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Jennifer Marshall Questions Stranger Things Season 5 Omission, Cites Health Insurance Impact

She says a brief moment filmed earlier went unused, noting an appearance could have qualified her for SAG-AFTRA health coverage.

Overview

  • Marshall, who played Max’s mother in earlier seasons, says she was not asked back for the final season and publicly questioned the character’s absence after the finale.
  • In a Jan. 6 Instagram post, she said she was in cancer remission during production and that returning would have helped her secure union health insurance.
  • She told People she would have been ecstatic to return and that the work would have provided financial and emotional support, while emphasizing she remains grateful.
  • The actor clarified that a brief bedside moment was filmed during Season 4 but not used, and told Variety her social post was joking in tone and not meant as hostility.
  • Fans and co-stars have offered theories for the character’s absence, and outlets report they have sought comment from Netflix and the creators without a published explanation.