Stranger Things season 5: Release date, plot, cast, trailer, countdown and more

 It’s official: Stranger Things season 5 will be its 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 favourite 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 the release date, plot details, cast info, and more. Below, check out everything you need to know about. Stranger Things 5.

Who is in the cast of Stranger Things Season 5?

Courtesy of Netflix

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 saving his friends and protecting his town. The Duffer Brothers confirmed this character's death while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast following the finale—yet, there's two other character deaths from Volume 2 that are a bit more unclear.

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 hospitalised 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 agonising 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. Though Jamie didn't confirm 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.