Beetlejuice 2 May Have Just Confirmed Exactly How Charles Deetz Dies (It's Absurd)

Summary The new Beetlejuice 2 trailer hints at Charles Deetz's death in a tragic plane crash, adding a dark twist to the plot.

Speculation on Charles Deetz's unexpected death gets deeper with a possible connection to a shark attack, drawing from original film themes.

The teased plane crash scene in Beetlejuice 2 could be a nod to the canceled sequel Beetlejuices Goes Hawaiian, adding layers to the story.

The new trailer for Beetlejuice 2 seems to have confirmed how Charles Deetz died, and it fits with the theme of rare causes of death highlighted in the original movie. With the long-awaited sequel set to premiere in theaters on September 6, 2024, Warner Bros. recently dropped the full official trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which reveals some surprising actor cameos, character details, and plot twists. While the latest trailer is primarily focused on the new and returning cast and characters in Beetlejuice 2, there’s a brief shot that seems to serve as an explanation for one original figure’s absence.

After about a year of speculation, given Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara’s returns were announced early on, Beetlejuice 2 confirmed that Jeffrey Jones’ character Charles Deetz had died. The first teaser trailer featured a shot of the Deetz family at a funeral, with a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it detail revealing Charles’ face on a headstone by the casket. Beetlejuice 2’s new trailer officially confirms Charles’ death as Jenna Ortega’s Astrid remarks that she can’t believe her “grandpa is dead,” but still leaves the manner of his death a mystery. However, the synopsis reveals his death was an unexpected tragedy, which aligns with the circumstances a curious scene teased in the trailer.

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Beetlejuice 2's Trailer Suggests That Charles Deetz Died In A Plane Crash

The trailer features a brief shot of a plane crash over an ocean

One of the few shots in Beetlejuice 2’s trailer that seems too disconnected from the plot to be associated with the surviving Deetz family members involves a plane crash. At the one minute and 29 second time stamp in the trailer, what appears to be a commercial flight is seen crashing into the ocean below, with fire and smoke billowing from one of the “Pacific Travel” plane’s engines. The actual crash isn’t shown, but it’s implied that a character in Beetlejuice 2 will meet their demise in this teased scene. With only one major character’s death already confirmed, it seems extremely likely that Charles Deetz dies in this plane crash in the sequel.

Deetz Family Members Actor Status In Beetlejuice 2 Relationships Charles Deetz Jeffrey Jones Dead Lydia's father, Delia's husband, Astrid's grandfather Delia Deetz Catherine O'Hara Alive Lydia's stepmother, Charles' wife, Astrid's grandmother Lydia Deetz Winona Ryder Alive Charles' daughter, Delia's stepdaughter, Astrid's mother Astrid Deetz Jenna Ortega Alive Lydia's daughter, Charles & Delia's granddaughter

A plane crash would certainly fit with the suggestion that Charles’ death was tragic and unexpected, but it’s unclear why he would be taking this flight across the Pacific Ocean without the rest of the Deetz family members. Additionally, the scene appears to be animated in what could be stop-motion, suggesting the plane crash will be a flashback of some sort in Beetlejuice 2. With Charles’ death being the catalyst for Lydia and Delia’s return to Winter River in the sequel, it’s likely that the exact circumstances of his fate will be revealed in Beetlejuice 2’s opening sequence.

Related Wait, Is Jenna Ortega's Character Dead In Beetlejuice 2? Beetlejuice 2’s new full trailer gives a better look at Jenna Ortega’s role as Astrid, but the footage hints at a dark fate for the character.

Charles' Funeral Scene Hints At Another Layer To His Wild Beetlejuice 2 Death

Do sharks really factor into Charles' death?

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Before the shot of the plane crash that was featured in the latest trailer, Beetlejuice 2’s first official teaser footage hinted at a different explanation for Charles Deetz’s death. The headstone at Charles’ grave in the funeral scene happens to be in the shape of a shark fin, which seemed like an odd detail given Charles never mentioned any unique fascination with the animal in the 1988 movie. As such, it seemed as if his headstone may have been a hint that Charles died from a shark attack.

While it still sems extremely likely that Charles dies in the teased plane crash, the shark tease could still factor into his death. The plane in the trailer is headed over the Pacific Ocean, as indicated by its Pacific Travel airline logo, so it’s possible that the aircraft crashes in shark-infested waters. If so, it could be the case that after Charles’ plane crashes, his death is officially caused by a shark attack. This doesn’t seem as realistic, but would certainly help provide an explanation for the shark fin’s prominence at his funeral.

The headstone at Charles’ grave in the funeral scene happens to be in the shape of a shark fin, which seemed like an odd detail given Charles never mentioned any unique fascination with the animal in the 1988 movie.

The idea that Charles would die from a shark attack still doesn’t seem too out of left field for Tim Burton’s horror-comedy franchise, given the many unique deaths featured among the ghosts in Beetlejuice’s Neitherworld waiting room. In fact, one of the specters in the original 1988 film died from a shark attack, as the green-tinted diver ghost was still donning his mask, swim trunks, oxygen tank, and the shark itself hanging off his leg. As such, Charles dying from a shark attack after a plane crash in Beetlejuice 2 could be an homage to the original movie’s Neitherworld ghosts.

Charles Deetz's Death Could Be A Nod To The Canceled Beetlejuice Sequel

Was Charles headed to Hawaii when he died?

Long before Tim Burton’s 2024 Beetlejuice 2 movie came to fruition, there were plans for a very different type of sequel to the 1988 movie. The most well-known follow-up that became stuck in development hell before being canceled altogether was a sequel called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, which would have seen Michael Keaton reprise his role as the titular character while causing chaos for the Deetz family in Hawaii instead of Winter River. Though a script was written, the movie never reached production, which seems to be a relief given the exciting setup for the official Beetlejuice 2 movie.

The most well-known follow-up that became stuck in development hell before being canceled altogether was a sequel called Beetlejuices Goes Hawaiian, which would have seen Michael Keaton reprise his role as the titular character while causing chaos for the Deetz family in Hawaii instead of Winter River.

Though Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian never happened, Charles Deetz’s death in Beetlejuice 2 could be a subtle nod to this unmade sequel. If it truly is Charles who is headed on a flight over the Pacific Ocean, then it’s plausible that he may have been on his way to Hawaii. However, like the once-potential sequel itself, it doesn’t seem like Charles’ trip will come to an end before it truly even begins in the 2024 movie.