Jennifer Marshall, recognized for her role as Max’s mother on the hit series Stranger Things, recently opened up about how a return to the show for its fifth season could have significantly supported her in her fight against cancer. She had appeared in both the second and fourth seasons of the Netflix sensation, playing the part of Susan Hargrove.

On January 6, Marshall, who is 44, shared her thoughts with fans on Instagram, expressing that reprising her role in the series’ concluding chapter would have been transformative. “I had cancer, I get it. But I was in remission during the shooting of season five. Shooting would have helped me obtain my health insurance through the union. Maybe they had too many characters, idk but obv Susan Hargrove is THE WORST MOTHER EVER LMAO,” she wrote, punctuating her post with hashtags like “#cancersucks #butwhy.”

Marshall’s journey has been a challenging one. A proud military veteran, she revealed in October 2022 on Facebook that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 cancer at 39, following an initial battle with stage 1 cancer in her foot that metastasized to her lymph nodes.

In her latest Instagram update, Marshall confirmed her remission status and included a video reflecting on her character’s potential future in season five. When asked how often she pondered Susan’s fate, she candidly replied, “Every day. Not all day, every day but every day,” as she gazed into the camera.

Meanwhile, another television icon, Susan Sullivan, recently caught her fans by surprise. The 80-year-old actress underwent an undisclosed surgery and later disclosed her own cancer diagnosis. In a heartfelt message shared on X (formerly Twitter) on October 16, she wrote, “Life’s surprising little turns try to be ready for them with humor and hope. On we go.” Sullivan is best known for her role as Martha Rodgers on the series Castle.

The video also featured pasted graphics that read “HUH?” and “Confused.”

Five days earlier, Marshall shared another Instagram post that included a photo of Max, played by Sadie Sink, lying in a hospital bed as she remained in a coma during the beginning of season 5. “But where was Max’s mom??” a block of text read atop the photo, while the caption continued, “Okay folks! It’s over … but where was she? What kind of mother isn’t there for her child while she’s in the hospital?”

Fans took to the earlier post’s comments section to share their curiosity over Susan’s exclusion from season 5. “Was hoping to see you! Asking the same question,” wrote one fan, while another commented, “I was looking for you at the graduation!!! Everyone’s family was there but Max’s? They did her wrong!”

After six years at Netflix, Stranger Things is getting ready to wrap up its journey with a fifth and final season. Ahead of the show’s highly-anticipated season 4 premiere, creators Matt and Ross Duffer announced that they were going to end the series after one more chapter in Hawkins, Indiana. “Seven years ago, we planned […]

In the hit series, Susan turned to alcohol after her husband, Neil Hargrove, left the family home following the death of Billy Hargrove, Max’s stepbrother. Susan’s final appearance came in season 4 where she was impersonated by Vecna in the yard of her trailer.

Stranger Things fans have shared online theories as to where Susan ended up, with some social media users speculating that she may have died when Hawkins was split in four at the end of season 4.

Sink, 23, offered her own take on Susan’s disappearance during an interview with Vulture, published on December 25, 2025. When asked if she’d “given much thought” as to where her fictional mother was during Max’s coma stint, Sink provided thoughts.

“It’s kind of common for the parents on the show: You just don’t know where they are except for Karen Wheeler [played by Cara Buono]. My theory is that Max’s mom must have disappeared or died at some point in the rift at the end of season four, because it goes through the trailer park,” Sink told the outlet before admitting that the show did “kind of gloss over” the season 4 finale in the final Stranger Things episodes.