Ryan Murphy said Season 13 of American Horror Story will be a massive franchise crossover rather than a Coven-focused story.
This shift represents a departure from the series' traditional anthology format. By uniting characters from various eras, the production aims to create a cohesive narrative climax for the entire franchise universe.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of his series "The Shards," which debuted Aug. 5, 2024 [1], Murphy addressed long-standing fan theories. He said that while some believed the new season would return to the Coven storyline, that theory is wrong.
"Season 13 isn’t a Coven story – it’s about defeating the ultimate evil and bringing together characters from across the entire AHS universe," Murphy said [3]. He said the team is basically making the Avengers of American Horror Story [2].
The crossover will rely heavily on the series' history of multi-role casting. According to reports, Jessica Lange will appear in four different roles [4]. Evan Peters is expected to take on five different roles [5], while Sarah Paulson will appear in six to seven roles [4].
Despite these confirmations, some contradictions remain regarding the visual direction of the season. While Murphy emphasized the broader crossover, some reports citing set photos suggest the presence of witches and a Coven [MSN/Variety]. Murphy said that the scope is larger than a single theme, focusing instead on a collective effort to stop a primary antagonist.
Season 13 was slated to return in September 2024 [2].
“"We’re basically making the Avengers of American Horror Story – a massive crossover of past eras and characters."”
The transition toward a 'shared universe' model suggests that American Horror Story is moving away from standalone seasonal narratives toward a serialized mythology. By leveraging the versatility of its core cast to play multiple roles, Murphy is attempting to resolve disparate plot lines from previous seasons into a single, high-stakes finale.
