Since 2016, “Stranger Things” has captivated our screens and become a global phenomenon, skyrocketing Netflix to new heights and turning stars like Millie Bobby Brown and Sadie Sink into household names. The summer of 2022 saw the thrilling debut of the fourth season, which not only had fans theorizing about Vecna’s mysterious origins but also sent Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” soaring up the charts!
The agonizing wait between seasons has always been tough, and this final season is no exception. After the writer’s and actors’ strike, production kicked off in January 2024. On July 15th, 2024, the “Stranger Things” social media channels dropped a tantalizing behind-the-scenes video, revealing they’re halfway through filming and offering sneak peeks of the highly anticipated season. How will The Duffer Brothers wrap up this iconic series? Here’s the scoop on what to expect from the epic fifth and final season!
1. Not Released Until At Least 2025
“Stranger Things” requires lots of visual effects and editing due to the scale of the production. With filming only halfway done, Netflix announced to not expect the new season until at least 2025. Millie Bobby Brown said that she believes they will wrap production around the Christmas season of 2024. Filming for the fourth season wrapped in September 2021 and was released in May 2022. With this same schedule in mind, hopefully the new season will grace our screens in 2025.
2. Returning Cast Members
Most of the main cast of “Stranger Things” emerged from season four alive, suggesting that Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), David Harbour (Hopper), Winona Ryder (Joyce), Brett Gelman (Murray) Priah Ferguson (Erica), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Maya Hawke (Robin), Joe Keery (Steve), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), and Amybeth McNulty (Vickie) are returning.
Following a big fourth season focus, Max (Sadie Sink) was still up in the air. At the end of the last season, Max is in a coma after Vecna’s curse stops her heart for over a minute. While Max still has a pulse, her future is uncertain. However, Netflix released a photo of the first day of production with Sink appearing. We do not know how large of a role Sink will play in the fourth season but we expect her to leave the coma.
One character who will not return in the same capacity is Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson, who sacrificed himself at the end of the fourth season to defeat Vecna. Quinn recently starred in “A Quiet Place: Day One” and said that he would be open to appearing in a guest appearance. In the world of “Stranger Things”, flashbacks and supernatural appearances are always on the table. So we may see Eddie just like we saw past dead characters in previous seasons.
3. New Additions
“Stranger Things” is known to add new cast members each season. Sadie Sink joined in Season 2, Maya Hawke in Season 3, Jamie Campbell Bower/Joseph Quinn in Season 4, and this season we have: Linda Hamilton, Nell Fischer, Alex Breaux, and Jake Connelly.
Linda Hamilton is best known for playing tough and resilient characters in 80s action movies such as “The Terminator”. Hamilton is a big fan of the show and was quoted in the show saying “I love this so much. I really am a fan”. Her role in the new season, remains shrouded in secrecy.
4. The Ending Made Netflix Executives Cry and Minor Plot Details
Ross and Matt Duffer revealed to in late 2022 that “We did get our executives to cry, which I felt was a good sign that these executives were crying. The only other times I’ve seen them cry were like budget meetings.”
The show did get sadder in the last two seasons with themes of isolation and mental health taking center stage. But what made Netflix executives cry? Well, we know that the main four cast members are returning to scenes together. Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin make up “the core four”. Wolfhard reveals in the new teaser video that he is “excited to have scenes with the original four”. It was previously revealed that Noah Schnapp will have a bigger role this season as Will has had a more supporting role since Season 2. At the end of the last season, we see him reach for his neck signaling that he felt something approaching.
The season will return to the format of the first season, focusing on the main characters but will still have the production scale of the fourth season. Maya Hawke revealed during “Inside Out 2” press that “We’re making, basically, eight movies. The episodes are very long”. The longest episode of the last season was 2 hours and 22 minutes. The shortest was just over a hour long. This yielded mixed reviews from critics and audiences as some felt they were too long. However, the season was a huge success and broke numerous viewership records for the streamer.
5. This is the last season but there is more to come
While Season 5 may be the last of the original “Stranger Things” series, that does not mean that the world of Hawkins is gone forever. There is already a play that premiered on the West End in late 2023 called “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” to rave reviews. It is a prequel to the television series and is expected to transfer to Broadway in 2025.
Looking forward, the Duffer brothers announced plans for a spinoff series and an animated show set in the Upside Down universe, among other projects under their Netflix deal. The details for the spinoff are kept very under wraps with only Finn Wolfhard (Mike) being the cast member to correctly guess the spinoff.
We’re buzzing with excitement for the epic return of “Stranger Things”! Get ready to dive back into the Upside Down and bid a heartfelt farewell to the characters who have become like old friends. If you need to catch up or just want to relive the adventure, you can stream the first four seasons of “Stranger Things” on Netflix. Let the countdown begin!
