In a surprising turn for fans, Eduardo Franco will not be part of the upcoming final season of Stranger Things. The official Stranger Things Instagram page recently announced the start of production for season five, sharing a photo of the cast, but Franco was notably absent.
The caption of the post read, “THIS IS A CODE RED. STRANGER THINGS 5 production has officially begun!!!” While the photo included stars like Millie Bobby Brown, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, and David Harbour, fans quickly noticed Franco’s absence.
Franco, who joined the cast in season four as Jonathan Byer’s best friend, Argyle, quickly won over fans with his portrayal of the humorous pizza delivery guy. Despite his popularity, it appears he won’t be reprising his role in the final season.
On the Steve Varley Show, Varley pointed out that fans were alarmed not to see Franco in the recent cast photo. Addressing the speculation, Varley asked Franco, “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… 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 responded, acknowledging the concern from fans: “It’s nice to hear that there’s, there’s some sort of, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I never a got a phone call, so I think that’s it.” Varley expressed hope for Franco’s return as Argyle, but Franco himself seemed less optimistic.
This news has led to disappointment among the show’s followers. One fan expressed surprise: “Wow that’s actually shocking if he’s not in the Stranger Things last season.” Another fan shared their frustration: “I’m p*ssed.”
Concerns were also raised about Argyle’s character arc, with one viewer commenting, “What are the duffers going to do? Argyle just disappears? They send him back to Cali but he knows about everything thats happening? Give him a propper ending man, Argyle deserves that.” Another fan suggested that the Stranger Things writers should “at least get him in an episode or two to actually write him off properly.”
