It’s only been a bit over a month since Jenna Ortega’s deadpan, platform-wearing teen sleuth became the internet’s favorite new heroine, but it’s already safe to say that Wednesday is one of Netflix’s biggest breakout hits yet. The series, created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (with Tim Burton serving as an executive producer) has already set the record for the biggest first-week viewing figures in Netflix history, surpassing an already-impressive record previously set by Stranger Things season 4. So, with unprecedented viewership numbers and an already sizable fanbase, there seems to be just one obvious question: when’s season two?
Will Netflix’s Wednesday get a second season?
Admittedly, before we can know *when* Wednesday will get a second season, we need to know whether or not Wednesday is even going to get a second season—but luckily for fans, Wednesday, Enid, and the rest of the Nevermore gang are coming back for at least a second installment. Variety has just confirmed that Netflix has renewed Wednesday for a second season, despite recent theories flying around that Amazon’s acquisition of MGM could change the show’s fate.
Ever since the show became a massive hit, we’ve been waiting for Netflix to confirm whether Wednesday would see a second season, but it was always a pretty safe bet. Surely the streamer would be more than happy to greenlight a second season for the show that surpassed even Stranger Things in week-one viewership.
The other major encouraging factor that Wednesday would get a renewal announcement was that showrunners Gough and Millar had given numerous interviews discussing potential plot points for season two and beyond. The duo certainly seemed confident that the show would at least run for two seasons. When asked directly in a previous interview with Variety if they had plans for season 2 in case of a renewal, they responded:
“Yeah. For us, it’s always looking at the future, and when we sit down to create a show, it’s looking at multiple seasons, ideally. So you always lay out at least three or four seasons’ worth of potential storylines for the characters… We certainly have a pretty clear runway of what we want to do in future seasons.”
When could a second season of Wednesday drop on Netflix?
So with a confirmed ‘yes’ when it comes to renewal for Wednesday, the question then becomes, when can viewers expect season 2 of Netflix to drop? Well, that depends on a number of factors—particularly, of course, how long it takes before Netflix officially gives season two the green light. Ideally, that announcement will come ASAP. So imagining a world where news of renewal breaks tomorrow, how long will it take for the second season to get made?
From announcement to release, the first season of Wednesday took two years to produce. The series was first put on the slate as an untitled Addams Family project in October of 2020, and almost exactly two years later in November of 2022, the series dropped on the platform. So, following that math, the most basic estimate would put a second season of Wednesday (in a scenario where it’s picked up immediately) at a fall/winter of 2024 release date.
However, the filming itself only took from September 2021 to March 2022 (six months), so if the showrunners already have season two planned (as they seem to have indicated), Wednesday‘s hypothetical second season could come as early as the end of 2023 or beginning of 2024.
Which cast members will return for Wednesday Season 2?
Thanks to the same Variety interview which confirmed that Millar and Gough had already planned past the season one finale, we also have some indication of characters/cast members who could likely return in this hypothetical second season (and beyond) of Wednesday. Of course, there could be no show without Jenna Ortega as the eponymous Wednesday, so her presence in the second season is a no-brainer. Barring any major creative shakeups, it’s also safe to assume that Wednesday’s colorful roomie/best friend Enid (Emma Myers) would return for season two, along with trusty sidekick Thing (Victor Dorobantu).
Other likely (or at least hopeful) returnees include Xavier Thrope (Percy Hynes White), Bianca Barclay (Joy Sunday) and Eugen Ottinger (Moosa Mostafa). This is, of course, a murder mystery though, so a number of Season 1’s major players have a big question mark as to season two—mainly those who seemed to be dead when the season ended. Gwendoline Christie’s Principal Weems was killed in the finale, as was surprise villain Mrs. Thornhill (Christina Ricci). Though they’re pretty conclusively dead, showrunners have made it clear that Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) is alive, and could return to cause problems for Wednesday down the line:
“Yeah. Absolutely. He’s out there. That’s what we wanted to convey.”
What could the plot of Wednesday Season 2 be about?
The last major question mark about Wednesday Season 2 is the plot: where could the second season go after the season 1 finale pretty conclusively dispatched the main villain, and killed a number of other characters?
Luckily for us, we have a few hints as to where the plot may go: most obviously in the finale cliffhanger, which saw Wednesday get a threatening stalker text: an “I’m watching you message” with an emoji of Wednesday being killed.
Heading into Season 2, the mystery would presumably be (at least more broadly) about tracking down Wednesday’s stalker/potential killer, and thwarting them before they can put an end to her. Other interesting plot points that could be picked up in season two are Enid’s blossoming werewolf abilities/transformations, Bianca’s mother and her involvement in the Siren cult, and, of course, figuring out where Tyler ended up getting off to after the twist reveal that he’s the Hyde. There’s also the question of Wednesday’s love life: the series attempted to set up a love triangle between Wednesday, Tyler, and Xavier which will likely be explored into Season 2—or better yet, a potential romance with Enid, if the cast and fans are to be believed.
(featured image: Netflix)
