'Steven Universe' season 3 spoilers, plot news: 'Summer of Steven' begins this month; creator talks LGBT representation

Following the last episode of what its creators refer to as a "Steven Bomb," "Steven Universe" will return to Cartoon Network with weekly episodes this month.

Beginning late May this year, Cartoon Network dished out a series of "Steven Universe" episodes in a limited event dubbed "In Too Deep." This short six-episode run will reportedly be followed later this month by the third season of "Steven Universe," which will air from June to August and has been dubbed the "Summer of Steven."

According to Entertainment Weekly, which broke the news in March, Steven and the Crystal Gems are coming back to Cartoon Network not only for the next season, but for the foreseeable future, as the network has announced that the popular animated series has been renewed for seasons 4 and 5.

Unlike the recently concluded "In Too Deep" limited run, which consisted of multiple episodes being dropped in a single week, "Summer of Steven" appears to consist of episodes airing on a weekly basis.

"Steven Universe," which was created by former "Adventure Time" animator Rebecca Sugar, follows the life of Steven, a boy who was raised by three humanoid aliens — Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl. Since its debut in 2013, the series has built a strong fanbase through its catchy original songs, character-driven storytelling, and whimsical comedic atmosphere.

But apart from its light-hearted charm and slice-of-life stories, the series has also provided viewers who are not well-represented in mainstream media a place for reflection. In a recent episode of "Steven Universe," two female characters, Ruby and Sapphire, appeared to have been flirting.

Speaking to the School of Visual Art's Society of Illustrators, Sugar spoke about LGBT representation in "Steven Universe," and in television in general.

"You can't wait until kids have grown up to let them know that queer people exist," she said, as quoted by Movie Pilot. "There's this idea that that is something that should only be discussed with adults — that is completely wrong. If you wait to tell queer youth that it matters how they feel or that they are even a person, then it's going to be too late!"

When it returns sometime this month, "Steven Universe" will join fellow already-renewed animated series "Adventure Time," "Uncle Grandpa," "The Amazing World of Gumball," and "Regular Show" on Cartoon Network.