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Franco played the beloved Arygle in season four of the hit sci-fi series.
By Christy Piña
Associate Editor
It looks like Stranger Things fans will have to say goodbye to yet another beloved character when season five finally hits Netflix.
During a recent podcast appearance, Eduardo Franco, who played Argyle in season four of the hit sci-fi series, may not be joining the gang in Hawkins, Indiana, for their final showdown with Vecna.
Stranger Things season five began production on Jan. 8, and the team announced the news with a black and white cast photo, which did not include Franco. Podcast host Steve Varley pointed out to the actor that fans of his character were in a frenzy when he was nowhere to be found and asked if he could share any update on Argyle’s involvement in the season.
“I appreciate that,” he told the host about fans being disappointed he wasn’t in the shot. “It’s nice to hear that there’s some sort of concern or something, you know what I mean. But I never got a phone call. So, I think that’s it.”
Argyle worked at Surfer Boy Pizza and befriended Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) when his family moved to California to protect Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). When military soldiers attack Jonathan’s house, Argyle rescues him, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp) and their protector Agent Harmon (Ira Amyx). Together, they make their way to the desert to find Eleven, who voluntarily went to a lab to regain her powers.
Once the boys find her, Argyle helps them create a sensory deprivation tank for Eleven to fight Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) from the other side of the country, while he continues to wreak havoc on Hawkins. At the end of the season, Arygle drives everyone out to the small Indiana town to help rebuild Eleven’s home and forage for mushrooms.
While there was no guarantee that Argyle would return for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, the way the penultimate season came to a close, it seemed safe to assume he’d play a part in the end.
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