Stranger Things has announced some new cast members for season five, as child stars Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly and Alex Breaux join the show's final season.
The news was announced in a behind-the-scenes video from Netflix that gave a flavour of what to expect from the series end (hint, more blood and more gruesome tentacles await).
It seems fans will also take a trip back to Castle Byers, and Hawkins High may just have survived season four's devastations – at least judging by the snippets the creators have shared.
Stranger Things' final outing also won't be short of spooky haunts – and those who are now teed up for season five will be pleased to know filming is halfway to completion. This update was confirmed in Netflix's video, as well as an Instagram post from Ross Duffer on July 3.
Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a good few months to a year before we find out what's going to happen. We're already salivating in anticipation, but how long will it be until the fate of Hawkins makes it to our screens?
Here's everything we know about Stranger Things season five.
When is Stranger Things season 5 coming to Netflix?
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown has confirmed that season five will not return until 2025 (as reported by E! Online). Her statement, made in March 2024 while appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show, confirmed Deadline's earlier reports noting the same thing.
When asked at that time if the show had finished filming, she told viewers: "No, we have nine months left."
This would place the end of filming to be in December 2024. Those hoping to find themselves in Hawkins during the Christmas period will need to make other festive viewing plans.
The post-production process alone will push the release date even further, meaning that we could be looking at a 2025 summer debut for Stranger Things season five.
The three-year delay is partly down to the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes. Despite ending in September and November respectively, production only kicked into gear in January 2024.
That said, the team has made swift work of things since filming began. Ross Duffer posted on his Instagram account that they'd officially reached the halfway mark in early July.
If it took a full six months to complete the first-half of the show, it's likely Millie's estimate was also accurate. So at the very least, we may be able to look forward to news of the end of filming landing in our Christmas stockings.
Stranger Things season 5 cast
The final season of Stranger Things welcomes three new cast members into the terrifying fold: Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly and Alex Breaux.
Details of the actors' characters have yet to be revealed. However, judging by Fisher's horrified expression, we're going to go out on a limb and suggest she's a Vecna victim of some sort.
The newbies will join the following cast members:
In the kids' group:
• Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven)
• Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler)
• Noah Schnapp (Will Byers)
• Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair)
• Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson)
• Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield)
• Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair)
Related: Where you've seen the Stranger Things cast before
Then there's Stranger Things' version of a babysitters' club, with the elders of the group being:
• Joe Keery (Steve Harrington)
• Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley)
• Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler)
• Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers)
Finally, there are the main adults and parents of the group:
• David Harbour (Jim Hopper)
• Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers)
• Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman)
Related: Stranger Things hoodies, T-shirts, gifts and so much more
Those hoping Eduardo Franco's Argyle would also return will be sad to learn that his character has been axed from the show.
Commenting on the possibility of his return, Franco said in an interview with Steve Varley: "That's it [for Argyle]", as far as he was aware.
He went on to say: "It's nice to hear that there's some sort of concern or something, you know what I mean? But I've never, I never got a phone call. So I think, yeah, I think that's it."
A bit of an anti-climatic end for Argyle, but at least he wasn't swallowed up by a Demogorgon or flayed by the Mindflayer.
Good guys aside, the villains will also be back to turn their world upside down (pun thoroughly intended). Jamie Campbell-Bower as Henry/001/Vecna is top of the list of returnees.
'80s icon Linda Hamilton is also a new addition to the season five cast.
News that the Terminator star is set to join the cast dropped during Netflix's 2023 global Tudum fan event. However, that's about as loose-lipped as the streamer was willing to get, as no further details about Hamilton's role have been shared.
Of course, not everyone made it out of Stranger Things season four alive, as much as we wanted them to stick around.
We definitely wouldn't suggest that you hold out hope for the return of fan-favourite Eddie Munson, no matter how tempting that fan theory looks. His is a hero's death that is likely to stick – though Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie, has admitted he would be up for a return.
Is there a Stranger Things spin-off?
Yes! By now the avid fan will likely know that Stranger Things: The First Shadow is playing in London theatres.
The Phoenix Theatre is host to the production, which serves as a prequel to the Netflix series. The project has been executive-produced by the Duffer Brothers themselves, and you can buy tickets here.
Additionally, a Stranger Things animated series was also announced back in April 2023.
This untitled spin-off is currently in the development stages, helmed by Eric Robles and Flying Bark Productions and with the Duffer Brothers serving as executive producers.
"We've always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realised has been absolutely thrilling," the Duffer Brothers said in an official statement in April.
Finn Wolfhard also said during an interview with Digital Spy that he would be open to reprising his role for a spin-off in the future.
"I think if it was in 10 years or something like that, and there was a movie or a limited series, I think that'd be kind of cool," he said.
What will happen in Stranger Things season 5?
When we last saw Sadie Sink's Max, she was bound in a full-body cast having sustained some grisly injuries from Vecna. While the fan favourite may have skirted death, she wasn't completely out of the woods, given that just about every bone in her body had been ruthlessly snapped.
However, while walking may have seemed completely off the agenda for Max, it seems we may have to adjust our expectations because, as Sink teases, she's back to running.
"They love having me run," Sink said of the Duffer Brothers. "That's all I'll say."
Though not much, it's enough to indicate that Max's recovery journey may be swifter and thus not the focus of her final-season story arc. The Duffer Brothers teased: "She's going to play a part in the season. But we don't want to reveal how that's possible."
Her performance is set to be quite the emotive one, with the Duffers sharing: "We did film a scene the other day with her that was just absolutely heartbreaking. I don't know how she hits those notes."
When it comes to the season five plot of Stranger Things, don't count on Millie Bobby Brown to spill the beans either.
Despite stating that she already knows "what happens to [her] character" while on The Jonathan Ross Show, when it came to the details, she remained tight-lipped.
"I really like Netflix," she explained, "and I'd like to be employed by them for a very long time. I signed a piece of paper that says I'm not going to say anything, and I think I owe it to them to keep my mouth shut."
She may have been intent on holding out on us, but there's still plenty to surmise from that gripping Stranger Things season four finale.
When we last left the town of Hawkins, it was basically under siege by Vecna. Where we pick up though is anyone's guess.
The creators have already stated that their costumes and make-up departments are working hard to reverse the ages of the main young adult cast to make them look like fresh-faced teens again, but it's possible we could still be looking at a time jump.
This means that Vecna will have had enough time to truly make Hawkins his home, which can only mean unspeakable horrors lie in wait.
The official Stranger Things X account already gave us a hint of what to expect from season five when it shared the title of the very first episode, 'The Crawl'. Could the residents of Hawkins be crawling away from Vecna's wrath? Will our heroes be on a slow crawl to victory? Who knows?
Either way, when it comes to season five, bring plenty of tissues. It's promised to be a tearjerker, folks.
According to the Duffers, the Stranger Things season five pitch alone made Netflix executives sob about the show coming to an end. Let's hope that this means the stakes are raised more next time around.
Related: Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown responds to Eleven theory
One storyline fans will be keen to see come to a (hopefully satisfying) conclusion is the long-played-out arc surrounding Will Byers' feelings for his best friend Mike.
While the team has held back in regards to Will's sexuality, that emotional season four scene between Will and Mike seemingly made it clear to viewers that the teen's feelings for his bestie are far from platonic.
This eventually led to a heart-to-heart between Will and his brother Jonathan.
While Jonathan was accepting of Will – and, again, nothing was ever explicitly said – it's clear that Will is terrified of being honest about his feelings, particularly in the heart of 1980s Indiana.
With the end of the world on its way, we hope that Will can find the strength to finally be honest and that his personal storyline will have a satisfying end, even without Mike's reciprocal feelings.
Will Stranger Things season 5 be split into two parts?
Stranger Things four was a bumper pack of a season, with the nine episodes being split into parts one and two.
Each episode clocked in at over an hour, with the final two episodes totalling up to nearly four hours. Stranger Things season five will be eight episodes long, and by the sounds of it, it's set to be another whopper of a season.
When discussing season five with Podcrushed, Maya Hawke said: "We're making basically eight movies because the episodes are very long."
She went on to add that while season four's split release was "unusual for streaming", season five "is its own season. It's a continuation but it's the finale."
'Its own season' could suggest that it's due to be dropped as a complete boxset. However, the fact that each episode is a movie-worthy length could also lead to creators splicing the season into two, possibly three parts.
While it may have been a rarity back in 2022 when season four was released, Netflix's affinity for split releases has grown over the years, with shows like Bridgerton being divided in half and Cobra Kai's final season being split into three.
While the Duffers haven't ruled anything out regarding the two-part split, the brothers did explain their reason for the extended episodes in season four.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the creators justified those episodes' length by saying it was necessary to give fans a chance to see the characters adapting to their new set of circumstances in and outside of high school. In contrast, season five is teased to be different.
"[The] 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 said.
Neither has commented yet on whether or not season five will be split into two parts, and Netflix hasn't addressed it either, but a bit of sleuthing suggests this could be on the cards.
Back in August 2022, Stranger Things' official writers' room X posted a grid mapping out their season five plans.
Though that grid appeared blank with just the episode sections out, we couldn't help but notice that there was a double line separating episodes four and five – which could indicate the season would be split into two parts with episode four marking the end of volume one.
Alternatively, it could indicate a pivotal plot point will take place around that junction. Or they could be toying with us. Either way, we'll be keeping an eye on this, that's for sure.
Is there any Stranger Things season 5 footage yet?
Only if you count the behind-the-scenes video shared on July 15 – however if you're on the hunt for a teaser trailer, you'll come up empty-handed.
Those mining for more clues about the end may be interested to know that in early April, the official Stranger Things Instagram posted a set video (now deleted), which showed season five would be returning to the all-important Rainbow Room.
The room in which they experimented on gifted children, including Eleven, was important for her backstory last season.
It wasn't clear from the video whether or not they'd be returning to the location in a flashback or if a present-day storyline involving Eleven (or other characters, maybe Eight?) would take place there.
The toppled chair in the shot suggests a scuffle or some use of powers, but that's as close as we'll get to new footage for now, behind the scenes or otherwise (unless you also count Millie Bobby Brown's iced-coffee tutorial while on a filming break).
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are streaming on Netflix. A fifth and final season is in production. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now booking until February 9, 2025 at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Tickets are available now.
Read more Stranger Things news on our dedicated homepage
Check out Digital Spy's curated round-up of the best Amazon Prime Day deals for 2024 here
August 2024 gift ideas and deals
Glen Powell Twisters T-shirt
Deadpool & Wolverine's 'best friends' necklace
The Street of Lies: An Official Coronation Street Interactive Novel
Shop Sky TV, broadband and mobile
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
