Jenna Ortega couldn’t have been a more perfect choice to play Lydia Deetz’s daughter Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The star has racked up a great list of spooky projects, from You to X, and I’m anxious to hear when her Netflix series Wednesday will finally come back. But could one of her costars appear in season 2?
In an interview with Total Inside Film and GamesRadar+, Ortega answered a question about Winona Ryder making a Wednesday season 2 cameo appearance. That’s definitely a question that every journalist who talks to the young star would want to ask. The Wednesday actress said she wishes that could happen… but Ryder’s packed schedule is to blame. She said, “Man, that would be cool, but that girl is so busy.”
While it’s tempting to think that Ortega is just being coy and Ryder is actually playing a secret character in the second season of the Netflix series, that’s probably not the case. Christina Ricci’s casting in season 1 as Marilyn Thornhill was massive news, and a cameo from Ryder would also be a great way to draw viewers in. It’s tough to think that Netflix wouldn’t want to make a big and exciting announcement, so the fact that they haven’t doesn’t bode well.
Ortega isn’t giving up hope, though, and Beetlejuice and Wednesday fans shouldn’t, either! She explained she’s sure she and Ryder will be co-stars in the future, whether or not Ryder shows up at Nevermore Academy in some way, shape, or form. Ortega said, “We talk about it all the time, and that would be really sweet for me.” Don’t you want to be a fly on the wall during their chats?
Ryder often talks about her costars, and she and Ortega definitely became close on the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice set, which is music to my ’90s nostalgia-loving ears. They have both said super kind things about each other. The two wore tulle to the August 2024 premiere of the movie in London and Ortega said they were “mentally intertwined” because it happened entirely by accident. Just two actresses who are drawn to super dark projects who can’t help but dress the same! As for the older actress, she said, “I had this sacred bond with Jenna that was insanely magical” and added, “It’s like soulmates almost.” That connection likely can be felt in every Beetlejuice Beetlejuice scene of them together.
If there was a part in Wednesday season 2 (or season 3… come on, Netflix!) for the Reality Bites star, it’s hard to think she wouldn’t take it. Stranger Things is ending soon and while she’s an in-demand actress who is tied up with projects, as Ortega said, I bet Ryder would jump at the chance to star in another spooky and fun Netflix show.
While Wednesday season 2 will be awesome either way, I won’t stop wondering if there’s going to be a surprise Ryder appearance. And if not, maybe the talented stars will come back for Beetlejuice 3!