The first full American Horror Story Season 13 trailer is here, and FX is bringing several of the show’s most familiar characters back. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, and Emma Roberts all appear before the September 24 premiere.
The trailer reaches across multiple seasons instead of introducing a completely new cast. Constance Langdon, Cordelia Goode, Madison Montgomery, Marie Laveau, Rubber Man, Twisty, and Kai Anderson are among the returning names and images.
Who is returning in American Horror Story Season 13?
Jessica Lange returns as Constance Langdon, the character she played in Murder House and Apocalypse. Sarah Paulson is back as Cordelia Goode, while Emma Roberts returns as Madison Montgomery and Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau. Those three characters connect Season 13 directly to the witches introduced in Coven.
Evan Peters and Kathy Bates are also back, joined by Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, and Joey Pollari. Peters has played several roles across the anthology, and the trailer specifically brings Kai Anderson from Cult into the mix.
American Horror Story regularly reuses actors in new roles. This trailer goes further by naming old characters, so viewers are getting Cordelia, Madison, Marie, Constance, and Kai again rather than only seeing the performers return as someone new.
Is Season 13 a Coven sequel?
FX has not described Season 13 as a direct Coven sequel. The trailer is heavily built around Cordelia, Madison, Marie, and the witches, however, and Apocalypse already showed that American Horror Story is willing to continue their story across different installments.
Constance, Rubber Man, Twisty, and Kai come from other corners of the series. Their presence suggests the season is connecting several old stories rather than returning only to Miss Robichaux’s Academy. FX has not released a full plot synopsis explaining how they meet.
Why are fans split?
The returning cast is exactly what many longtime viewers wanted. Lange has not held a regular American Horror Story role since Freak Show, and seeing her with Paulson, Peters, Bassett, Bates, and Roberts gives Season 13 the feel of a reunion.
Other fans are worried the season is leaning too hard on Coven and old villains. American Horror Story built its reputation by starting over with a new setting and new roles, so a trailer filled with familiar characters can look exciting or overly dependent on nostalgia. Both reactions make sense until FX explains the story.
When does AHS Season 13 premiere?
American Horror Story Season 13 premieres Thursday, September 24, on FX with three episodes. Episodes will also stream on Hulu. The trailer confirms the cast and returning characters, but the connection between them is still the part FX is keeping hidden.
