Exclusive: Michael Keaton In Talks For Wednesday Season 2
Michael Keaton may appear in the new season of Wednesday, we speculate as Nevermore's new principal.
Beloved actor Michael Keaton is in negotiations to join the cast of Netflix’s Wednesday season 2. According to our trusted and proven sources, the Batman star may appear in the second season of the massively popular Addams Family spin-off show, though it is unclear whether he would be a main character, make recurring appearances, or even just a cameo. Whichever he might be in discussions for, we can certainly express unequivocal enthusiasm for seeing Beetlejuice face off against Wednesday Addams.
It makes a lot of sense that Michael Keaton would be up for a part in Wednesday season 2 for a number of reasons. Most obviously, the dark comedy series is executive produced by Tim Burton, who also directed several episodes; Keaton and Burton have been frequent collaborators since the 1980s, so it is unsurprising that the actor would be drawn into his latest project. To date, Keaton and Burton have made four movies together (Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, and Dumbo), so why not a television series next?
Another reason to bring Michael Keaton in for Wednesday season 2 is the star’s recent revival as a cultural figure, which began with roles in Spotlight and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), which lead to his Marvel role as a Spider-Man villain and ultimately returning to his most famous role as Bruce Wayne in the upcoming DC movie The Flash. It has been years since Keaton was as visible and appreciated as an actor, so Netflix likely wants to strike while the iron is hot.
If Michael Keaton will appear in Wednesday season 2 as a main character (rather than just a nod to Tim Burton), the role would seem fairly obvious. At the end of the show’s first season, Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), the principal of Nevermore Academy, was killed by the seemingly friendly teacher Laurel Gates (Christina Ricci), causing the school for oddballs and monsters to be shut down. Clearly, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) will be going back to school in the second season and Nevermore needs a new principal.
Michael Keaton verbally sparring against Jenna Ortega in Wednesday season 2 as the new authority figure in the school, especially as a study in contrasts. While both Gwendoline Christie and Ortega excel at a kind of reserved, deadpan delivery, Michael Keaton has always been known for his everyman vibe and relaxed, naturalistic tone. Seeing Wednesday befuddled by an affable new principal at Nevermore seems like it could be a good new direction for her issues with being told what to do.
On the other hand, we also might get Michael Keaton in full Beetlejuice mode if he appears in Wednesday, which would be exciting too. At the very least, it will be good to see Keaton continuing the momentum of his career comeback by teaming up with Tim Burton once again. Of course, Jenna Ortega has been reported to be circling a part in the upcoming, long-in-development Beetlejuice 2, so there might be quite a few opportunities for her and Keaton to share screen time.
