It's been just over seven months since Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- concluded, and while there has been plenty of speculation regarding a third season for the critically acclaimed anime, nothing official has been announced yet. Most people who have been involved in the production of the beloved anime series have acknowledged a desire to continue with a third season, but scheduling conflicts, production complexity and workload, and production costs have been attributed to the delayed Season 3 announcement.
As it turns out, there may be a completely different reason that Solo Leveling Season 3 has not yet been announced. The studio may be working on a Solo Leveling movie instead.
The latest speculation comes courtesy of Kiwoom Securities, a major South Korean financial services company, which posted a financial forecast and fiscal breakdown of DNC Media, the company that publishes Solo Leveling in South Korea. In the report, it's noted that the next Solo Leveling project will be produced as a movie, with the company citing the success of large-scale animation projects such as Demon Slayer.
"Season 2 of the Solo Leveling anime, produced by a Japanese production committee, aired on October 10 to greater success than season 1," the report reads. "Currently, [Solo Leveling's] next project will be produced as a movie rather than a seasonal TV production. Large-scale animation projects such as Demon Slayer are also produced as movies... Given the success of the [Demon Slayer] movie, it is expected that the [Solo Leveling] will have exponential box office success."
The rumored movie is believed to be scheduled for release in the second half of 2026; however, production has not yet begun, making this 2026 release window highly unlikely. It should also be noted that this doesn't serve as confirmation that a Solo Leveling movie is even in the works, especially since DNC Media has not made any formal announcement regarding the anime series.
Rumors of a Solo Leveling come on the heels of multiple successful anime movie releases. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Infinity Castle Arc has earned $670 million at the worldwide box office, with analysts predicting the film could approach or even surpass $1 billion globally. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has also proven to be incredibly successful with a worldwide box office total of approximately $139 million.
Looking at the box office success of these two films, it's easy to understand the allure of going the movie route for Solo Leveling rather than releasing a third season right away. Solo Leveling became the most-watched anime of all time on Crunchyroll within two seasons, surpassing long-standing powerhouses like Demon Slayer and One Piece. Given its massive international appeal, especially among Western audiences, it's not hard to imagine a movie performing incredibly well at the box office.
Do you want to see a Solo Leveling movie or would you prefer a full third season?