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Credit: Inside the Magic Is Finn Wolfhard jumping ship from Stranger Things to the Addams Family?
Canadian actor and musician Finn Wolfhard has emerged as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry at a young age. Born in 2002, Wolfhard’s career trajectory has been nothing short of impressive, with him landing leading roles in critically acclaimed projects alongside established Hollywood names.
Wolfhard’s breakout role came in the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things (2016-present). He portrays Mike Wheeler, a central character in the group of young friends who encounter a series of supernatural events in their small town. The show’s success catapulted Wolfhard to international recognition, and his performance as the determined and loyal Mike garnered critical acclaim.
Building on his success in Stranger Things, Wolfhard ventured into the world of horror films. He landed the pivotal role of Richie Tozier in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s iconic novel It, and its 2019 sequel It Chapter Two. Wolfhard’s portrayal of the foul-mouthed but resourceful Richie resonated with audiences, further solidifying his reputation as a talented young actor with a knack for portraying complex characters.
In 2020, he played Trevor in the supernatural film “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” directed by Jason Reitman, and returned in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), which is set to be a themed house in Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights. Last year, Stranger Things was one of the houses at the horror event, making Wolfhard a regular in the theme park horror community.
Wolfhard’s versatility extends beyond live-action films and television series. He has also lent his voice to various animated projects, showcasing his range as a performer. In the 2019 animated comedy The Addams Family, Wolfhard voiced the character of Pugsley Addams, the mischievous son in the eccentric Addams clan. This comedic role allowed him to display his comedic timing and playful vocal delivery.
The Addams Family (2019) follows the iconic family living a contented, albeit peculiar, life in an abandoned asylum in New Jersey. Their tranquil existence is disrupted when Wednesday expresses interest in attending public school. Simultaneously, the family is preoccupied with preparing for Pugsley’s coming-of-age Mazurka ceremony, unaware that the town mayor is scheming to drive them out and acquire their land.
The family cast includes Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, Oscar Isaac as Gomez, Charlize Theron as Morticia, Chloë Grace Moretz as Wednesday, and Snoop Dogg as Cousin It.
So, does this mean that Finn will be putting his efforts into The Addams Family moving forward?
Interestingly enough, Wednesday, the hit Tim Burton Netflix original starring Jenna Ortega is the one show that dethroned Stranger Things 4 from having the most watched time of any English-speaking Netflix show (Squid Game takes the top spot).
So it is interesting to see Wolfhard have a foothold in the world of The Addams Family, even if it is only animated. Especially considering that Wednesday is entering its second season to massive acclaim and Stranger Things will be coming to an end once season 5 wraps.
The Addams Family spinoff series by Tim Burton, Wednesday, features Jenna Ortega as the titular character, navigating a new school and the challenges of adolescence. The first season was an instant hit on Netflix, and a second season is currently in production. This series has also solidified Ortega’s status as a Scream Queen, following her successes in other horror franchises like Scream and X.
Meanwhile, the Stranger Things crew has been facing delays due to the 2023 Hollywood actors’ and writers’ strikes, alongside controversies involving stars Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) and Noah Schnapp (Will Byers). These issues have left fans questioning whether the show’s final season can achieve the same success as its first four seasons. There is no release date as of yet, but we have heard that filming will wrap in early 2025.
Wednesday, which also experienced strike-related delays last year, has been dealing with its own controversy surrounding star Percy Hynes White, who played Xavier Thorpe in Season 1. White was accused of sexual assault at a house party last year, and his role has been confirmed to be written out of the second season.
Wednesday is currently filming its second season in Ireland and will wrap before the end of 2024. The show is set to be the highest-budgeted project ever shot in Ireland, per Variety.
Despite these challenges, Netflix recently released its top 10 most popular TV shows. Wednesday leads the list with over 252.1 million views, while Stranger Things 4 follows in second place with 140.7 million views.
Knowing this, it would not be too shocking to see Finn want to find a way into the series to stay at the top of the Netflix leaderboard.
However, that will not be the case.
While much of the cast reprised their roles for the 2021 sequel, The Addams Family 2, Wolfhard did not return due to aging out of the role. Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton took over as the voice of Pugsley.
The sequel took the spooky and kooky family on an adventurous road trip in their haunted mansion-shaped RV, visiting various locations and encountering new characters. Finn took on the role prior to the SAG/AFTRA delays that would halt the Stranger Things filming and place a ban on actors doing their work.
While Wolfhard is out of The Addams Family universe, the door can always re-open, as Wolfhard has stated he loves voice work.
” I would say V.O. and on camera are both similar yet their own beasts. With voice over I always find there’s so many specific tones for projects, which contributes to how unique they will be. For on camera, I would say similarly but it can be more subtle, still having the same effect in terms of uniqueness, but having to find it. Sometimes you can just fall into it, other times it can take a bit of time in terms of finding the tone.
That being said, I can say the same about both V.O. and On Camera, the best way to determine a project’s tone that I have found is watching the project itself if it’s already been released. If not, then I would watch the writer’s older shows, newer shows, see the kind of projects the casting director casts for, the kind of acting that the director usually goes for, stuff like that.”
Beyond acting, Wolfhard is also a passionate musician. He was the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Vancouver-based rock band Calpurnia, active from 2017 to 2019. Currently, he performs with The Aubreys, another rock band he co-founded with Calpurnia’s drummer, Malcolm Craig.
Finn Wolfhard’s work ethic, combined with his evident talent, has established him as a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. From captivating audiences in live-action roles to lending his voice to animated characters, Wolfhard continues to demonstrate his impressive range and versatility. As he continues to explore different avenues within the entertainment world, it will be exciting to see what new heights he reaches in the years to come.
What is to come for Finn Wolfhard in Stranger Things 5?
While plot specifics for Stranger Things 5 remain under wraps (thankfully avoiding a dream-based cop-out ending as confirmed by the Duffer brothers), some intriguing details have emerged.
Maya Hawke, who portrays Robin Buckley, revealed the sheer scale of the final season, hinting that it will encompass the narrative density of “basically, eight movies.” This suggests a potentially epic conclusion with extended runtime to accommodate character arcs and story resolutions.
The Duffer brothers offered glimpses into the emotional ramifications of previous seasons. Matt Duffer foreshadowed a shift in Dustin’s character due to the loss of Eddie Munson, while Ross Duffer emphasized the immediate pursuit of Vecna by the core group.
Interestingly, the Duffers acknowledged incorporating fan feedback into the revised season 5 script, potentially altering the show’s ending. The Stranger Things writing team further teased the season’s tone as a fusion of season 1’s energy with season 4’s expanded world, all “injected with steroids.”
A key narrative shift involves the heroes’ unified front against Vecna. Matt Duffer confirmed a return to the collaborative spirit of season 1, suggesting a potential re-emergence of fan-favorite character pairings.
Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, also alluded to this plot thread, telling Collider: “I think it [season 5] answers an insane amount of questions about the lore of Stranger Things, the world-building.”
“I think a lot of people will be happy with getting back. It’s the last season, so we kind of want to get back to the roots of why the show was so special in the first place, and why the dynamics are so special in the first place, and sort of getting back to that.”
We do know that Mike Wheeler does have a casting call out for a younger version of Finn’s role.
While plot specifics remain shrouded in secrecy, the potential survival of Eleven and Mike offers a glimmer of hope for fans invested in these central characters, even though Wolfhard did say he would be ok with his character dying.
With production underway, Stranger Things 5 promises a thrilling, emotional, and lore-rich climax to the beloved series.
What would you like to see Finn Wolfhard star in next?