The Netflix series You has been a hit since its 2018 debut, with the psychological thriller revolving around Zoe Goldberg (Penn Badgley). Jenna Ortega made her debut as Ellie Alves in Season 2, winning fans over with her role as a smart, tech-savvy teenager. As Ellie was one of the few people to escape a dangerous character like Jo, fans were hoping for her return. However, she was scheduled to return in Season 4 and Season 5, but scheduling issues got in the way of the Wednesday series. After You Season 5 ended on April 24, 2025, let's take a look at why Jenna couldn't make it, what the showrunners thought, and the fans' disappointment in this article!
Ellie Alves: A Fan Favorite
In Season 2, we saw Ellie Alves as a 15-year-old filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Delilah Alves (Carmela Zumbado) shares a special bond with Joe as his younger sister. Although Joe seems to protect her, his dark side brings tragedy into her life. After Delilah dies at the hands of Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti), Joe gives Ellie some money and tells her to run away to avoid suspicion. In Season 3, it is revealed that Ellie has started a new life in Florida, and Joe is sending her money.
Jenna's performance as Ellie was outstanding. Her courage, intelligence, and smartness in identifying Joe Danger impressed fans. In 2019, she told Teen Vogue, "It would be great if Ellie came back and took her life into her own hands. She wants to be super badass." Fans were also eager to see a scene where Ellie confronts Joe.
Season 4: Wednesday Rocket Speed
While planning for You Season 4, showrunner Sera Gamble was toying with the idea of bringing back Ellie. Since Ellie knows about Joe's crimes, they thought her story would connect to Joe's past. But, Jenna Ortega became a superstar with the Wednesday series. While filming for You Season 4 was underway, Jenna was in Romania filming Wednesday. Traveling between the two sets was nearly impossible due to pandemic restrictions.
Gamble told IndieWire in February 2023, "We wanted to bring Ellie back, but we found out that Jenna was busy with a show. It's great to see Jenna succeed this year. There are plans for Ellie if her schedule allows," she said. Jenna also told Entertainment Tonight, "The You set is my favorite. It's sad that I won't be able to make it to Season 4. I miss Ellie."
Fans posted on X with disappointment. “Jenna Ortega was supposed to return for ‘YOU’ Season 4 but couldn’t as she was filming ‘WEDNESDAY’” wrote @DiscussingFilm (February 10, 2023). But Gamble’s words raised hopes that Ellie would return in Season 5, especially when it was revealed that Season 5 would bring back characters from Jo’s past.
Season 5: Another Obstacle
As Season 5 of You was the final season in which Jo returned to New York, it seemed like the perfect time for Ellie’s reentry. A teaser trailer released at a Netflix Tudum event in June 2023 showed Jo’s past loose ends, including Ellie’s image with characters like Marian (Tati Gabrielle) and Nadia (Amy-Lee Hickman). Penn Badgley teased, “Jo has a lot of loose ends in her past. Who are you?” Sites like Hypebeast and SoapCentral reported that Jenna was confirmed to be returning.
However, when You season 5 premiered on April 24, 2025, Ellie was nowhere to be seen. Co-showrunner Michael Foley told Business Insider on Justin W. that Jenna was unable to come because Wednesday season 2 was being filmed in Ireland. “She was doing Wednesday in Ireland, which made it difficult to get started,” Foley said. They had planned to feature Ellie as a supporter for Internet vigilante Dominique (Natasha Benham) and Phoenix in You season 5, but scheduling issues got in the way.
“It would have been nice to have Jenna back,” Foley said, but hinted that there were other “issues” besides scheduling. Perhaps it's because Jenna has been busy with projects like Scream VI and Beetlejuice. According to The Wrap, Jenna's rise to global stardom has reduced her availability. Fans on X wrote, "Ellie Jo needs to be dealt with!", but the surprise cameo hopes never materialized.
Why is Ellie's absence important?
Ellie's return is not just for the fans, but also for the story. Ellie is one of the survivors who knows about Joe's crimes. In Season 5, Joe is revealed to be a serial killer, and characters like Nadia and Marian will fight him. Ellie, who is smart on social media and sees Joe as responsible for her sister's murder, could join this fight. As the showrunners say, Ellie can either support Joe or seek revenge, which would give depth to her story.
In 2019, Jenna told Teen Vogue, "Ellie has a lot of talent, and she shouldn't waste it because of Joe." Fans in X wrote that Ellie could have teamed up with Nadia and Marian to confront Joe and bring justice to Delilah. Ellie's absence leaves her story open. However, the return of characters like Paco (Luca Padovan), Sherry, Carey Conrad (Shalita Grant, Travis Van Winkle), and Dottie Quinn (Saffron Burrows) in Season 5 has provided some relief.
Wednesday Fever and Jenna's Rise
Jenna's absence reflects her journey to stardom in Hollywood. Wednesday's second season, released in 2022, became the second-most-watched English-language series on Netflix with 1.02 billion hours of views. The series earned Jenna a Golden Globe nomination and established her as a cultural icon. While Wednesday Season 1 was shot in Romania and Season 2 in Ireland, projects like Scream, X, and Beetlejuice have filled her schedule.
Penn Badgley joked in a Metro interview, “Netflix should give Jenna Wednesday money.” Gamble also said, “It’s nice to see Jenna succeed,” and that she’s proud that she didn’t make it to You.
What are fans saying?
Jenna’s absence has left fans disappointed. In 2023, @PopCrave wrote on X, “Jenna couldn’t make it to You Season 4 because of Wednesday.” Her absence from Season 5 in 2025 also left fans disappointed. “Ellie should have stood up to Jo,” one user wrote. Some appreciated the addition of other characters, but fans were left feeling sad that Ellie’s story was incomplete.
While Season 5 wrapped up Jo’s story in an intense way, Ellie’s absence shows the tension between the star’s schedules and story goals. Jenna, on the other hand, is thriving in Hollywood with projects like Wednesday Season 2 and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Last Word
Everyone was hoping that Jenna Ortega would return as Ellie Alves for You Season 4 and 5, but Wednesday’s schedule got in the way. Even though Ellie’s story was left unfinished, You closed Jo’s journey on a strong note. With Jenna’s rise to stardom in Hollywood, one can only imagine what it would have been like if Ellie had been a badass opposite of Jo. The You legacy lives on, but Ellie Alves left the pain of “what might have been.”