Stranger Things star Eduardo Franco, who played Argyle in Season 4 of the hit Netflix show, has revealed he isn’t returning for the final chapter.Fans of the Duffer Brothers’ series grew concerned after noticing that Franco was absent from the Stranger Things cast photo that marked the beginning of production on the show’s fifth and final season. The actor has since confirmed that he isn’t reprising his role because he didn’t get called up for the upcoming episodes.”It’s nice to hear that there’s some concern, you know what I mean?” Franco said when asked about his absence during a recent appearance on the Steve Varley Show. “But yeah, I never got a phone call, so yeah, I think that’s it. You feel me?”Franco’s character became an instant fan-favourite when he rocked up in his Surfer Boy pizza van in Season 4 of Stranger Things, joining his buddy Jonathan Byers for some far-out adventures. He provided a bit of comedic relief for audiences while also assisting the core group in their fight against the new big bad, Vecna.Season 4 Part 2 of Stranger Things left viewers with a few burning questions heading into the final season, but not much is known about the plot yet. The creators have already shut down one prevailing fan theory for the concluding chapter after the first lines of Season 5’s script set tongues wagging among fans.The first episode of the final installment will be called “Chapter One: The Crawl,” and it will release on Netflix alongside all (or at least most) of the other episodes on the same day. It’s also pegged to be a shorter season than the last, with a “Return of the King-ish” ending that David Harbour has warned is “very, very moving.”Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
