Stranger Things season 5: Release date, spoilers, cast, news and trailers

Stranger Things fans, it's official – Stranger Things 5 has finally been confirmed as the final season of the Netflix series.

In a statement alongside the release date for Stranger Things 4, the show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, said: "Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you’ll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurtling towards our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last."

Is the latest news about Stranger Things 5?

• Stranger Things 5 episode 1 will be titled 'The Crawl'.
• Writing on season 5 has officially begun – and the first episode has been completed.
• Filming will reportedly begin at some point in 2023, which means a 2024 release date is likely.
• Season 5's storyline will also take place entirely in Hawkins, with Will Byers as the main focus.
• Season 5 will echo the vibe of season 1, but on a much bigger scale.
• Season 5 will reportedly feature no new characters, according to the Duffer brothers.

But when will it be released? What will in happen in season 5? And who will be returning to the cast? Look, we know it's a loooong way off but, here's everything we know about Stranger Things season 5 so far...

Netflix's hit series, Stranger Things, is coming to an end with its fifth and final season, now, one theory poses an idea for how the series can come to a satisfying, but tragic end. Stranger Things season 4 landed on Netflix in May 2022, and pitted the young cast against the sinister Vecna, revealed to be the mastermind behind all the attacks on Hawkins, Indiana. Season 4's cliffhanger ending saw the Upside Down consume Hawkins after Vecna completed his villainous mission, so for season 5, Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers need to wrap up several stories, neutralize the Upside Down, and bring a close to the onslaught on Hawkins.

Throughout Stranger Things, the young characters have formed an intense bond that seems almost unbreakable, though one theory from Reddit suggests that the series' most satisfying ending might spell bad news for the team, particularly Eleven and Mike. The theory poses that Stranger Things season 5 could end with Eleven vanquishing Vecna and taking over his control of the Upside Down, turning it into a paradise rather than the barren and harsh wasteland that it is. This essentially means that the attacks on Hawkins will end, but Eleven will be trapped permanently in the Upside Down, leaving Mike and the other kids to live normal lives without her remarkable influence.

Stranger Things Season 5 Needs To Finally End The Attacks On Hawkins

The usually-sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana has been put through the wringer since Stranger Things premiered in 2016. From Demogorgon attacks, an army of Demodogs, the Mind Flayer, and now Vecna, the town and its residents have seen their fair share of horror with only brief intermissions between each attack. One of the key things that needs to happen during Stranger Things season 5 is the final battle for the fate of Hawkins, which will presumably end with Hawkins' recovery and return to normalcy. The theory suggests that this can happen if Eleven takes control of the Upside Down, as she will be able to deal with the monster threat.

Eleven Can Make The Upside Down A Paradise

One positive that comes out of this theory is that Eleven would be able to mold the Upside Down into whatever she wants, potentially even a paradise. Stranger Things season 4 showed glimpses of what the Upside Down was like before Vecna took over: a harsh landscape inhabited only by monstrous creatures, but the Upside Down that viewers are familiar with was a copy of Hawkins, so that means Vecna must have been able to make adjustments to the world and shape to his desire. This means that, if Eleven becomes the new head honcho in the Upside Down, she can do the same, but turn the world into something beautiful.

The idea posed in the theory is that the Upside Down is a world that can be reshaped to the will of the individual in control. This makes sense as Vecna enters the Upside Down in its wasteland state, when Will finds himself there, it's a perfect replica of Hawkins, and when various characters enter the Upside Down or feel its influence, they often get lost in their own personal memories, but twisted. If Eleven were to take control of the Upside Down, she could reshape the world into a landscape that might not be as horrible to live in, perhaps eliminating the evil held within once and for all.