Due to starring in Netflix's show Wednesday, Jenna Ortega was unable to make a reappearance on the show You. Appearing as Tara Carpenter in Scream and Lorraine in X just this past year, the twenty-year-old actress has been keeping busy since she starred in Netflix's psychological thriller You. Based on the novel of the same name, You stars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager with sinister tendencies that often spell disaster for those that capture his attention.
Fans of the show will remember Ortega's character Ellie Alves, a neighbor of Joe's and one of the few people to come into his life and live to tell the tale. Created for the show, Ellie is a precocious teenager with a troubled past and a passion for movies. While she is referenced in later seasons - specifically by Joe in season 3, who says he continues to send her money - Ortega's character has been absent from the show since season 2 ended.
Ortega's absence from You was not part of the initial plan for her character. Unfortunately, Ortega's schedule hasn't allowed her to reprise her role as Ellie. Between playing the brooding lead of Netflix's Wednesday and reprising her role as Tara Carpenter in the newest entry into the Scream franchise Scream VI, Ortega's time has been taken up by other projects. "We wanted to bring Ellie back and we heard 'Oh, Jenna is doing some show,'" You showrunner Sera Gamble told IndieWire. "It's been such a pleasure to see Jenna this year. We have ideas for Ellie if her schedule allows her to visit us again." Gamble also noted that due to the nature of Joe's character - specifically, his vivid imagination - the possibilities for season 4 appearances are wide-ranging. According to Gamble, viewers shouldn't count out any characters from reappearing, living or dead.
Ortega has also voiced her desire to return to You. In 2019, she was quoted by Teen Vogue as saying, "It would be amazing to see Ellie come back and take control of her life. I just want her to be an even bigger badass. I don’t want her to come back and be extremely vulnerable and sad. We have to remember that even though people still find Joe somewhat charming, he’s evil, he does terrible things, and he gets away with them because of his gender and race and his position in society. [Ellie] has so much potential and so much talent that she shouldn’t waste because of him."
It may be that Ortega's You days are behind her. With her continued presence on the big screen, it wouldn't be surprising if Ortega wasn't able to return to You. She appeared in four movies last year - The Fallout, Studio 666, Scream, and X, and this March she'll be starring in her second Scream movie, a franchise known for keeping characters around as long as possible. With her continued presence on the big screen, it wouldn't be surprising if Ortega wasn't able to return to You.
Gamble and Ortega's desire to see Ellie back in Joe's twisted world is encouraging for fans who've missed the ambitious, independent teenager's presence. While Ortega's career shows no signs of slowing down, her affection for Ellie and ideas about the character's growth since she was last on screen show that there's certainly a possibility that she could make her return to You in upcoming seasons.
Season 4 of You is available to stream now on Netflix.
Source: IndieWire