The new teaser for Netflix’s upcoming 2025 releases offers a first glimpse at Wednesday and Tyler in Wednesday Season 2, with Tyler’s return living up to a promise made by star Jenna Ortega. After almost three years of waiting, Wednesday Season 2 is finally set to premiere in 2025, as hints about the storyline and details about new and returning characters are gradually revealed. Although the specific dark mystery that Ortega’s Wednesday Addams will tackle at Nevermore Academy remains unclear, the teaser confirms the narrative will once again involve the Hyde/Tyler Galpin.
In the brief footage shown in Netflix’s 2025 releases teaser, Tyler is seen chained up in Willow Hill, the psychiatric hospital where his Hyde mother was sent years before. It appears Wednesday confronts him in his hospital room through one of her psychic visions, with Tyler looking menacing as he stares at her from solitary confinement. Following the shocking conclusion of Wednesday Season 1, it seems Tyler is now driven by revenge, and his grim return signals that Season 2 will stay true to its thrilling genre and darker tone.
The end of Wednesday Season 1 unveiled that the identity of the Hyde monster targeting the outcasts was none other than Wednesday’s romantic interest, Tyler, whose mother was also a Hyde and a former outcast at Nevermore Academy. Tyler was manipulated by the villainous Ms. Thornhill, also known as Laurel Gates, who aimed to revive her ancestor Joseph Crackstone, unleashing lethal consequences that resulted in Tyler being forcibly committed to Willow Hill in the climactic moments of Season 1.
Although Tyler’s Hyde form was only briefly showcased in Season 1, the new season is set to change that, as gleaned from Netflix’s recently released footage. The unsettling clip depicts Tyler in the hospital, emphasizing his volatility, anger, and thirst for vengeance that promises to unfold in the upcoming episodes. With Tyler undoubtedly blaming Wednesday for his dire situation, his combined rage as both Hyde and human poses a significant threat, especially with Christina Ricci’s Ms. Thornhill absent from the scene.
Furthermore, Tyler’s villainous persona appears to torment Wednesday in her visions, creating more terrifying nightmares for her to navigate despite his confinement. The fleeting glimpse of Tyler at Willow Hill suggests that treatment for outcasts there is likely brutal and inhumane, exacerbating Tyler’s rage rather than calming it. The scars on his face and the tears in his eyes when facing Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday indicate he has endured immense suffering during his time at Willow Hill.
As Wednesday Season 2 draws closer, Tyler’s unsettling return seems far more menacing than anything viewers experienced from him or other villains in Season 1. Jenna Ortega previously assured fans that the upcoming season would delve deeper into horror elements, promising a darker mood compared to the original season. Many fans expressed dissatisfaction regarding Season 1’s lack of darkness and macabre elements, particularly when compared to previous Addams Family adaptations, a sentiment that Season 2 aims to confront head-on.
While Netflix has not yet announced an official release date for Wednesday Season 2 in 2025, Ortega, who is also an executive producer on the show, has made it clear that the series will lean increasingly into horror inspirations. However, she clarified that the series won’t devolve into a gratuitous portrayal of the iconic kooky family. Ortega acknowledged that since Wednesday is also viewed by younger audiences, it must retain a certain level of accessibility, but its TV-14 rating permits darker themes to come to the forefront.
As currently portrayed, Wednesday’s haunting psychic visions, paired with Tyler’s captivity, align perfectly with the season’s horror thematic emphasis. Although Tyler’s return after his villainous arc in Season 1 holds great potential, the series still has yet to reveal what his Hyde persona will manifest as in the coming episodes. A common critique from Wednesday’s Season 1 finale regarded the CGI for the Hyde monster, which many viewers found distracting due to its overly glossy and synthetic appearance.
This concern poses a critical challenge for Wednesday Season 2, which must work diligently to ensure Tyler’s return is genuinely frightening and unsettling. The show’s portrayal of the Hyde means is more enigmatic than that of other outcasts, raising questions about what the monstrous figure truly is. It is hoped that Tim Burton, along with Wednesday’s co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, will pivot away from CGI and emphasize practical effects, much like they did in Beetlejuice (2024), to foster a more convincing design for the outcasts and creatures, including the Hyde.
The inspiration drawn from the successful Sandworm and eerie ghosts in Beetlejuice suggests a promising blueprint for Wednesday to follow, especially for crafting designs that resonate with its darkly whimsical universe. As fans eagerly await more revelations about the show’s trajectory in Season 2, the return of Jenna Ortega and her compelling portrayal of Wednesday, alongside Tyler’s newfound menace, certainly amplifies the anticipation surrounding this beloved series.