Stranger Things season five is in production – but one cast member won’t be required to show up on the Netflix show’s set.
Details of the forthcoming batch of episodes, which will be the Netflix series’s last, are slowly trickling in after it was confirmed the show was in the filming stages after a lengthy delay.
Joining the main cast members this time around will be Terminator actor Linda Hamilton, who was featured in a cast photo taken on the first day of production alongside original stars including Finn Wolfhard, David Harbour, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery and Millie Bobby Brown, who made headlines after calling out the show’s creators in July 2022.
While the majority of the show’s cast are all returning for the final adventure, one supporting star has officially ruled themselves out of appearing: Eduardo Franco, who appeared in season four as Argyle.
Pizza delivery boy Argyle was introduced as the best friend of Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) after the Byers family, led by Winona Ryder’s Joyce, relocate from Hawkins, Indiana to sunny California.
Alongside Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson, Argyle rapidly became a favourite among fans and, due to making it out of the season alive, it was expected he would show up again in some capacity.
However, following the release of a photo from the first day of filming season five, viewers of the series noticed Franco was not among the pictured cast.
As highlighted by What’s on Netflix, YouTube host Steve Varley asked Franco about this on his show, saying: “Before I let you go, I just want to ask real quick, because it’s on everyone’s mind. You don’t have to answer this, but fans kind of went to a panic with the cast photo of day one of Stranger Things season five.
He continued: “Now they’re thinking you’re not in the season. Can you give us hopes that you are? And can you say anything if not? “
Franco replied: “It’s nice to hear that there’s some sort of, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I’ve never, I never got a phone call. So yeah, I think that’s it.”
Eduardo Franco won’t be returning as Argyle in ‘Stranger Things’ season five— (Netflix)
While the series creators, sibling duo Matt and Ross Duffer, announced in early 2022 that the show would conclude with a fifth season, production was halted for approximately seven months due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023.
The final season of Stranger Things is expected to land on Netflix in 2024.
