Netflix on Tuesday morning unveiled the series regular and guest cast for the upcoming second season of its hit Addams Family spinoff series Wednesday, headlined by Jenna Ortega.
As the announcement suggests — and Deadline has confirmed with sources — three Season 1 series regulars whose characters were alive and well in the finale — Percy Hynes White, Jamie McShane and Naomi J Ogawa — will not be returning in that capacity next season.
Of the three, only McShane is slated to reprise his Sheriff Donovan Galpin role as a guest star, likely to wrap the story of his character who was left devastated in the Season 1 finale by the discovery that his son Tyler (Hunter Doohan) was the Hyde after the sheriff shot and temporarily incapacitated the monster.
In the final minutes of the episode, Tyler was arrested but tried to escape by changing into a Hyde. His storyline will carry on as Doohan is set to continue as a series regular next season.
There has been a lot of fan speculation about the Scheriff Galpin character, with some suggesting he may be killed off in Season 2.
Galpin’s duties may be taken over by his deputy, Ritchie Santiago; Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo who portrays her, is being promoted to series regular next season.
White played psychic Nevermore student Xavier Thorpe, one of the two main male leads and a romantic interest for Wednesday (Ortega) who saved his life in the season finale.
Ortega, who is becoming a producer for Season 2, has indicated that the show would have stronger emphasis on horror over teen romance next season. Still, Xavier was a major presence in Season 1, and the finale positioned him to continue.
Rumors started circulating last fall that White’s character may be written off, though sources told Deadline at the time that his option had been extended along with the rest of the main cast.
White last June issued a statement, hitting back at since-deleted anonymous January 2023 social media posts that accused him of sexual assault. In his message to fans, White vehemently denied any allegations, calling them “misinformation.”
As for Ogawa, her vampire student character Yoko Tanaka, member of the secret Nightshade Society, spent Season 1 largely in the background, with diminishing screen time as the season went on and no major storyline. As a result, it didn’t make sense for Ogawa to return, and she is moving on, I hear.
Season 2’s cast includes returning series regulars Ortega as Wednesday, Emma Myers (Enid), Joy Sunday (Bianca), Doohan (Tyler), Victor Dorobantu (Thing), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene) and Georgie Farmer (Ajax); new series regulars Steve Buscemi as Barry Dort, Billie Piper as Capri, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor, who are joining the show; as well as Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams) and Lewis-Nyawo, who have been promoted from recurring/guest stars.
Season 2 guest stars also include Joanna Lumley as Grandmama, Thandiwe Newton as Dr. Fairburn, Frances O’Connor, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo and Joonas Suotamo. Fred Armisen is reprising his role as Uncle Fester, with Christopher Lloyd who played Fester in the movies, also guest starring.
Production has started in Ireland for a 2025 premiere. Here is the first Season 2 teaser, which also reveals that Episode 201 is titled “Here We Woe Again” and that it is written by Wednesday creators/executive producers Miles Millar and Al Gough and directed by series director/exec producer Tim Burton.
“More torture awaits,” Wednesday promises.
