'Outlander' Season 4 Air Date, Spoilers: Is there a Future Without Sam Heughan or Caitriona Balfe?

With “Outlander” season 4 coming in November, fans are quite excited to resume the story of Jamie and Claire Fraser with Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe. Best known for the leading stars' almost magical chemistry on screen, fans have already worried in the past if the beloved period drama would be able to continue if either of its leading stars decided to leave the show.

While Caitriona Balfe has been somewhat low-key about work beyond “Outlander,” Sam Heughan has already taken projects outside of “Outlander” such as his recent spy-comedy flick “The Spy Who Dumped Me” with Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon. Heughan plays Sebastian Henshaw, the secretive British spy.

Fans have also expressed hope to see Sam Heughan take on the mantle of 007. Heughan himself has expressed interest in playing the British super spy. But if the Scottish actor does take the potentially more demanding roles as the beloved “007” title of the James Bond franchise, will he have any time left for the future of “Outlander?”

The importance of both Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe to the “Outlander” series cannot be understated. Diana Gabaldon, in a panel interview at PBS's “The Great American Read,” mentions that she has seen Sam Heughan as perfect for the role of Jamie Fraser since day one. In the same interview, Gabaldon mentions that fans have also been converted by the performance of both Heughan and Balfe that they have superseded the vision of the Frasers in fans' minds.

Jamie and Claire Fraser aren't getting any younger, with “Outlander's” third season already involving a massive time skip when Claire Fraser returns to the past to be with her one true love. If Sam Heughan does decide to take a break from “Outlander” to pursue more demanding projects, other cast members, specifically Sophie Skelton and Richard Rankin's Brianna Fraser and Roger Mackenzie, may have to pick up the slack of becoming fan favorites.

Brianna Fraser and Roger Mackenzie's romance, which was pretty pivotal in Gabaldon's book series, doesn't take as big a center stage in the “Outlander” series. This may also be the reason why the couple isn't as popular with fans. Yet things may potentially change in “Outlander” season 4 with how the MacKenzie may play a more important role considering that both Brianna and Roger Mackenzie have the ability to travel back in time as well.

“Outlander” season 4 will air its premiere episode in November.