Winona Ryder's New Wednesday Season 3 Character Teased By Jenna Ortega

Published Oct 20, 2026, 2:43 PM EDT Jordan is the Senior Editor for Movies & TV News at Screen Rant. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Media Studies. An editor, writer, and digital media specialist based in New York City, you can also find her bylines on Business Insider. Jordan originally hails from Washington State, giving her an undying loyalty to any Seattle sports team, though she's also spent time in Virginia, Oregon, and New Orleans. She runs on coffee and classic movies, taking pride in having seen every film on AFI's 100 Greatest Films list and every Best Picture Oscar winner. Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder are finally reuniting as the latter takes on a "strange" new Wednesday role. The duo first collaborated in the cast of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which arrived over 36 years after the original Ryder-starring horror comedy in September 2024. In the acclaimed sequel, Ortega portrayed the teenage daughter of Ryder's iconic character Lydia Deetz, with their chemistry leading to speculation around when the two would work together again under Tim Burton's direction. Two years later, all three are officially back together, with Ryder playing a mysterious new character on season 3 of Burton and Ortega's smash hit series Wednesday. Though Wednesday season 3 concluded filming on September 30, details surrounding the upcoming season's plot and new characters are still largely under wraps. In February 2026, Netflix announced that Winona Ryder had been cast as Tabitha, but the streamer has revealed no further information regarding her role in the time since. However, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight promoting her new film Klara and the Sun, Jenna Ortega has finally clarified some intriguing details about Winona Ryder's Tabitha, describing her as "strange," but not the usual Addams Family strange: Jenna Ortega: "I can't tell you anything about Tabitha... She's strange, but not in a typical Addams-y way." After Ryder was announced to be joining Wednesday, various theories abounded about the identity of her character, with some speculating she could be a member of the Addams family. However, with Ortega confirming that Tabitha's strangeness isn't "Addams-y," it appears Ryder's character won't be part of the kooky macabre bunch. Still, whether Tabitha will be a strange "normie" or contribute to the series' supernatural eccentricities remains to be seen. Throughout her collaborations with Tim Burton, Ryder has highlighted her versatility with distinctive roles. She starred as gothic outcast Lydia Deetz in the Beetlejuice movies, popular cheerleader Kim in Edward Scissorhands, and the kind and somber Elsa Van Helsing in Frankenweenie. While a more Lydia Deetz-esque character would be expected after her recent Beetlejuice 2 return, Ryder and Burton may surprise audiences with a very different type of "strange" role in Wednesday. Image Made By Yailin Chacon Joining Wednesday marks Winona Ryder's first role after the series finale of Stranger Things, with Netflix's TV sensation coming to a close after nine years and five seasons on New Year's Eve 2025. Ryder portrayed Joyce Byers across all five seasons, serving as her first leading role in a multi-season series. In addition to Winona Ryder, the newcomers in the cast of Wednesday season 3 include Eva Green as Ophelia Frump, Chris Sarandon as Balthazar, Noah Taylor as Cyrus, Oscar Morgan as Atticus, and Kennedy Moyer as Daisy. Meanwhile, Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy, and James Lance have joined in undisclosed guest roles. Currently, Netflix has yet to officially announce an intended release window or date for Wednesday season 3. However, when considering the production wrap to release timeline for the previous two seasons, Wednesday season 3 could premiere as early as summer 2027. Release Date November 23, 2022 Network Netflix Showrunner Miles Millar, Alfred Gough Cast Wednesday Addams / Goody Addams Directors Tim Burton, James Marshall Writers April Blair Franchise(s) The Addams Family Creator(s) Miles Millar, Alfred Gough