Eleven regains her powers.
But is it enough to face the demonic Upside Down now that it has been turned Right Side Up?
Will the martyrs not get justice after being sacrificed? Keep reading!
Vecna, the bloodthirsty demon from Upside Down, is stronger than ever and is slowly unleashing hell on Earth. Will the ultimate showdown between Eleven, Will, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and the Demogorgans result in the victory of the former? Or will Vecna be triumphant in relinquishing the world with the profane Upside Down universe? The fifth and final Season of the cult classic Stranger Things will answer these questions!
Duffe Brothers’ bewitching horror and 80’s nostalgia-packed series has successfully become a global phenomenon, trampling over every record out there. With a stellar cast, awe-inspiring cameos, classic 80s vibe, and its official playlist, Stranger Things has turned into a movement, more than it being just a Netflix series. However, the streamer staple will finally sing its swan song with its fifth and final season after eight long years of non-stop entertainment.
The science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers was renewed for a fifth and final season back in February 2022! Ever since then, fans have been grappling with bitter-sweet contention regarding the final chapter of their beloved show. Things have not been smooth over these few months since the season renewal due to the onslaught of the WGA and SAG- AFTRA strike situation, and the wide fandom has been searching for even a hint of an update on the production front and when we can expect Stranger Things Season 5 to release. If you are one of the viewers who are shrouded in queries regarding the new season of your favorite 80s show, you have come to the right place, as we have gathered some recent updates on the upcoming season of Stranger Things. So, continue reading.
Stranger Things Season 5 Developments: Strike Update
Amidst buzzes of date predictions following the renewal announcement in February 2023, fans were eagerly singing to the tune of the Stranger Things playlist, awaiting a release date confirmation from the Duffer Brothers. To the delight of the Herculean Stranger Things fandom, they confirmed that shooting for the final season would begin in summer, which means the writers were already dipping their pens in ink and brewing new plotlines for the final smackdown. They began writing for the final in August!
The writing of #StrangerThings5 has officially begun TODAY! pic.twitter.com/3pJ1ruUZO8
— Stranger Things Spoilers (@SThingsSpoilers) August 2, 2022
“We’re walking into season five. I’ve got a couple more months to train. We start shooting that in June, though, and that will be the final season. I did a lot of training for season four. He [Hopper] was in a very specific position, that Russian prison.”
However, the timeline never materialized because, in May, the WGA went into strike mode, demanding better wages for their labor and protection against artificial intelligence that could replace them in the future. Following this development, the creators of Stranger Things took to Instagram to alert the fans that they are standing with the WGA and will not resume writing unless their demands have been met. Check out the post here:
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
“Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out.”
Stirring the pot of bad luck enters the SAG AFTRA, whose riff with the AMPTP ignited a double strike as they joined hands with the WGA. So without any actor or writer, the production for Stranger Things, which was set to begin in June, simply had to be called off, and it was put into the state of an indefinite hiatus. Four months later, we are still in the middle of the strike with no definitive development for any kind of negotiation. However, we do have a few titbits exposed about the upcoming Season, so we might have a prediction on when it will drop on Netflix.
Stranger Things Season 5 Is Not Coming To Netflix In September 2023
As of writing this, we regret to confirm that the final season will not be reaching us in September. Not even in 2023. In fact, in a recent post set on the official Twitter handle of Stranger Things, they have confirmed a 2024 release. Check out the post below.
IT’S COMING. SEASON 5. 2024. #StrangerThings pic.twitter.com/FUggM73Vxg
— Stranger News (@StrangerNews11) August 20, 2023
This post was followed by another prompt that the final Season is coming soon! Check out the post here.
IT’S COMING. #StrangerThings
— Stranger News (@StrangerNews11) September 12, 2023
Syncing with the bouts of more insider information, the Insider Twitter account for Stranger Things has also updated the audience on the set developments that were being prepared for the final Season. According to them, the set was being arranged in the Hawkins High School, which will be ready when the shooting resumes, saving us ample time. Check out the post here:
Hawkins High School looks prepared for filming once the strike is over. Only the back half of the school has newly painted concrete. Water tower has been painted and the temporary AC units are ready to go! #StrangerThings #StrangerThings5 #ST5 #Hawkins @StrangerInsider pic.twitter.com/ef1PjGTqZC
— Jared (@itsjaredfilm) August 13, 2023
In the spirit of these positive updates, fans eagerly anticipate the arrival of the final season of Stranger Things, which is set to arrive in 2024. Owing to the time taken to film such a complicated, stunt-filled series, along with superior VFX, it takes time to create the masterpiece. At most, we can hope for a fall 2024 release as of now. It is imperative to note that this date is susceptible to alteration depending on the strike situation, so stay tuned to this space because we will update each and every step here.
Stranger Things Season 5 Cast: Who Will Reprise Their Roles, Who Won’t, And New Cast Additions
The following members are set to reprise their roles for the final season:
- Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
- David Harbour as Jim Hopper
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
- Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
- Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
- Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
- Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
- Joe Keery as Steve Harrington.
The other cast members who are also expected to return are:
- Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
- Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
- Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
- Paul Reiser as Dr. Sam Owens
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel/Vecna
- Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
- Eduardo Franco as Argyle
Also, check out the new alert for a member addition to the cast by TUDUM:
🚨Breaking News From #TUDUM🚨
Linda Hamilton is joining the cast of Stranger Things 5! pic.twitter.com/WTZES503cF
— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) June 18, 2023
Her role has not been specified yet. All we know is that she will pull out some badass Terminator moves, and the viewers will erupt in cheers owing to her ethereal performance.
*Spoiler Alert*
While it’s likely that Sadie Sink will return as Max, considering she’s been left in a coma by Season 4’s end, it’s unclear to what capacity she’ll be appearing. Max’s comma sequence had the viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering if she would ever make it out of Upside Down. Check it out here:
It also seems like fan-fave character Eddie Munson, played by Joe Quinn, will be staying dead and won’t be returning for Season 5. There have also been reports that Season 5 will use digital techniques to de-age the existing cast in order to make the actors look younger. Stay tuned to Web News Observer for interesting updates such as these.
Now, with this being the final season, it’s expected that not every character is going to make it. “Well, it’s the last season, so people are probably going to die,” as described by Maya Hawke to Rolling Stone. “I would love to die and get my hero’s moment. I’d love to die with honor, as any actor would.
“But I love the way that the Duffer Brothers love their actors. The reason that they write so beautifully for me and for everyone else is because they fall in love with their actors and their characters, and they don’t want to kill them. I think that’s a beautiful quality that they have, and I wouldn’t wish it away.”
As for Noah Schnapp, after coming out as gay shortly after confirming his character Will is gay, he told Variety: “I think the way I act in Season 5, honestly, might be a little different. I will be fully aware of who I am. Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I’m honestly just excited.”
In the same interview, Ross Duffer said: “Will really takes center stage again in Season 5. This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality – it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”
Another of the key cast members, Millie Bobby Brown, said in an August 2023 interview with Women’s Wear Daily – conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike – that while the Season 5 finale will be bittersweet, she’s ready for the series to end.
“I think I’m ready. It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year,” she told the outlet. “You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Plot: What Can We Expect In The New Season
Viewers, get ready to buckle up for the final ride as creators have revealed the 1st episode title of Stranger Things Season 5, and it is “Chapter One: The Crawl.”
To close out #StrangerThingsDay, very excited to reveal that the Stranger Things 5 premiere episode is titled…
THE CRAWL pic.twitter.com/QosrkNZcRi
— Netflix (@netflix) November 7, 2022
Also, the final season will consist of eight episodes, as revealed by the streamer giant. Check out the post for the same below:
FINAL SEASON. 8 EPISODES. 2024. #StrangerThings pic.twitter.com/3IhJQz8dU9
— Stranger News (@StrangerNews11) September 11, 2023
Here is what creators Matt and Ross Duffer previously told Tudum about the mythology and lore of the Upside Down. “We were like, ‘We know what’s going on in the Upside Down, more or less, but we want it to be unknowable. We want it to be mysterious,” Matt Duffer explained. “But they were like, ‘Yeah, but can you write it down?’ And so we wrote it all down.” These hints can be attributed to the theme of the last season. More lingering mysteries are coming your way!
“The last remaining questions that are answered in that document, we’ve punted a couple of those to have some big reveals in Season 5,” said Ross Duffer during Geeked Week in June.
These mysteries include the government program at Hawkins Lab and “what happened to it once Henry became involved,” saying the final season will expand upon how Dr. Brenner “evolved it” into including multiple kids. In addition, the Upside Down, being seemingly “frozen” on November 6, 1983, will also come into focus as a major plot point, which will be quite exciting and worth watching as a part of the final season! That’s not all! The recently released open casting call seeking for 1988 or older vintage vehicles suggests that season 5 might be set in 1988.
“And that’s really going to affect what Season 5 is about.” That will be continued by stating the premise as follows, “On Nov. 6, 1983, Will Byers went missing in Hawkins, Indiana. Long after the town gave up the search, his friends kept looking… and discovered a mysterious girl known only by the number: Eleven. She was alone, hunted, and extremely powerful. Eleven would stop at nothing to help them find their friend. Today, Stranger Things fans everywhere celebrate Nov. 6 as Stranger Things Day, a special day to share their love for the series.”
“Characters are already going to be in action, they’re already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that’s going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different,” Matt Duffer said at the time. “I’m sure the wrap-up will be a lot longer, it’s going to be ‘Return of the King’-ish with, like, eight endings.” (via Deadline)
“There’s no way to be contiguous with Season 4, and not, frankly, expand scale and depth,” executive producer/director Shawn Levy tells Total Film. And considering that the series’ penultimate run of episodes unleashed the Upside Down on Hawkins, killed insta-fave Eddie, left poor Max knocking on heaven’s door, and set up a climactic rematch between One and Eleven, that’s saying something.
“It’s major, major, cinematic storytelling that happens to be called a TV series,” Levy continues. “Stranger Things 5 is as big as any of the biggest movies that we see.”
According to Discussing Film, the stage show is a prequel set in 1959 where Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously, Joyce wants to graduate, and Henry Creel arrives. Check out the post by Discussing Film below regarding this:
The ‘STRANGER THINGS’ stage show will offer clues about the final season.
The stage show is a prequel set in 1959 where Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously, Joyce wants to graduate & Henry Creel arrives. pic.twitter.com/rBk7vmxggN
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 5, 2023
It is clear from several sources that the next season will flesh out the demonic underworld even more as “a lot of those answers for the Upside Down is really what the basis of Season 5 is about.” The Upside Down is home to monsters such as the Mind Flayer and Season 4 baddie Vecna, but fans have been eager to learn more about its origin. The Duffers are certain of one thing: the ending. “We know what the ending is,” they told SFX. “It’s conceivable that it changes but I think it’s unlikely because it’s one of those endings that just feels, and has always felt, right. It also feels sort of inevitable. Then when you come up with it, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah well, that is absolutely what it has to be.’”
Stranger Things Season 5 Plot: Script Ending Makes Show Executors Cry
David Harbour also said he knows how the series ends, and it’s going to be “very, very moving.”
As well as this, it appears we will need tissues for the final Season since it is reported to be the most emotional one yet. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Stranger Things creators revealed that they made Netflix executives cry when they read through the first script for the upcoming season.
“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,” Matt joked.
They also teased the Happy Sad Confused podcast: “Characters are already going to be in action, they’re already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that’s going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different.”
As for the cast, Finn Wolfhard has stated to Collider that he has read scripts for the first 3 episodes of the final season, but he still doesn’t know the ending:
“Well, I think it answers an insane amount of questions about the lore of Stranger Things, the world-building. I think a lot of people will be happy with getting back– It’s the last season, so we kind of want to get back to the roots of why the show was so special in the first place, and why the dynamics are so special in the first place, and sort of getting back to that.
“It’s gonna be really exciting. I’m excited, obviously, to go back and shoot it. I think it’s gonna be very sad, but I’m also just excited, as a fan, to get into it, and I’m excited to see where everyone– I didn’t even know how it ends yet, truly. I’ve only read the first three, so we’ll see. But yeah, I’m excited to see where all the characters’ journeys go.”
As of now, these are all the spoilers for the new Season that we could gather. Stay tuned as new plots and clues unravel and we state them here regularly.
Stranger Things Season 4 Recap: An Episode Run-Down
A Season 4 discourse opens us to the gates of Hawkins High, where kids try to uncover the mystery of the supernatural killer Vecna, who originally featured in the studies of Dr. Martin Brenner as subject 001. Eleven used her powers to banish him to the Upside Down. The harsh conditions of the otherworldly realm transformed him into a formidable foe. We’ve seen Vecna exercise his brutal powers over innocent teens, lacking any form of empathy. Chrissy died a bludgeoned death in Episode 1 itself, followed by Max in Episode 4, who narrowly escaped his eye-pinching grasp with the power of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill. Unfortunately, she wasn’t lucky enough to get away unscathed a second time and is now stuck in a coma, where she seems to be staying until Season 5.
After spending some time in a Russian prison, Joyce Byers and Murray Bauman were able to successfully bring Hopper home, though not before he epically beheaded a Demogorgon. The California crew of Mike, Will, Johnathan, and new character Argyle also made it back to Hawkins, though Hawkins isn’t exactly the best place to be at the moment. Having succeeded in his plan to sacrifice four kids, Vecna is able to open a giant gate across Hawkins, bringing the Upside Down the right side up. In the final moments of the season, our heroes watch black smoke pour out from the gate, threatening what’s to come in Season 5.
Eleven has gained her powers, but is it enough to face Vecna? In case you are missing pieces of this puzzle, we have compiled an episode list of Season 4 so you can understand the premise of the plot better:
S4.E1 ∙ Chapter One: The Hellfire Club
May 27, 2022
Still reeling from the events last year, the gang tries to move on with their lives. However, a threat is brewing both on Earth and the Upside Down.
S4.E2 ∙ Chapter Two: Vecna’s Curse
May 27, 2022
A plane brings Mike to California — and a dead body brings Hawkins to a halt. Nancy goes looking for leads. A shaken Eddie tells the gang what he saw.
S4.E3 ∙ Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero
May 27, 2022
Murray and Joyce fly to Alaska, and El faces serious consequences. Robin and Nancy dig up dirt on Hawkins’ demons. Dr. Owens delivers sobering news.
S4.E4 ∙ Chapter Four: Dear Billy
May 27, 2022
Max is in grave danger – and running out of time. A patient at Pennhurst Asylum has visitors. Elsewhere, in Russia, Hopper is hard at work.
S4.E5 ∙ Chapter Five: The Nina Project
May 27, 2022
Owens takes El to Nevada, where she’s forced to confront her past, while the Hawkins kids comb a crumbling house for clues. Vecna claims another victim.
S4.E6 ∙ Chapter Six: The Dive
May 27, 2022
Behind the Iron Curtain, a risky rescue mission gets underway. The California crew seeks help from a hacker. Steve takes one for the team.
S4.E7 ∙ Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab
May 27, 2022
As Hopper braces to battle a monster, Dustin dissects Vecna’s motives — and decodes a message from beyond. El finds strength in a distant memory.
S4.E8 ∙ Chapter Eight: Papa
July 1, 2022
Nancy has sobering visions, and El passes an important test. Back in Hawkins, the gang gathers supplies and prepares for battle.
S4.E9 ∙ Chapter Nine: The Piggyback
July 1, 2022
With selfless hearts and a clash of metal, heroes fight from every corner of the battlefield to save Hawkins – and the world itself.
For more reference, refresh your memory by binge-watching the earlier four seasons of Stranger Things, exclusively available to stream on Netflix right now.
Stranger Things Season 5 Trailer: Is it Out Yet?
Unfortunately, without a solid release date announcement, the teasers, trailers, and first looks have not started rolling in yet. When it does, we will be sure to update this space. Until then, check out the official trailer for Volume 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 instead:
For more updates on your beloved series, stay tuned to Web News Observer!