Confirmed: ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Wednesday’ and Others “Not Returning” to Netflix

in Entertainment

Stranger Things Eleven in front of the Netflix logo for Wednesday.

Credit: Edited by Inside the Magic

The SAG-AFTRA strike set a lot of productions back in terms of progress and release dates, and now, it is confirmed that multiple Netflix series will not return in 2024.

Netflix log in screen
Credit: Netflix

When Netflix dropped their 2024 sizzle reel, we saw multiple shows highlighted, with Squid Game season 2 acting as the shining star for the year. Squid Game is the most-watched Netflix series of all time, so this second season has been highly awaited by fans. After Squid Game, the most popular shows on Netflix are Wednesday and Stranger Things, which are the two English-speaking shows on the top three list.

While many have been awaiting Squid Game to drop its next season, other shows were also expected to drop in 2024, like Stranger Things season 5 and Wednesday season 2. When we saw the series absent from the promotional video, we assumed that both Stranger Things and Wednesday were impacted by the strike and were going to be held off an extra year or longer.

Now, Deadline has confirmed this delay.

Netflix’s 2024 Delay

The publication began, “Netflix has unveiled the slate of TV series set to release new seasons in 2024, and some of the streamer’s biggest series are not on the list, delayed by the writers and actors strikes.”

It continued, “Stranger Things‘ fifth and final season, which just started production earlier this month, will not debut until 2025, making for a three-year gap between both Seasons 3 and 4 (due to the pandemic) and Seasons 4 and 5. Given the extensive VFX work involved in the series, which was originally slated to start filming Season 5 in May, the delay is not surprising.

Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair
Credit: Netflix

Ditto for the series that dethroned Stranger Things as Netflix’s most popular series, Wednesday, which is not scheduled to begin production on Season 2 until late April in a new location, Ireland.”

As we know, Stranger Things has just begun filming again, and Wednesday has yet to return, so a 2024 release seemed near impossible, even without this new confirmation from Deadline.

While 2025 has not been a confirmed release date for either series, it does seem to be the likely timing. It will be interesting to see how Netflix will choose to debut the series, as they are both the top competitors when it comes to popularity. If we look at the 2024 schedule, there is one major show, Squid Game, releasing this year. That is not to say the other productions are not successful, but when it comes to numbers, these are the shows that broke records for the streaming platform.

Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) in a trance in 'Stranger Things' Season 4
Credit: Netflix

If both shows do debut in 2025, it would likely be a staggered release — not only to keep subscribers engaged, but due to the fact that both shows deal with similar horror-themed concepts with a young cast — with one show debuting in the first half of 2025 and the other on the second. Based on filming schedules and Stranger Things already on set, it would make sense that that show would complete itself first.

Wednesday Season 2 Update: What to Know

Netflix’s Wednesday features Jenna Ortega in the titular role of Wednesday Addams, the 16-year-old daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Morticia Addams, Wednesday’s elegant and mysterious mother. Luis Guzmán plays Gomez Addams, Wednesday’s loving and quirky father.

Joining the Addams family crew in season 1 was Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott, a forensic psychiatrist who becomes involved in the Addams family’s mysterious world, and Gwendoline Christie as Larissa Weems, the principal of Nevermore Academy, where Wednesday attends school.

Jenna Ortega smiling as Wednesday Addams
Credit: Netflix

Percy Hynes White, who portrayed Xavier Thorpe in the first season of Wednesday, has been recently revealed to be exiting the show.

His departure came as a surprise to fans, especially considering the setup in season 1, which hinted at a potential long-term romantic interest between Wednesday and Xavier. Their on-screen chemistry was evident, culminating in the characters exchanging phone numbers by the end of the season. However, Percy has faced allegations that currently lack substantiated evidence.

Jenna Ortega herself has had her career skyrocket, and now, is considered a sort of scream queen with the amount of horror flicks under her belt at such a young age. Although she began her career on the Disney Channel with Stuck in the Middle she then entered the realm of “creepy” with the Netflix series You, since then she has starred in various horror films and is even a titular character in the Scream franchise, having starred in Scream 5 and Scream 6. She will also be starring as Lydia Deetz’s daughter in Beetlejuice 2, another Tim Burton film.

Jenna Ortega glowering in Wednesday
Credit: Netflix

Now, Ortega will be a producer on the show. She has mentioned that season 2 will have a much darker tone and will also have each episode feel like a movie, being as memorable and epic as the last. There will be more additions to the cast from the original The Addams Family story, which is very exciting for fans.

Essential Stranger Things 5 Update

Right now, Stranger Things 5 is already in production, which is very exciting news for fans.

Stranger Things boasts a talented ensemble cast that has stunned Netflix subscribers for years. Leading the pack is Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, the earnest and determined friend at the heart of the series. Millie Bobby Brown delivers award-winning performances as Eleven, a mysterious girl with telekinetic abilities. Gaten Matarazzo brings charm and wit to the role of Dustin Henderson, while Noah Schnapp portrays the vulnerable Will Byers, whose disappearance into the Upside Down sets the events of the series in motion. Caleb McLaughlin shines as Lucas Sinclair, providing both humor and depth to his character’s journey.

The cast of Stranger Things in a mall
Credit: Netflix

The adult cast members also leave a lasting impression, with David Harbour delivering a compelling performance as Jim Hopper, the gruff but lovable police chief of Hawkins. Winona Ryder brings emotional depth to the role of Joyce Byers, a determined mother searching for her missing son at the start of the series, and now a lethal fighter against the unknown. Charlie Heaton portrays Jonathan Byers, the sensitive older brother, and Natalia Dyer captivates as Nancy Wheeler, a character who evolves from a typical teenager to a courageous investigator.

Other standout performances include Joe Keery as the charming and unexpected hero Steve Harrington, and Sadie Sink as the confident newcomer Max Mayfield. Maya Hawke adds a fresh dynamic to the ensemble as Robin Buckley, a smart and resourceful addition to the group. And of course, we have to be eerie of Vecna.

Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) with surprised expression at school
Credit: Netflix

Right now, we do not know too much on season 5’s plot. We know that Linda Hamilton from Terminator is going to play Eleven in a time jump, and that the series as a whole will have a time jump from season 4 due to the actors having aged dramatically. David Harbour has been teasing that the next season is so good, that he even told fans to petition it if they don’t like it, with the confidence that no one will do such a thing. 

“I don’t know if it’s gonna be going 100 miles per hour at the start of five, but it’s gonna be moving pretty fast,” Matt Duffer said, according to Business Insider. “Characters are already gonna be in action, they’re already gonna have a goal and drive, and I think that’s gonna carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different.

The cast of Stranger Things
Credit: Netflix

Ross Duffer said, however, that they’re likely to have another “two-and-a-half-hour episode” for the series finale in order to avoid a television phenomenon in which the series’ final episode falls after the climax and serves as a “wind down.”

We did see the first page of the first episode on X, which shows that in a dark space, a “familiar” song will return, hinting at “Should I Stay or Should I Go” which would be a call back to Will Byers in season 1.

Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer did dispel a popular fan theory regarding the conclusion of their hit Netflix series. During an interview on the red carpet for the premiere of the new Stranger Things play in London, the duo addressed speculation that the series might conclude with a revelation that all the events in the Upside Down were merely a dream.

Millie Bobby Brown and FInn Wolfhard in Stranger Things
Credit: Netflix

One prevailing fan theory suggests that the entirety of the show’s narrative could be interpreted as an elaborate Dungeons and Dragons game played by the main characters. However, when asked about this theory, Matt Duffer swiftly dismissed it, stating, “No,” with clarity and finality.

Outside of the actors and creators all being excited, and telling fans that they are going to love the show, this series finale has been kept under wraps.

Overall, we will have to wait to see what information comes about in terms of the release date for season 2 of Wednesday and season 5 of Stranger Things.

Which of these two shows are you most excited to see return to Netflix? 

 

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