Wednesday Season 2 Seems To Have Solved Its Xavier Problem In A Surprising Way

Summary Wednesday's Jenna Ortega addresses controversy over co-star's exit ahead of season 2, promising fresh faces and new direction.

New characters, including Addams Family alums, will join Wednesday season 2 to distract from Xavier's absence and refresh the show.

Decision to erase Xavier's character from Wednesday allows the show to move past controversies and focus on new mysteries and characters.

The popular Netflix original show, Wednesday, faced backlash after multiple accusations of sexual assault were leveled against star Jenna Ortega's co-star Percy Hynes White. Hynes White played Xavier Thorpe, a psychic peer of Ortega's Wednesday Addams at Nevermore Academy, and one of her two love interests. Although Hynes White denied the accusations, he was not brought back for season 2 and instead, will be replaced by a slew of new characters.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega briefly addressed Hynes White's absence from season 2. She stated that although his absence has been "a weird redirect," the upcoming episodes of Wednesday, as well as the plethora of new characters being introduced, will effectively distract viewers from Xavier's disappearance and move the show in a more authentic direction.

Jenna Ortega Addresses Controversial Cast Member's Exit Ahead Of Wednesday Season 2 Wednesday's Jenna Ortega reveals how the absence of Percy Hynes White's Xavier Thorpe has impacted season 2 of the popular Netflix series.

Wednesday Season 2's New Characters Will Seemingly Make Up For Xavier's Absence

The New Characters Include Addams Family Alums

Although plot and character details for Wednesday season 2 are currently being kept under lock and key, co-showrunners Miles Millar and Al Gough shared with Netflix that their "goal this season was to discover some fresh faces [...] to join Jenna [Ortega] and the gang at Nevermore." Some of these new faces include Doctor Who alumnae Billie Piper as Capri, Steve Buscemi (The Big Lebowski) as Barry Dort, Joanna Lumley as Wednesday's Grandmana Addams, and Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) as Dr. Fairburn.

That's not all the new characters joining season 2. Along with Piper and Buscemi, the slew of new series regulars includes Evie Templeton (Return to Silent Hill), Owen Painter (The Handmaid's Tale), and Noah Taylor (Law & Order: Organized Crime). Joining Newton as a guest star is Frances O'Connor (The Missing), Haley Joel Osment (The Kominsky Method), Heather Matarazzo (The Princess Diaries), Joonas Suotamowill (Star Wars), and Addams Family actor Christopher Lloyd.

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Why Wednesday Season 2's Approach With Xavier's Absence Makes Sense

It Diverts Attention To The Mysteries That Matter

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The expanded cast list may seem like an odd decision, especially since Xavier's connection to Wednesday's phone stalker might encourage co-showrunners Millar and Gough to recast the role, but it is ultimately the right decision. The decision to erase Xavier's character from Wednesday entirely allows the show to move away from the controversy associated with Hynes White. The addition of so many new characters would also save the writers valuable time, as it would force them to avoid spending too much time explaining Xavier's absence.

The decision to erase Xavier's character from Wednesday entirely allows the show to move away from the controversy associated with Hynes White.

Wednesday Season 2's Convincing Xavier Theory Would Be Too Repetitive To Work One of the most popular theories about Xavier Thorpe’s character in Wednesday is very convincing, but it’s also too repetitive to work.

Additionally, Xavier's disappearance from Wednesday would erase the love triangle between Wednesday, Xavier, and Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) from the show, a factor that Ortega had previously expressed frustration over. The show's focus on the romance did not align with Ortega's version of Wednesday. By removing another key member of the love triangle—Tyler was revealed to be Wednesday's the Hyde and placed in police custody at the end of season 1—the love triangle is effectively dead. This will allow the show to shift its focus to Wednesday's struggle to determine who her true allies are as she unravels the identity of her stalker.