Though there were plans to bring Jenna Ortega’s character Ellie back for You season 4, the actor was unable to reprise her role due to Wednesday.
According to You showrunner Sera Gamble, Jenna Ortega couldn’t return for season 4 because of another show. Although she’s been acting for over a decade, Ortega’s fame has risen significantly in the past few years due to her performances in horror films like Ti West’s X and 2022’s Scream. It was her performance as the titular Addams family member on Wednesday that skyrocketed the actor to a new level of celebrity, as she’s become the face of one of the most popular shows in Netflix’s history. But it might have been her portrayal of Ellie Alves in You season 2 that provided a somewhat early glimmer of talents that Ortega would bring to future projects.
Speaking with IndieWire to promote You season 4, which is currently streaming on Netflix, Gamble mentioned that there were plans to bring Ellie back for the fourth installment. Those plans were disrupted because Ortega was busy working on Wednesday. In the quote below, Gamble mentions that there are ideas for Ellie to show up again:
“We wanted to bring Ellie back and we heard, ‘Oh, Jenna is doing some show,’ It’s been just such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again.”
Why Jenna Ortega’s Ellie Needs To Return In You Season 5
Any chance for Ortega to return in You season 5 would work both in terms of story and as a promotional move for Netflix. Gamble and the cast have mentioned before that they’d like to have Ellie return, and the request has likely been magnified by Wednesday’s enormous success. There are interesting ways to depict the character’s comeback, such as leaning into the fact that it’s been several years since she’s crossed paths with Penn Badgley’s Joe Goldberg in You. She could be a different person than Joe remembers, although not too different from how Ortega has become a queen of horror since her stint on You.
Ellie’s presence makes sense as more than just a buzzy cameo, though. She had a great relationship with Joe that resembles good sibling energy — right up until the point where he inadvertently, though carelessly, becomes responsible for her sister’s death. The last update about Ellie is that Joe occasionally sends her money and is passingly mentioned in the You season 4 premiere. Furthermore, she has changed by the awful circumstances that Joe more or less caused, although Joe does not go into the specifics.
Whether or not Ellie is the one that leads to the end of Joe Goldberg, the possibility is likely that she could show up for an episode or two before the series conclusion. That’s particularly true if, as Badgley mentions, You might end soon on Netfllix. It could be just the time to tie up loose ends and incorporate a familiar face into the story.
Source: IndieWire
