Stranger Things Star Claims They Aren't Returning for Season 5

Eduardo Franco's Argyle became a fan-favorite character in Season 4 of Stranger Things, though Franco himself claims he won't be returning for the series' fifth and final season. Season 4 of the series saw our heroes divided across the country, with Argyle being introduced as a new friend of Jonathan Byers after his family moved to California. One of Argyle's biggest contributions to the narrative was that he had a van to deliver pizzas, which resulted in Argyle being drawn into the explosive events of Season 4 by offering transport to Jonathan and his friends. Season 5 of Stranger Things heads into production this month.

While speaking with the Steve Varley Show about not appearing in a cast photo of a table read shared earlier this month, Franco confessed, "I appreciate that. It's nice to hear that there's some sort of concern, you know what I mean? But yeah, I never got a phone call, so yeah, I think that's it."

This news is sure to disappoint fans of the character, but what we know about the final season of the series will likely justify a lack of Argyle. With Argyle having his own life in California, he was involved in the Season 4 finale by transporting his friend back to Hawkins, Indiana, though most likely he then returned to his home state. Only a few months had passed between Season 3 and Season 4 of the series, but the upcoming final season is expected to feature a more significant time jump, making it even more unlikely that Argyle would stay in Hawkins for an extended period of time, just because his friend Jonathan moved there.

Despite the talent and charm that Franco brought to the series, his character's actual involvement in the Season 4 storyline somewhat resembled the debut of Maya Hawke's Robin. While Robin returned for Season 4, fully integrating into the dynamic of our heroes, she was a resident of Hawkins and had a much more organic, long-term connection with Steve Harrington. 

Even if fans are disappointed to miss Argyle, this confirmation would also echo comments that series creators Matt and Ross Duffer have made about the final season, which often imply a return to the core dynamic of the debut season.

"This season – it's like Season 1 on steroids," Matt Duffer detailed to The Guardian of the final season. "It's the biggest it's ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone's back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in Season 1. And, yes, there may be spinoffs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here."  

Stay tuned for updates on the final season of Stranger Things.

Are you disappointed that Argyle won't be in the final season? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!