Jenna Ortega’s Latest Career Announcement Could Surprise ‘Wednesday’ Fans

Few roles have defined a young star’s career quite like Wednesday Addams has for Jenna Ortega. Since Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ premiered in 2022, the series has become a massive hit for the streamer, winning 4 Emmys and earning Ortega a nomination of her own. A second season followed in 2025, and fans are now counting down to the third.

That next chapter is officially in the can. Netflix confirmed in February that production on Season 3 had begun, revealing that Ortega’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ co-star Winona Ryder would join the cast alongside Eva Green. In September, the streamer announced that filming had wrapped, with the new season set to arrive in 2027.

Now, Ortega has shared what she hopes comes after the Addams Family. During an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s ‘Happy Sad Confused’ podcast, the actress revealed that she plans to step away from television for a while once ‘Wednesday’ comes to an end. She explained that she spent many years bouncing from show to show as a kid and wants to leave room for new experiences.

Ortega also opened up about franchise opportunities. She admitted she hasn’t had many conversations about joining other big franchises, adding that she believes the projects she’s meant to do will find her.

Her desire for a change of pace becomes clearer when looking back at her résumé. Long before she became Netflix’s gothic icon, Ortega built an extensive television career as a child actor, with roles in ‘Jane the Virgin’, Disney Channel’s ‘Stuck in the Middle’ and Netflix’s ‘You’. ‘Wednesday’ then catapulted her to global stardom.

Jenna Ortega says she couldn’t even make it past the first 10 minutes of watching Wednesday because she had zero faith in her performance, calling the show’s massive global explosion a ‘sick mind game’ "I couldn’t believe it. I really couldn’t believe it. They had sent me like an episode or two to watch out of courtesy before the show came out and I couldn’t make it through the first five minutes, 10 minutes. I just was so and I don’t really like to watch myself. I don’t, so I think it actually was doing a bit of a hindrance." "But just based off of, yeah, not having any faith in myself. Right. I was mortified so when people started freaking out over it or started even recognizing or there was a sudden burst and sort of explosion and everything. I just it really felt like some sick mind game at the world." "Yeah, I just think there’s no way. Like that’s still to this day I am a little confused. Yeah, I just love to never be comfortable."

— Fola (@OFolaby) October 22, 2026

During the same podcast conversation, Ortega admitted she’s still a little confused by just how popular the show became. She described the experience of being recognized for the role as feeling strange and almost surreal.

Jenna falou que vai se afastar da indústria quando Wednesday terminar https://t.co/jQZogH9BpK

— A n n a | 𝘢𝘶’𝘴 🪸 (@Firelamour) October 22, 2026

It isn’t the first time Ortega has been candid about the series. In 2023, she revealed that she didn’t initially want to do ‘Wednesday’. That same year, she reportedly admitted on ‘Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard’ that she became almost unprofessional on set by getting involved with the show’s scripts.

Earlier this year, she also spoke about entering a new chapter of her life and career, describing a recent period of experimentation as the show approaches its peak. She noted that Season 3 finds the characters as seniors in high school, wrestling with family and what it means to become an adult.

First teaser for ‘WEDNESDAY’ Season 3. Coming soon to Netflix. https://t.co/f1c8Asx8YM

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 23, 2026

Ortega’s film work suggests she’s already laying the groundwork for life beyond TV. She has appeared in Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ and installments of the ‘Scream’ franchise, building a reputation as a go-to name in horror. Her latest film, ‘Klara and the Sun’, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s best-selling novel, hits theaters on October 23, with Ortega playing an Artificial Friend robot.

There’s plenty more on the way, too. She’s set to appear in J.J. Abrams’ science fantasy film ‘The Great Beyond’, and is also attached to ‘Nasty’, a project rooted in the world of gymnastics.

Despite her comments, there’s no official word that ‘Wednesday’ will conclude with its third season. Netflix hasn’t confirmed whether the upcoming episodes will be the last, and Ortega herself only spoke about her plans for whenever the show does wrap up.

The series comes from creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Tim Burton directing. For now, fans can look forward to Ortega’s return to Nevermore while keeping an eye on the bold new projects she’s lining up for the big screen.

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