Earlier this week, Netflix announced that production on Stranger Things Season 5 had begun. The announcement was accompanied by a behind-the-scenes still featuring the returning cast.
However, some fans were quick to notice that actor Eduardo Franco, who played Argyle in Season 4, was absent from the photo. Although no official casting details have been announced, the actor confirmed that he will not be reprising his role in the fifth and final season of the hit series.
Franco appeared on the Steve Varley Show, confirming that he had never received a call about returning to the series.
"It's nice to hear that there's some concern, you know what I mean?" Franco said on The Steve Varley Show on Thursday. "But yeah, I never got a phone call, so yeah, I think that's it. You feel me?"
Argyle was a new addition to the already large main cast of characters in Stranger Things Season 4. The Surfer Boy Pizza delivery driver and Purple Palm Tree Delight-smoking best friend of Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Argyle quickly grew into a fan-favorite character. His laid-back and relaxed demeanor created a lovable and humorous on-screen presence.
Argyle played a pivotal role in helping Jonathan, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Will (Noah Schnapp) and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) escape a deadly shootout at their home in California and return to Hawkins. He also helped the group by creating a sensory deprivation tank for Eleven to use to fight Vecna.
Despite being a fan-favorite in Season 4 though, it seems that Argyle is no longer necessary for the events of the upcoming fifth season. It's unclear if Season 5 will address Argyle's absence, but with the Duffers confirming at least a small time jump between Season 4 and Season 5 — likely as a way to accommodate the main character actors aging between seasons — there are plenty of ways to explain why the character is no longer with the group. It could be something as simple as just him returning to California.
We don't know much about what Season 5 of Stranger Things will entail although the end of the fourth season confirmed that Vecna's plans were only temporarily thwarted by the group. With the dark forces of the Upside-down amassing, it seems we're about to witness a massive final battle.
With all of the loose ends that still need to be tied up between the core cast of characters, it makes sense that the Duffers would try to trim some of the side characters. Argyle played his part in Season 4 but he likely has little use in the main battle against Vecna. Still, it's a bit odd that the actor didn't even receive a phone call. That's Hollywood, I guess.