Is Olivia Rodrigo leaving HSMTMTS?

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 is finally back! The Wildcats are here and they’re ready for some summer-filled fun.

High School Musical alum Corbin Bleu, who played Chad Danforth in the Disney Channel Original movies, is appearing this season at Camp Shallow Lake, a sleepaway camp in California where some of the teens will spend their summer. Romance, curfew-less nights, and a taste of the outdoors is all in store for them. And of course, a high-stakes production of Frozen!

Sometimes when there’s new additions to the cast, that also comes with some who decide to exit. Is that the case with Olivia Rodrigo?

Is Olivia Rodrigo leaving HSMTMTS?

Rodrigo has had a sudden, massively successful music career and now she’s focusing her energy on that. But it doesn’t mean she’s leaving HSMTMTS for good! In fact if you’ve already seen the season 3 premiere episode, her character Nini is there.

Though in the third season, she’s stepped down from being a series regular and now is in a recurring role to accommodate with her busy schedule as she was touring for her album, Sour. Even so, that does mean the talent is still there in some capacity!

What about going forward? Series creator and showrunner Tim Federle told Entertainment Tonight that season 3 is about trying to give the Nini character “a proper sendoff,” hinting that Rodrigo may not reprise her role in the already confirmed season 4.

However in a more recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the creator said he’d always be open to having Rodrigo back no matter what. So it’s not 100% clear right now, but it seems like the actress and singer’s role may be coming to an end come the last episode of season 3. But Federle won’t permanently close the door on the character if Rodrigo is up to return.

What do you think about Rodrigo leaving? Will you miss having her on the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

New episodes of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3 drop Wednesdays on Disney+.