WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Beetlejuice 2!Delia Deetz’s death provided a great twist in the third act of Charles Deetz’s headless ghost return, Jeremy being a ghost, and original character Little Jane Butterfield returning as a grown-up realtor in Winter River. However, some twists were given away through subtle details in the trailers, with Delia’s death being one of them.

While Charles Deetz’s death was revealed early on in the sequel’s promotional materials, as it served as the catalyst for the family returning to Winter River, it still came as a relatively unexpected development that Beetlejuice 2 also killed off Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz. While Astrid and Lydia are already in the afterlife realm, Delia goes to Charles’ grave with two venomous snakes that bite and kill her. I wasn’t certain how the animal would factor into her story, but I did happen to catch the tease that Delia would be killed by snakes in Beetlejuice 2’s trailers.

I Caught Teases For Delia's Death In Beetlejuice 2's Trailer

Beetlejuice 2's Trailer Had Some Clues To Delia's Death

The official trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice features some key moments of Delia Deetz in the iconic Neitherworld waiting room, which was already a big hint that she would become a ghost in the sequel. While Astrid was seen walking through the room, Delia was actually sitting on the couch awaiting her turn to speak with her caseworker. Still, these details may not have been strong enough to conclude that she would die in the sequel.

Every Major Dead Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Character & How They Died

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It wasn’t until I saw that Delia had blood on her neck from what looked like a snake bite that I was convinced her character would the afterlife. As it turned out, Beetlejuice 2’s ending, with Tim Burton’s sequel killing off two of the three original Deetz family .

Why Delia's Death Makes Sense For Beetlejuice 2 (& The Franchise's Future)

Will Delia's Ghost Haunt The Winter River House?

Delia (Catherine O'Hara) crying and wailing as part of an art performance in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Killing of Delia was a big risk for Burton’s 2024 sequel. Delia is a fan-favorite original character, and Catherine O’Hara’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past 36 years since the original movie. However, her death makes complete sense within the context of the film and provides a hilarious gag for the character. Additionally, with Delia being dead, Lydia and Astrid are given another close connection to the afterlife as they interact with ghosts, have another ghost to conjure up Betelgeuse, and maintain the familial dead-living Winter River character dynamic that Lydia had with the Maitlands in the first movie.

Delia and Charles could take over the Maitlands’ role of haunting the Winter River house.

The death of Catherine O’Hara’s Beetlejuice 2 character also leaves the door open to continue the Deetzes’ story in the future. While we’ve now seen Delia explore the afterlife with Charles, we haven’t seen her truly tackle the struggles of being a ghost on Earth. Delia and Charles could take over the Maitlands’ role of haunting the Winter River house, which increases the potential for another movie in which Lydia and Astrid return to the home and reunite with Betelgeuse yet another time after Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.