Season 2 Could Repair Its Biggest Casting Failure Wednesday

Wednesday's season 1 cast originally featured Hocus Pocus' Thora Birch before she left the series, but season 2 could make up for that missed opportunity.

WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Wednesday season 1!

Wednesday season 1 almost starred a nostalgic actor, but there's still a chance to recast her for season 2. In addition to a group of young actors starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Tim Burton's Addams Family series also has a cast with several big-name stars in major roles. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzman as Gomez, Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems, Fred Armisen as Uncle Fest, Wednesday It's a perfect blend of adult cast, who bring their own quirky and outcast resumes to their roles.

The most exciting cast of Wednesday's season 1 nostalgia cast is Christina Ricci as Ms. Marilyn Thornhill, Wednesday's normative dorm mom at Nevermore Academy. Christina Ricci is best known for her iconic performance as Wednesday Addams in the 1991 film "The Addams Family" and its 1993 sequel, "The Addams Family Values." While her casting on Wednesday was a fitting way for Richie to pass the torch from Wednesday Adams to Ortega, she wasn't the original choice for the role. When Wednesday's production began, actress Hocus Pocus (1993) cast Thora Birch starred as Nevermore's regular dorm mom, Tamara Novak. After Birch exited the series, Ricci took over It was over, and the characters adjusted accordingly.

Wednesday Season 2 Needs To Cast Thora Birch Again

Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill was a highlight of Wednesday's season 1, but Thora Birch's departure from the series still misses a big casting opportunities. In fact, Birch reportedly isn't working on the 2022 Hocus Pocus sequel due to scheduling conflicts with Wednesday, meaning the actress is missing out on two of the year's biggest nostalgic horror projects. Since Birch rose to fame after playing witch fighter Dani Dennison, appearing on a supernatural growth series like Wednesday is a perfect fit for the actress' mainstream return.

Christina Ricci's role as Wednesday season 1 villain Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates may end as her fate is unclear, so Wednesday could replace her with Thora Birch in Star Power in Season 2. Either way, Ricci's character doesn't return to Nevermore in a professional capacity after killing a few people. With Nevermore Academy losing two key employees following the death of Marilyn Thornhill and the murder of Principal Weems, Wednesday needed a compelling new Nevermore teacher with a cast that could repeat the appeal of Christina Ricci and Gwendoline Christie. After Thora Birch was originally slated for the role of Nevermore's teacher, the cast could finally be done In Wednesdays Season 2.

Why Wednesday’s Thornhill Recasting Was Better For Season 1

While Thora Birch would have been a good choice for Wednesday's Nevermore dorm mom, the addition of Christina Ricci is an exciting development for the larger Adams family legacy, and her casting even changed the Wednesday ending meaning. Christina Ricci playing Wednesday's villain meant pitting the former Wednesday Adams against the new Wednesday Adams, and Ortega's victory in the Nevermore fight symbolized her official taking over of the role's legacy from Ricci. It was inevitable that Jenna Ortega would have to compete with Christina Ricci for the beloved Wednesday Addams role, so the actors dueled to see Ortega's version on Wednesday In the season 1 finale of the 1990s, it became Wednesday who was in power.

Christina Ricci's casting ended up benefiting greatly from Wednesday's meta-symbolism, so the actress is expected to expand on her darker persona in season two. If Christina Ricci returns for season two on Wednesday, the casting of Thora Birch will be even more exciting, since the two actresses last worked with teenagers in the 1995 film Now and Then. Thora Birch reportedly pulled out of Wednesday's first-season shoot for personal reasons, but the stars may be unanimous in making her appear in the series' second season.