Fan-Favorite ‘Stranger Things’ Character Not Returning for Season 5

The Stranger Things kids will have one less person at their side during their final showdown with Vecna. Eduardo Franco, who portrayed Argyle, the Purple Palm Tree Delight-smoking best friend of Jonathan Byers and Surfer Boy Pizza deliveryman, revealed during a recent podcast appearance that he isn’t returning for Stranger Things Season 5.

Concern over Franco’s Season 5 fate began back on Jan. 8 when the official Stranger Things Instagram account shared a black-and-white photo to mark the start of production on the final season. Notably missing among a group that included Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, and more was Franco. Podcast host Steve Varley asked about the actor’s absence during Franco’s recent appearance on the show, with the actor confirming that he will not be featured in Season 5.

“I appreciate that. It’s nice to hear that there’s some sort of concern, you know what I mean? But I never got a phone call, so yeah, I think that’s it,” Franco said. Netflix has not commented on Franco’s remarks or Argyle’s fate in the final season.

Argyle was a standout character in Season 4, quickly becoming a fan-favorite. Introduced following the Byers’ move from Hawkins, Indiana to Lenora Hills, California, Argyle worked at Surfer Boy Pizza and became Jonathan’s (Charlie Heaton) best friend. He had an instrumental role in getting Jonathan, Will (Schnapp),Mike (Wolfhard), and El (Brown) back to Hawkins, driving the getaway car (aka his Surfer Boy Pizza delivery van) following a deadly shootout at the Byers’ house. At the end of the season, Argyle was among the group of characters in Jim Hopper’s (David Harbour) cabin, the character seen walking through the forest in search of edible mushrooms.

While Franco will not be returning for the final chapter of the hit sci-fi show, plenty of other actors are poised to return. The cast photo seemed to confirm that Heaton, Priah Ferguson (Erica), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Maya Hawke (Robin), Joe Keery (Steve), David Harbour (Hopper), Winona Ryder (Joyce), and Brett Gelman (Murray) will also be back. Also featured in the photo were Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Cara Buono (Nancy Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), and newcomer to the cast, Terminator star Linda Hamilton. Stranger Things Season 5, the final season, does not have a premiere date.