major trauma, bodily injury, Sexual assault, sexual violence, or ot ...

. The episode " Fragments" was nominated for the 2020 Primetime Emmy Award for Short Form Animated Program.

Premise

The series is set after the events of '' Steven Universe: The Movie'', which itself takes place two years after the ''Steven Universe'' series finale " Change Your Mind". In "Change Your Mind", teenage protagonist

persuaded the Diamonds, the rulers of the intergalactic Gem

empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

, to cease their abusive,

imperialist Imperialism is the maintaining and extending of power over foreign nations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power ( diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism fo ...

ways, and to heal the monstrous corrupted Gems that had been menacing the planet Earth. Now, Steven and his friends and family, the Crystal Gems, have constructed Little Homeworld, a community on Earth where humans and Gems can live in harmony. Steven now dedicates his time to inviting Gems to come to "Little Homeschool", and educating those who do not know how to find their new place in the galaxy. ''Steven Universe Future'' follows Steven's everyday life trying to help Gems find new purpose; it also depicts the disappointments he faces with his new life, including the realization that there are things he cannot fix and his own feelings of aimlessness after successfully liberating the Gem empire. He confronts old foes who are looking for revenge, tries to master a new power that he doesn't fully understand, and is challenged to decide what he wants for his own future.

Voice cast and characters

Main

* Zach Callison as Steven Universe/Monster Steven, Onion, Cactus Steven, and Jingle Singer * Estelle Swaray as

Garnet Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. Garnet minerals, while sharing similar physical and crystallographic properties, exhibit a wide range of chemical compositions, de ...

* Michaela Dietz as

Amethyst Amethyst is a Violet (color), violet variety of quartz. The name comes from the Koine Greek from - , "not" and (Ancient Greek) / (Modern Greek), "intoxicate", a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from Alcohol into ...

, and other Quartz Gems *

Deedee Magno Hall Deedee Magno Hall (born April 2, 1975) is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the pop group The Party (band), The Party, and as the voice of Pearl (Steven Universe), Pearl in the ''Steven Universe'' franchise. Early life Magn ...

Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...

, Pink Pearl/Volleyball, Shell, Brandish, Mega Pearl and Aubergine Pearl * Shelby Rabara as Peridot

Recurring

Tom Scharpling Thomas John Giuliano II (born February 9, 1969), known professionally as Tom Scharpling, is an American comedian, television writer, producer, music video director, voice actor, and radio host. He is best known for hosting the weekly Internet r ...

as Greg Universe * Grace Rolek as Connie Maheswaran * Charlyne Yi as Ruby, Eyeball, and other Rubies * Erica Luttrell as Sapphire * Jennifer Paz as Lapis Lazuli and other Lapises * Miriam A. Hyman as Bismuth (in "Everything's Fine", "I Am My Monster" & "The Future") *

Kimberly Brooks Kimberly Brooks is an American voice actress. Brooks has voiced characters in video games since the mid-1990s. She has played the voice of Luna in the ''Scooby-Doo'' franchise as part of The Hex Girls, Ashley Williams in the ''Mass Effect'' s ...

as Jasper and other Quartz gems * Sarah Stiles as

Spinel Spinel () is the magnesium/aluminium member of the larger spinel group of minerals. It has the formula in the cubic crystal system. Its name comes from the Latin word , a diminutive form of ''spine,'' in reference to its pointed crystals. Prop ...

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress, singer and comedian. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage (theatre), stage. She has received two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award as well as a nomination for a ...

as White Diamond *

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

as Yellow Diamond * Lisa Hannigan as Blue Diamond * Michelle Maryk as Larimar *

Dee Bradley Baker Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of his work has consisted of vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as '' Adventure Time'', ''American Dad!'', '' Avatar: The Las ...

as Lion

Guest

Uzo Aduba Uzoamaka Nwanneka "Uzo" Aduba () (; born February 10, 1981) is an American actress. She gained wide recognition for her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix original series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she w ...

as Bismuth (in "Bismuth Casual") and Khadijah * Matthew Moy as Lars Barriga *

Kate Micucci Kate Micucci ( ; born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates with Riki Lindhome. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in '' Scrubs'', Ally in '' 'Til Death' ...

as Sadie Miller * Reagan Gomez-Preston as Jenny Pizza * Brian Posehn as Sour Cream * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Priyanka Maheswaran * Lamar Abrams as Wy-Six, Jaime, and Daniel * Indya Moore as Shep * Johnny Hawkes as Rodrigo and Cookie Cat *

Marieve Herington Marieve Herington (born February 22, 1988) is a Canadian actress who has appeared in recurring roles on ''How I Met Your Mother'', '' Good Luck Charlie, and Ever After High''. She provides the voice of Tilly Green on the Disney Channel show '' ...

as Jasmine * Tahani Anderson as Patricia *

Ian Jones-Quartey Ian Jones-Quartey (born June 18, 1984) is an American animator, storyboard artist, writer, director, producer, and voice actor. He is the creator of the animated series '' OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'', based on his Cartoon Network pilot ''Lakewood ...

as Snowflake Obsidian * Natasha Lyonne as Smoky Quartz * Alastair James as Rainbow Quartz 2.0 * Shoniqua Shandai as Sunstone *

Christine Pedi Christine Pedi (born 24 October 1961), is an American television and theatre actress, as well as a cabaret performer and radio personality. Early life Pedi was born in Yonkers, New York, lived in the Bronx and then moved to Eastchester, New Yo ...

as Holly Blue Agate * Della Saba as Aquamarine * Larissa Gallagher as Bluebird Azurite * Chris Jai Alex as Drew the Dog and Announcer * Jemaine Clement as Kerry Moonbeam Archival recordings and footage of Susan Egan as Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond are utilized.

Episodes

The series consisted of a total of 20 11-minute episodes, with a four-part finale that aired on March 27, 2020. All episodes were supervised directed by Kat Morris and Alonso Ramirez Ramos, with Liz Artinian directing all of the art. The art was also co-directed by Patrick Bryson for the first four episodes.

Production

According to Rebecca Sugar, when she was notified in 2016 that ''Steven Universe'' would be canceled after the end of the fifth season, she prevailed upon Cartoon Network to allow her to produce the followup film, ''Steven Universe: The Movie''. When Cartoon Network approved the movie, they also green-lighted an additional season of episodes that the movie could serve to promote; 6 of the 26 additional episodes were used to extend the original series’ fifth season in order to wrap up the story, and the remaining 20 became ''Steven Universe Future''.

Writing

In April 2022, Kate Tsang, a series writer, and for '' Adventure Time: Distant Lands'', said that for the series she could write what she "wanted to see". She also stated that the series had a "heart to it" and optimism which she incorporated into her 2022 film, '' Marvelous and the Black Hole''. It was also said that the series helping Tsang with how she approached her rewrites.

Music

The opening theme, "Steven Universe Future", is a new version of the song "Happily Ever After" from '' Steven Universe: The Movie'', replacing "We Are the Crystal Gems" from the original series. The show's main voice actors, Zach Callison (Steven), Estelle (Garnet), Michaela Dietz (Amethyst) and

(Pearl), who had performed both the opening of the original series and "Happily Ever After" in ''The Movie'', perform ''Steven Universe Future'' alongside additional cast members Jennifer Paz (Lapis), Shelby Rabara (Peridot),

(Bismuth) and Grace Rolek (Connie)

LGBTQ representation

Like its precursor, the series has many examples of queer and non-binary representation. Sadie's romantic interest, Shep, is a

person of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...

who is referred to with

gender neutral language Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids reference towards a particular sex or gender. In English, this includes use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions, formation of phrases i ...

including the

singular they Singular ''they'', along with its inflected or derivative forms, ''them'', ''their'', ''theirs'', and ''themselves'' (also ''themself'' and ''theirself''), is a gender-neutral third-person pronoun derived from plural they. It typically oc ...

pronoun, and who is voiced by

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

actor Indya Moore. Unlike Stevonnie, Shep is the show's first non-binary character who is fully human. Reviewers argue that this could mean Sadie is not heterosexual. ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...

'' states, "Straight people can obviously date non-binary people but...Sadie is more than likely

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

and that’s incredible." During the episode Bismuth Casual, Stevonnie, the

intersex Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...

and non-binary fusion of

and Connie, appears. In "Volleyball", Pink Pearl (nicknamed "Volleyball") reminisces romantically over Pink Diamond, to which Pearl sneers, "Looks like someone's still got it bad", insinuating that - like Pearl once did - Pink Pearl still harbors romantic feelings towards the late Pink Diamond. However, it is later revealed that Pink Diamond physically abused Pink Pearl, causing irreparable psychological trauma that is reflected in Pink Pearl's physical form as a head injury. In "Bismuth Casual", Bismuth indirectly confesses she has a crush on Pearl. Both characters are female-coded and use feminine pronouns, like all gems, though some sources argue that all gems are non-binary, as they are "genderless sentient aliens". In 2020, Maya Peterson, a storyboarder for the show, stated that Peridot's disinterest in fusion is meant to represent

asexuality Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or Sexual desire, desire for Human sexual activity, sexual activity. It may be considered a sexual orientation or the lack thereof. It may also be categori ...

and

aromantic Aromanticism is a romantic orientation characterized by experiencing little to no romantic attraction. The term "aromantic", Colloquialism, colloquially shortened to "aro", refers to a person whose romantic orientation is aromanticism. It is d ...

ism, despite Peterson's reservations that she is only a secondary creator of the show. Before (and after this point), fans had shipped Peridot with various other characters, specifically Lapis Lazuli and Amethyst, some reviewers even seeing Peridot and Lapis in a "close, loving relationship" in 2018 when the two characters lived together in a barn. The announcement of Peridot's asexuality/aromanticism pleased many fans. Peterson also stated that the show's writers did not discuss whether or not Peridot was

autistic Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing di ...

, although it was a possibility, and many fans perceived Peridot to be on the spectrum. When Rebecca Sugar, who created the character, was asked if Peridot might be autistic, she said that she doesn't think of any of the gems as neurotypical, and that she's thrilled autistic viewers can relate to Peridot.

Release

Announcement

Prior to the announcement of ''Future'', Sugar and the crew of ''Steven Universe'' stayed silent regarding a potential sixth season of ''Steven Universe'', leaving fans with uncertainty over the future of the series, with some believing ''The Movie'' to be the conclusion of Steven's story; at

New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, Film, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. With an attendance of 200,00 ...

in October 2019, Sugar confirmed that there would be no sixth season of ''Steven Universe'' (therefore retroactively confirming the season 5 finale " Change Your Mind" as the series finale), but announced ''Future'', and shared the opening of the epilogue limited series with the audience. Several media outlets misinterpreted the announcement as a confirmation of a sixth season, with ''Future'' as a simple sub-title. The official premise of the show was: "After saving the universe, Steven is still at it, tying up every loose end. But as he runs out of other people's problems to solve, he'll finally have to face his own."

Broadcast

''Steven Universe Future'' premiered on December 7, 2019 on

. It premiered on Cartoon Network UK on December 23, 2019.

Home media

On December 8, 2020, all 20 episodes of the series were released on the ''Steven Universe: The Complete Collection'' DVD, alongside the entirety of the original series and the movie.

Reception

''Steven Universe Future'' has been acclaimed by critics. Like the original series and ''Steven Universe: The Movie'', the characterization, themes, animation, voice acting, music, and

representation have been widely praised; ''Future'' in particular is praised for its new ways of exploring previously developed themes (in particular Steven's dedication to solve other characters' problems), and its unconventional choice of focusing on the smaller-scale aftermath of the main storyline. Reviewers have pointed out that it addresses issues several fans and reviewers had with the original series, such as its perceived tendency to solve characters' problems in overly simple ways and to redeem all antagonists. Caroline Cao of ''

/Film ''/Film'', also spelled ''SlashFilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005. The site's reviews appear on Rotten Tomatoes, and as of 2024, two of its leading film cr ...

'' called ''Steven Universe Future'' "a messy and beautiful tale of trauma, healing, and survival", stating: "Sugar and her team are the greatest visual maximalists in animation, pushing imageries to their most emotional and thematic extremes—particularly through the inventiveness of the flexible Fusion metaphor—and unraveling difficult revelations about surviving trauma." She praised the exploration of Steven's tendency to help other people with their problems, claiming that "Steven faces the reoccurring lesson of 'biting more than you can chew.' Steven wants to heal everyone, anything, but falls short, and even unleashes destruction at times. As Future moves forward, Steven will contend with his own management of the new world order he has created, and his mother’s past will continue to haunt his future. Then there's the matter of Steven's newest Gem power that manifests through his rage and insecurities. ''Steven Universe Future'' is on a roll in delivering hard and relevant messages about victimhood and survivorhood solidarity. There are kids and adults alike who need someone to tell them 'I'm sorry for not believing you'." ''

The Mary Sue Daniel Abrams (born May 20, 1966) is an American media entrepreneur, television host, and author. He is currently the host of '' On Patrol: Live'' on Reelz, and ''The Dan Abrams Show: Where Politics Meets The Law'' on SiriusXM's P.O.T.U.S. cha ...

'' labeled ''Steven Universe Future'' "fantastic", praising "the amazing storytelling" and the "beautiful" animation. Reuben Baron of CBR praised the series for "challenging Steven's savior mentality", stating that the first four episodes were "developing a clear thematic throughline. Picking up the loose ends from the original series, it's working to address criticisms of Steven as a character without betraying the show's essential ethos." In his review of the episode "Bluebird", Shamus Kelley of ''

'' stated that ''Future'' "finally addressed something of a complaint many had towards the series. As much as ''Steven Universe'' is all about love being the answer and Steven trying to be friends with everyone, there's still a nagging sense that it's all a bit... simple. Obviously what Steven and the Crystal Gems is incredibly taxing 'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''but the end result just being everyone is mostly friends? That’s fairly unrealistic ..So the fact that Aquamarine and Eyeball Ruby just flat out hate him? It’s an acknowledgement, one that show takes it time to make explicit, that not everyone wants to change. Not everyone is down for learning to love and be friends". Charles Pulliam-Moore of ''

Gizmodo ''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...

'' heavily praised ''Steven Universe Future'' for further establishing Pink Diamond/Rose Quartz as "the villain of the decade", stating "When ''Steven Universe Future'' reveals exactly how Volleyball, the Pink Pearl, got her cracked face, the series is cluing viewers into the specific reasons why the other Diamonds were reluctant to give Pink what she wanted. It wasn't just that she was inexperienced, but rather she was inexperienced, dangerous, and all too capable of letting her powers run wild in ways that would actively harm others. ..You see just how Not Over™ Pink basically all of the Gems still are. Pink's legacy is one of the lasting, seemingly unending sadness that the other Gems are attempting to work through. The majority of them don't feel much ill will toward her, but she's still hurting them in ways that only the dead and dearly missed can. There are Gems like Spinel who have all the reasons in the galaxy to hate Pink, but that's not really where any of the people in the series are coming from. Rather, everyone's in different stages of mourning and not a single one of them can really be sure if and when the pain they're dealing with is going to go away." The introduction of Shep, a

character who appears in the episode "Little Graduation" and is played by non-binary actor Indya Moore, received attention from various outlets. ''The Mary Sue'' stated that with ''Future'', ''Steven Universe'' "continues to be one of the most wonderfully diverse shows on television. We got to see in 'Little Graduation' a new human character named Shep—who is non-binary and voiced by a non-binary voice actor, '' Poses Indya Moore—canonically queer couples, and one of them being a brown-skinned person!". ''/Film'' stated about the episode "Little Graduation": "what a fine way to wrap up 2019 by pushing the bar for queer representation through the introduction of the loveably chill Shep ..They pop as the sort of character who has earned a Fan Favorite Title. Despite knowing the titular character for an hour, Shep participates in the proceedings by cooling down Steven." 100% of 7 critic reviews compiled by review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

are positive, and the average rating is 10/10.

Awards and nominations

Future

While Rebecca Sugar has confirmed that this is the series finale of the franchise and that there is no continuation in development, nor any ongoing projects, she has hinted that possible future stories exist. "The story is continuing off screen and I do know what happens next...But I would have to decide how and when I'd want to dig into that, or if it's best to give them their privacy." Sugar later told ''

Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is an American business magazine published monthly in print and online, focusing on technology, business, and design. It releases six print issues annually. History ''Fast Company'' was founded in November 1995 by Alan Webb ...

'': "I'm certainly interested in spending more time in this world with these characters. But the thing about ''Steven Universe'', it's about Steven Universe and I want to give him the time to heal", ugar says."I want to give that to my team as well. So I'm not really sure for certain what's going to happen in the future. I have a few ideas, but I'm going to take a little time to reevaluate everything before I jump into them." When asked by

TVLine ''TVLine'' is a website devoted to information, news, and spoilers of television programs. It covers various topics including the latest news on television, reviews, latest releases, and more. History In late 2010, ''Entertainment Weekly''s ...

, Sugar responded similarly, "I love these characters and this world, and I have theories about the timelines that follow ''Future''. But I want to give the characters some time and some privacy, at least for a while. I need a little of that too." In November 2023, Sugar reiterated her desire for a potential revival, suggesting that the show would come back if the public demand is high, adding, "I love these characters and I love this world, and I would love to return to it. And I hope, if everyone else feels the same as I do, I may have an opportunity to do something like that."

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2010s American animated comedy television series 2010s American children's comedy television series 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2010s American comic science fiction television series 2010s American LGBTQ-related animated television series 2010s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series 2010s American LGBTQ-related drama television series 2019 American animated television series debuts 2020 American television series endings 2020s American animated television series 2020s American children's television series 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American comic science fiction television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related animated television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related comedy television series 2020s American LGBTQ-related drama television series American anime-influenced animated television series American children's animated action television series American children's animated comic science fiction television series American children's animated drama television series American children's animated musical television series American children's animated science fantasy television series American children's animated space adventure television series American sequel television series Television series by Cartoon Network Studios Coming-of-age television shows American English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows Fiction about post-traumatic stress disorder American teen animated television series Television series about alien visitations Television series about ancient astronauts LGBTQ speculative fiction television series Television about mental health Psychological television series Animated television series about extraterrestrial life