Pedro Pascal played DEA Agent Javier Pena on "Narcos" for three seasons but is his character coming back for season 4? Showrunner Eric Newman discusses what the real score is.
Pedro Pascal's character quit the agency in the final episode of "Narcos" season 3. He realized that there could be no end to the war on drugs when he learned that top government officials, including the president of Colombia, were involved. His superior, however, gave him an option to help foil another cartel as season 4 shifts from Colombia to Mexico.
In a scene discussing the offer with his father (played by Edward James Olmos), Pena said that he is done fighting cartels even as his face showed that he's not quite sure about his decision.
Newman told The Hollywood Reporter that viewers should not assume that Pena will take the new assignment.
"He sort of realizes that, ‘not only am I playing a rigged game, but everyone around me is OK with it, so what can I do?’" the showrunner described Pena's thought process. "It’s definitely a defeat for him, and his only move is to just say, "I can’t continue to function.'"
New cast for season 4 possible
Newman also said that "Narcos" season 4 might have an entirely new cast moving forward. Cast changes are nothing new on the show, however, considering that the story’s focus also shifts per season.
Two key actors, in fact, left the show after season 2. Wagner Moura’s character, Pablo Escobar, was killed off and Boyd Holbrook’s Agent Steve Murphy moved on to a different assignment.
Pedro Pascal, on the other hand, confirmed via Vulture that he has not yet signed on for the new installment. He also has no idea if the producers will ask him back.
"They haven’t told me anything. I plead the Fifth," the actor said.
Pedro Pascal’s next projects
The filming schedule for "Narcos" season 4 has not yet been determined but the cast and crew from the previous seasons went to work during autumn.
Pedro Pascal, meanwhile, has a new commitment come September when he begins filming for "The Equalizer 2.” The actor has a crucial part in this sequel as the villain against Denzel Washington’s character.
Pedro Pascal is also part of the movie "Triple Frontier" with Charlie Hunnam and Mark Wahlberg. His new projects could mean that he won’t have time to do “Narcos” season 4.
Netflix renewed “Narcos” for the third and fourth season in 2016. Newman hopes that Netflix will eventually renew the series beyond this.
