Aca-what now? The new Pitch Perfect movie has one notable cast member missing, but before you start hyperventilating, don't worry because it's not one of the Bellas. Jesse Swanson however, is absent, and everyone wants to know why Skylar Astin is not in Pitch Perfect 3. Back in 2016, the actor who plays Beca's boyfriend tweeted about the decision, saying, "As of now, the Trebles and I won't be in the third Pitch Perfect movie. They seem to be taking the story in a different direction." Maybe the third movie should be called Pitch "Good Enough," because can it really be perfect without Jesse?
Jesse's absence from the new movie isn't as bad as it sounds, because it actually makes a lot of sense to end the trilogy on an all-girls' note. One of the best parts about the Pitch Perfect franchise is how much it doesn't revolve around men and romance. Sure, the Barden Bellas originally had fierce competition with their male counterparts, the Treblemakers, but the women always had other things to talk about besides their male love interests. They were busy worrying about how to nail their routine for the next competition, for instance.
And while without Jesse, the romantic love story shared by he and Beca might be missed, it certainly doesn't mean the new movie is ruined. Keeping the Trebles out of Pitch Perfect 3 makes a lot of sense, as the Bellas graduated from the school which hosted both a cappella teams. The new movie instead follows the ladies on a world tour as they sing for USOs stationed around Europe, thanks to Aubrey's (Anna Camp) dad's connections as a high-status army official.
Jesse might be M.I.A. this go-around, but fans still could see him return to the a cappella world again someday. In December 2016, Astin explained to Refinery 29, "They may be taking the girls in another direction this time, but this is not the end of the line for Jesse because he's not dead... They could always bring him back in some form, or maybe a spin-off." A movie focused on Jesse and his postgrad adventures could — and should — definitely happen, but Pitch Perfect 3 is probably the end of the line for the original Bellas. In April, the series' screenwriter, Kay Cannon told E! that she felt the third movie was most likely the last. "I think it's the end of the Bellas as we know them. If there's a Pitch Perfect 4, it will be a new crop," Cannon revealed.
The tight-knit cast seems to have its own plan for remaining together, though. On Rebel Wilson's Instagram from April, she captioned a video of the Bellas with, "This is not the end. Bellas for life x." Anna Camp also told Refinery29 that she hopes the Bellas will return in a different stage of life. "I just personally can't wait for Pitch Perfect like, 20 — when we're really old and we're singing a cappella in our retirement homes, and we're having the best times of our lives and we all have gray hair and walkers and wheelchairs," she said.
The new movie, while different from the first two Pitch Perfect films, offers exciting new opportunities for the Bellas as well. In an interview with Bustle, Brittany Snow, who plays Chloe, revealed that the cast got to improvise more on the new movie than ever before. "All of my cool pick up lines, pretty much everything I say..." was improvised, the actor explained, adding that her co-stars did the same.
It might feel sad to watch the new Pitch Perfect installment knowing it's the last one with the Bellas, but the film will still deliver what every Pitch Perfect lover watches the movies for in the first place. The Barden Bellas have always charmed audiences because of their hilarious friendships and dramatic renditions of pop hits, and even without some familiar faces like Astin, the cast will carry the a cappella torch just fine on their own.
