Stranger Things actor Eduardo Franco, who played the fan-favorite stoner Argyle in Season 4 of the hit Netflix series, has revealed he won't be returning for the fifth and final season. His confirmation comes after the streaming service had announced that production officially began on the fifth season.
Stranger Things fans grew concerned about the character's fate when they noticed that Franco was not featured in the cast photo that was shared alongside the production announcement earlier this week. Appearing on the Steve Varley Show, Franco confirmed he was not asked to return. In fact, he never even received a call about the fifth season.
"It's nice to hear that there's some concern, you know what I mean?" Franco revealed on the Steve Varley Show when he was asked about his absence from the cast photo. "But yeah, I never got a phone call, so yeah, I think that's it. You feel me?"
Franco made his Stranger Things debut in Season 4, playing the lovable stoner and best friend of Jonathan Byers. The Surfer Boy Pizza delivery boy and connoisseur of marijuana became an instant fan-favorite.
But Franco served as more than just comic relief for the season. His character played a pivotal role in the fourth season, providing relationship advice for Jonathan and assisting the group in their battle against Vecna. His most crucial moment came when Argyle thought of using a local Surfer Boy Pizza to help the group build a sensory deprivation tank for Eleven.
Alas, it seems that Argyle's time with the group has come to an end. It's unclear if Season 5 will address the character's departure from the series, although one would think it's an easy enough write-off — especially with rumors that the upcoming season could feature a time skip.
Season 4 left off with Eleven and her friends defeating the evil Vecna — who was ultimately revealed to be Henry Creel. But the victory was short-lived and not without sacrifice as Eddie was killed and Max left blind and in a coma. The season concluded with an ominous cliffhanger of Vecna and his forces of darkness regrouping and preparing for what looks to be another massive battle.
Stranger Things Season 5 doesn't yet have a premiere date, but with production only now just beginning, it seems that it probably won't be with us until late 2025 or early 2026. Although Season 5 will mark the conclusion to the current series which began back in 2016, there are numerous spin-offs in the works.