Summary

• Thandiwe Newton's addition to Wednesday season 2 will make up for the controversial end of her last show, Westworld.
• Newton's role in Wednesday may involve her as the new principal of Nevermore Academy, adding to the mystery.
• Arriving after the conclusion of her Netflix shows Big Mouth and Human Resources, Wednesday offers Newton the perfect comedic and dramatic opportunity.

Wednesday season 2 has added Thandiwe Newton to its cast, and not only will she be a great addition to the hit Netflix show; it’ll make up for the controversial cancelation of the actor’s last TV series. While the details of Newton’s character are being kept under wraps, it’s been confirmed that she’ll appear alongside Jenna Ortega in the highly anticipated second season of the Addams Family spin-off show. Whether Newton will play an Addams Family legacy character or an original creation remains to be seen, but she’ll undoubtedly be great in the show, no matter who she’s playing.

Newton is the second new cast member to be announced for Wednesday season 2. Last week, it was announced that Steve Buscemi will join the roster. Since Principal Weems died in season 1, there’s a prominent rumor that Buscemi will play the new principal of Nevermore Academy (the boarding school for supernatural children attended by Wednesday). Newton’s casting announcement for Wednesday season 2 has only compounded that speculation, since she might be playing the new principal instead (or a different teacher at the school). Either way, it’ll make up for the unceremonious end of her last TV show.

Wednesday Is A Great New Replacement Show For Thandiwe Newton After Westworld's Cancelation

Landing a role in Wednesday season 2 gives Newton the perfect replacement show for the last TV series she starred in. HBO’s serialized adaptation of Westworld was widely praised by critics and amassed a large fan base with its deep, complex exploration of artificial intelligence. Series creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy took Michael Crichton’s premise of a Wild West-themed amusement park full of robotic cowboys and used it to question the personhood of A.I. and the nature of reality. After four acclaimed seasons, Westworld was controversially canceled with plot threads hanging in the air.

Newton played Maeve Millay, a cyborg who acted as the madam of the town of Sweetwater. Thanks to her unresolved memories of a past life within the park, Maeve was one of the first androids to become self-aware. It was a really fascinating role and Newton did a fantastic job with all the dramatic nuances. Wednesday is a very different show than Westworld, but there are some similarities that make it a good replacement. Both shows have lots of mysteries, they both have supernatural elements, and they both have the legs and scope for long-running franchise potential.

Wednesday season 2 is expected to arrive on Netflix sometime in 2025.

Thandiwe Newton's Wednesday Casting Arrives At The Perfect Time After Her Recent Netflix Shows' Endings

Newton’s Wednesday season 2 casting has arrived at the perfect time, since her other Netflix role is coming to an end. Newton has a recurring voice role as Mona, a reckless Hormone Monstress who has a destructive influence on the young women she consults with, in the Netflix animated sitcom Big Mouth and its spin-off Human Resources. Human Resources has already concluded its run after two seasons and Big Mouth is about to head into its eighth and final season (making it the longest-running original scripted series ever produced by Netflix).

Newton has always given a hilarious performance in the role of Mona, especially in her chaotic relationship with Missy in Big Mouth, but since both shows featuring the character are concluding their run, her remaining time with that character is limited. Being cast in Wednesday will give Newton a chance to dive into a new role and round out a whole new character for a lengthy episodic run. Wednesday season 2 will undoubtedly utilize the comedic abilities that served Newton well in Big Mouth and its spin-off, but it’ll also give her more dramatic depth to play with.

Who Thandiwe Newton Could Be Playing In Wednesday

Since Netflix has yet to reveal who Newton will be playing in Wednesday season 2, it’s possible to speculate on what her role might be. If Buscemi isn’t playing the new principal of Nevermore Academy, then maybe Newton will take that role. If Buscemi is playing the principal, then Newton might be playing a different teacher at the school, or she could be a new recruit in the local police force (following Sheriff Galpin’s missteps in Wednesday season 1).

Newton isn’t old enough to play Grandmama and she doesn’t have the towering build to play a gender-swapped Lurch, so it’s likely that Newton’s Wednesday character is an original creation and not a familiar face from the Addams Family franchise. She might play a counselor who’s sent to talk to the kids who were traumatized by the events of season 1. Whoever she’s playing, her long history of great performances suggests she’ll knock it out of the park.