Austin Abrams has finally spoken about why fans did not see him in the third and final season of Euphoria. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly at San Diego Comic Con 2026, the actor revealed that he was never asked to return for the show’s final chapter. Abrams, who played Ethan in the first two seasons of the popular HBO drama, said he believes the decision was simply because his character no longer fit the direction of the story. Even though he did not return, the actor made it clear that he has nothing but admiration for the show’s creator, Sam Levinson, and continues to respect his work.
Abrams explained that he was never contacted to appear in the final season and felt it probably made sense from a storytelling point of view. He praised Levinson as a talented creator and said he has great affection for him despite not being part of the final episodes. The actor also surprised fans by revealing that he has never actually watched Euphoria, even though he appeared in two seasons of the series. His character Ethan was known as one of the more kind hearted and stable students in the show. Most of his story focused on his relationship with Kat, played by Barbie Ferreira. Since Ferreira also did not return for the final season, many fans expected Ethan’s storyline to end as well. The third season also featured a major time jump that moved the story from high school to adulthood, with the characters beginning new lives in Los Angeles.
Although Abrams has moved on from Euphoria, his career continues to grow with exciting new projects. The actor will next star in a new Resident Evil movie directed by Zach Cregger, who also worked with him on the upcoming horror film Weapons. Cregger spoke highly of Abrams during Comic Con, calling him an actor who makes every project better. He explained that they quickly developed a strong creative connection while working on Weapons, making it an easy decision to cast Abrams again in Resident Evil. According to the director, they share the same creative vision and work extremely well together, allowing ideas to flow naturally on set.
Abrams also spoke warmly about his experience working with Cregger. He described the first week of filming Weapons as one of the most enjoyable experiences of his career. The actor said he appreciates that the director knows exactly what he wants while still encouraging actors to share ideas and contribute creatively. Abrams also admitted that before joining Resident Evil, he knew about the famous video game series but had never really played it because it frightened him. Since signing on to the film, however, he has started playing several of the games to better understand the world and its characters. His growing excitement for the franchise has only increased his enthusiasm for the movie. With Resident Evil scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 18, fans are eager to see Abrams take on a completely different kind of role after his memorable time on Euphoria, marking the beginning of another exciting chapter in his acting career.