Actress Tina Majorino explains why her character, Mac, is not in Veronica Mars season 4. Majorino appeared on the original series, which premiered on the UPN in 2004, as well as in the 2014 Kickstarter-backed film. In 2018, star Kristen Bell confirmed a Veronica Mars revival with a season 4 set to release exclusively on Hulu.
Bell wasn't the only returning character announced for Veronica Mars season 4, though. Many of the show's original actors reprised their roles for Hulu's iteration of the series, including Jason Dohring, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen, Ken Marino and Max Greenfield. After Hulu dropped Veronica Mars season 4 a week early, though, many fans noticed that Mac, Neptune's residential hacker, wasn't around. Her absence gets quickly explained with a comment from Veronica that Mac is currently MIA in Istanbul.
It turns out that there was a genuine reason for Mac's absence. Majorino spoke with TV Line about Mac not returning to Veronica Mars. Although Majorino was approached to appear in season 4, she ultimately decided to turn it down after learning that she wouldn't have much story for her character. Series creator Rob Thomas explained to her that most of the show's major characters would take a backseat to the murder mystery depicted in season 4. Majorino then decided that it wasn't fair to her or her fans to have Mac return for something that was, more or less, a cameo role. She said:
“There was no room for my beloved hacker queen and, as conversations continued, that only became more clear. So, I made the decision not to participate. I was so pleased with where we saw her end up in the movie that I didn’t want to demean that by making an appearance that would not satisfy me, Mac, or the viewers. I am so grateful to have been a part of this show and the subsequent film and I hope it will bring everyone involved as much success as the original. I hope that the fans understand my logic and I hope that they understand that there are worlds beyond Veronica Mars that we will all explore together in the future.”
Thomas explained that he understood Majorino's reason and that he held no hard feelings towards her. He even stated that he would love to work with her again. Meanwhile, fans are desperately waiting to see if Hulu will pick up Veronica Mars for season 5. If that happens, Bell has already stated she's on board. It's also likely that the next season could have a more prominent role for Mac, allowing Majorino to return to the role that she originated way back in 2004.
Some disappointed Mac fans might not like Majorino's reason for not taking part in the Veronica Mars revival. However, it's apparent that the actress still has a lot of respect for Mac and only wants to do right by her. It's still a shame that she doesn't turn up in season 4, though. Veronica could have used Mac's hacking skills in season 4, as well as extra support from another friend. Fans can only hope that Majorino gets a chance to return as Mac at a later date.
Source: TV Line