Warning: Spoilers for Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 ahead.
It’s official: Season 5 of Stranger Things will be it's last. Back in February 2022, the Duffer Brothers announced the news themselves in an open letter shared with fans alongside Season 4’s official poster.
"Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things," the duo wrote in their letter. "At the time, we predicted the story would last four or five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you'll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last."
“With nine scripts, over eight hundred pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one,” the Duffer Brothers shared, calling the fourth season “the beginning of the end.” The duo also shared that the decision to split the season in two parts was due to its “unprecedented length” and to get it to fans “as soon as possible.”
The Duffer Brothers have served as the series creators and showrunners since Stranger Things premiered on Netflix back in 2016. Now, with a two-volume Season 4 in the rearview, there's only one chapter left to focus on for our favorite group of Hawkins kids.
The Duffer Brothers also hinted that though Stranger Things may be coming to an end, its universe will not. “There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes.”
With the promise of so much and so little left on the horizon, we've gathered everything we know so far about Stranger Things Season 5, including release date, plot details, cast info, and more. Below, check out everything you need to know about. Stranger Things 5.
Which cast members are returning for Stranger Things Season 5?
Luckily for us, the majority of the main cast made it out of Season 4 alive, and were present in the final scene of the season. That being said, it's safe to assume that most if not all of the main cast will return for Season 5. This includes Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Noah Schnapp (Will), Priah Ferguson (Erica), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Maya Hawke (Robin), Joe Keery (Steve), David Harbour (Hopper), and Winona Ryder (Joyce).
We bid farewell to Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn) in Episode 9, as he died a hero to save his friends and protect his town. The Duffer Brothers confirmed this character's death to while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast following the finale — yet, there's two other character deaths from Volume 2 that may not actually be nail-in-the-coffin deaths.
Max became a victim of Vecna's curse in the two-part finale, and was technically dead for a full minute before Eleven restarted her heart with her powers. The last we see of Max, she's hospitalized and in a coma. Eleven tries to communicate with her by searching for her mind, but there is, tragically, no response.
While speaking to Entertainment Weekly following Volume 2's release, actress Sadie Sink (who plays Max) opened up about the agonizing scene of Max's death and her character's future in the show. "It really is just so sad," Sadie said told EW. “When you're putting yourself in that moment and then you're with someone like Caleb, who I've known since I was very little, sometimes things can feel very real on that set. It was very emotional… It's just so heartbreaking."
When asked about Max's fate, however, EW reports that Sadie was quick to point out that Max has a pulse and is technically still alive and present in the show. "I'm not sure where we're going and what Max's state is. It's definitely all up in the air right now," said Sadie. "I'm just as excited as everyone else to find out where Max is and how she's doing."
Jamie Campbell Bower, who portrayed this season's villain Vecna/Henry/One, also hinted at a S5 return to EW, noting the scene where Vecna should be dead, but suddenly disappears.
On August 29, JCB opened up further to NME, teasing that Vecna will most likely be back for Season 5, and he'll be back with a hell of a vengeance. “He’s pissed, he’s properly vexed,” said JCB. “I don’t think he’s slunk off licking his wounds in misery. He’s rebuilding, and he’s out for blood. It’s like, you’ve really f*cking pushed the buttons now, that classic Jason Voorhees [the iconic killer in Friday the 13th] thing – you’ve made a big mistake.”
Though Jamie still hasn't confirmed whether he'd signed on for multiple seasons, Will's mention to Mike that he could still feel Vecna's presence during the finale is almost confirmation enough. "I think Vecna and Will have a connection that’s yet to be explored,” continued JCB. “As a fan, I’d be interested to see more of that.”
Will new characters be introduced in Stranger Things Season 5?
While speaking to IndieWire in August, the Duffer Brothers broke down their rationale behind bringing new characters on the show.
“Whenever we introduce a new character, we want to make sure that they’re going to be an integral part of the narrative,” Ross said. “So that’s something with Eddie [in season 4], where we go, ‘Well, we need a character here for this storyline to really work, and to give it the engine that is needed.’ But every time we do that, we’re nervous, because you go, ‘We’ve got a great cast of characters here, and actors, and any moment we’re spending with a new character, we’re taking time away from one of the other actors.’ So we’re just very, very careful about who we’re introducing."
Ross and Matt went on to praise the adaptability and performances of actors brought on the series after season 1, like Joseph Quinn, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, and Dacre Montgomery. Though they avoid introducing multiple new core characters in a given season, the Duffer Brothers admitted that new characters can bring fresh ideas, just like new plot devices or new creatures to battle.
“I just like shaking it up, so we shake it up by changing the plot or adding in a new monster,” said Matt. “We’re doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5. We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.” With such a finite amount of time left with the OG Hawkins gang, it makes sense that the Stranger Things writers want to make sure that fans aren't left feeling shorted by the series finale. This means there might be a new face around town in Stranger Things 5, but don't count on it too much.
What will Stranger Things Season 5 be about?
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Stranger Things 5 will likely follow the Hawkins gang's final adventure as they team up to crack their biggest mystery yet: how to defeat Vecna once and for all. The Duffer Brothers previously told TV Line that there will be a time jump, and confirmed to Collider that the last season will primarily be set in Hawkins and the Upside Down — no more being split between Russia, California, and Indiana. The brothers have also revealed in multiple interviews that the main focus of Season 5 will be to break down the mythology of the Upside Down, and finally provide answers to questions we've had since Season 1.
The Duffer Brothers have also been clear that they're not entirely sure what this last season will look like, but they know for sure how it will end.
“It's like that lighthouse blinking in the distance... while a lot of Season 5 is actually pretty blurry, the last 30 minutes of it are pretty clear in our heads,” said Ross. "So if we can make the journey entertaining, I think that we have an end that will hopefully satisfy. You can't satisfy eve
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