Justin Hartley's 'This Is Us' Season 3 Idea Is Genius & Honestly, Pretty Likely

A majority of Season 2 of This Is Us centered around fans finally figuring out how Jack Pearson died. But just when it seemed like the show's biggest mystery was coming to a close, another piece of the puzzle presented itself. A future timeline was introduced, showcasing a much older Randall and Tess. So far, they are the only members of the Pearson family to be shown in these future scenes, however, Justin Hartley wants an older Kevin flash-forward on This Is Us to happen at some point down the line, and his reasoning for it is pretty perfect.

"I think that would be cool just to see where he ends up," Hartley revealed during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Like does he have kids? Is he doing well? Is he divorced? Who’s he with? Is he even alive?" It wasn't until a little later, though, that his real motivation for wanting to see Kevin as an old man became clear.

Hartley added, "Personally, as an actor, I’d like to see a 60-year old Kevin, because that means I make it to like season 4 or 5." You can't really argue with sound logic like that, now can you?

It would be interesting to see what an older version of Kevin would be like. On the surface level, he started out as seeming like a typical narcissistic TV star, but This Is Us Season 2 allowed Hartley to really stretch his acting chops and give this character some real depth. Viewers were finally able to see what makes Kevin tick — and what ultimately drives his addiction. The back part of the season saw him making great strides on the road to recovery, but considering how much this series loves to dabble in emotional terrorism, his problems are most likely far from over.

So yeah, it'd be nice to see an older version of Kevin pop up in the future timeline, if for no other reason than to assure fans that "Number One" is still around. The good news is that the possibility of that happening is higher than ever going into Season 3. During an interview with Bustle back in February, Sterling K. Brown teased even more flash-forward scenes would get explored in the upcoming season. "Going into Season 3, it'll be something that we explore a bit more," Brown stated. But when prompted about whether or not an older Kate or older Kevin would be in the cards, he could only coyly respond with a "Maybe." Sounds promising.

Until that time comes, though, there's still a lot of other storylines to unravel, including Kevin's journey to Vietnam, which fans saw him start to embark on in final few moments of the Season 2 finale. Will learning about his dad's past allow him to have a happier future? Only time will tell, but Hartley hopes that his character's ongoing growth will help viewers continue to see the real Kevin that he himself has come to really know and love.

"I think one of the biggest misconceptions [about Kevin] is that he can handle things on his own and he’s not vulnerable," Hartley shared during the same THR interview. "I think out of everyone you see on that show, he feels the most. I think he’s the most emotional. He’s scared. He’s the bravest. People sell him short."

That may have been true in the past, but thanks to Hartley and the talented This Is Us writers, Kevin is finally getting the recognition he so rightfully deserves. Let's just hope it continues on for multiple timelines.