The teenagers of Hawkins, Indiana, and their superpowered companion Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) have fought with the Soviets, taken down an evil government lab, and destroyed several creatures from another realm during the course of Netflix’s popular Stranger Things series. Now that the series is coming to an end with a fifth and final season, it appears that all of those dangers have simply served to prepare them for what is ahead.
The Duffer Brothers, who created and overseen the series, declared that Season 5 will be its final episode before Season 4 had even begun to premiere in early 2022. They said in a letter at the time that they had planned the “full story arc” for the show seven years prior and that they anticipated it would take four to five seasons to finish. Fans are eager to see how the programme wraps out its expansive sci-fi plot after the two-part fourth season—which smashed records to become the most-streamed show in a week—revealed what’s truly been happening in Hawkins all along. Even though knowledge regarding Stranger Things’ final season is often limited, we’re breaking it down here.
the season 4 cast of Stranger Things
When will Stranger Things: Season 5 be available?
There is currently no set date for Season 5. While the epidemic specifically caused a delay in Season 4’s release date, given the high-budget production cycle of Stranger Things, it may take some time. We anticipate that additional episodes will start airing in 2024.
For what it’s worth, actor David Harbour predicts that the final season will debut at that time as well. He said to GQ, “Next year, I believe we’ll [shoot]. They need to prepare and other things because they are finishing the writing this year.” He stated that he planned to begin filming this year, but that it is more likely that he will do it next year, thus “based on our track record it would probably come out mid-2024.”
How many episodes are there in Season 5 of Stranger Things?
There is currently no official episode count available. Given that each season has featured eight or nine episodes, we would assume the last one to have a similar number.
We do know that the episodes won’t be as long as they were in Season 4, a decision that not all fans approved of. The Duffer Brothers said they don’t anticipate Season 5 to have as many episodes and said that the length of Season 4’s episodes was due to how much of a “ramp-up” it was. However, they did mention that the last episode would likely be longer than a full picture, so be ready for a dramatic climax.
In season four of Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max.
Who will return for Season 5 of Stranger Things in the cast?
Since the primary group has managed to survive the Upside Down this long—Eleven, the Hellfire Club geeks, their teenage babysitters, and families—fans may anticipate that everyone will return for Season 5. Vecna/One/Henry Creel, who the monster-hunting teenagers have yet to defeat and who we now know is at the core of the Upside Down, will also be back, it has also been revealed. The actor who portrays the villain, Jamie Campbell Bower, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he is coming back and claimed to already be aware of the Season 5 plot.
Joseph Quinn, who portrayed Eddie Munson, won’t be returning since the show has a history of introducing new characters that quickly gain popularity before being killed off that same season. (He did, however, pass away a hero!) But Max, played by Sadie Sink, is a distinct character whose future is not quite apparent. Despite the fact that Vecna came very close to killing her, it is proven that she was left “brain dead, blind, and all of her bones are fractured.” Sink herself has admitted that she has “no idea what’s coming in [Season 5]” and that her character’s story is “very up in the air.” As a result, it’s entirely possible that Max will return and play a crucial role in ending Vecna’s reign of terror. Alternatively, we could be in for a very tragic death.
What will Season 5 of Stranger Things be about?
In contrast to how almost every season of Stranger Things concluded with the demogorgons dispatched and all of Hawkins’ adventures neatly tied up, with the exception of a tease at some type of darkness still existing, Season 4 couldn’t have finished any more unexpectedly. There is already a rift between Hawkins and the Upside Down, and it only seems a matter of time before darkness keeps seeping into our world from the other side (and other Hawkins residents realise that was no Indiana earthquake). In other words, it appears like Vecna, the Mindflayer, and whatever else is lurking in the Upside Down will finally square up against Eleven (along with the help of her friends). Although the exact course of events is uncertain, it appears inevitable.
Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) returning to the fold much more so also appears to be a possibility. He still has some link to the Upside Down because of his return to Hawkins in the Season 4 finale, so it’s conceivable he will be crucial to stopping it. (That is, if it doesn’t swallow him whole.) Even more, according to Schnapp, “the Duffers are indicating that they’re going to focus more on Will and construct that narrative line for next season.” It seems probable that there will be a tie-in with that in Season 5 because he made the point of mentioning that Will was the first victim and the first person from Hawkins caught.
Given the number of early clues and details that have influenced Stranger Things, it’s plausible that Will’s picture that Mike created foreshadows Season 5. You might recall that it was a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired picture showing their buddies as knights battling a dragon with many heads, with Mike serving as their “heart” and saving the day. It is similar to the Prince of Demons who killed Will in the D&D game they’re playing in the very first episode of Season 1, Reddit and TikTok theorists have noted. Despite the lack of confirmation, it seems like a point worth considering in the interim, especially because Nancy (Natalia Dyer) said Vecna had shown her a vision of a creature that was unlike anything she had ever seen.
It appears we will also discover more about Vecna’s origin in the next episodes for those who are still fixated on potential narrative holes regarding the mythology of the Upside Down and who simply want to know more about him in general. According to Jamie Campbell Bower, “I believe what you will see is more of Vecna’s human side, and there is also a gigantic, amazing, cool thing you see! You continue to see quite a deal more progress, especially for Vecna and Henry in relation to Vecna.”
Is Stranger Things’ fifth season actually its last?
It’s true: the acclaimed sci-fi sensation on Netflix is truly coming to an end. Although it’s sad to see the show end, the Duffer brothers are said to have long known how to finish things up, so you can probably anticipate an epic ending. In any case, the ensemble is beginning to transition from their youthful roles.
Despite being the series’ final season, further works will also be based in its universe. Deadline stated that the Duffer brothers had established Upside Down Pictures and had a number of projects in development, some of which were influenced by Stranger Things, when Season 4 Volume 2 was released. A live-action spin-off is ultimately coming to Netflix, however specifics are few. But don’t anticipate it to be about anyone from the core Hawkins crew: The showrunners have emphasised that it would be “very, very different” and that the premise “will surprise fans.” Finally, a “stage play based inside the universe and mythology of Stranger Things” is in the works for all you theatre nerds out there. The series creator Kate Trefry will pen the script, and it will be made by Netflix, renowned theatrical producer Sonia Friedman, and director Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot).
There is still the last season to watch before Stranger Things receives any of the inevitable full-blown franchise treatment. As new information is released, we’ll keep this post up to date.
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