What we know about Stranger Things season 5

The fourth season of Netflix’s creepy hit Stranger Things took the world by storm in summer 2022. The batch of nine episodes, released in two parts, wowed viewers with their ambitious storyline involving the formidable Vecna.

They also introduced instant fan favourites like Dungeons and Dragons guru Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), and propelled Kate Bush back to the top of the charts thanks to the use of her iconic Running Up That Hill in a plot involving the grieving Max (Sadie Sink).

Following an epic season finale, eager fans have been piecing together what might happen to the citizens of Hawkins in the show’s fifth and final season. So, what do we know so far?

When will Stranger Things season 5 be released?

Stranger Things season 5 will be released sometime in 2025. Netflix green-lit the season in February 2022, three months before the fourth season was released — but filming did not start until January 2024, having been delayed due to Hollywood strikes.

Who is in the Stranger Things season 5 cast?

As expected, the show’s core cast will be returning to Hawkins for season 5. This includes Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven, Finn Wolfhard’s Mike, Noah Schnapp’s Will, Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin and Caleb McLaughlin’s Lucas.

Natalia Dyer’s Nancy, Priah Ferguson’s Erica, Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan, Maya Hawke’s Robin and Joe Keery’s Steve are also expected to return, although Sadie Sink’s Max is still up in the air following the climactic events of season four which left her in a coma.

Unfortunately, Joseph Quinn’s fan-favourite Eddie Munsen is unlikely to be back considering his fate in the last series. However, his absence is said to play a big part in season 5’s story, with the surviving cast feeling “huge repercussions.” Eduardo Franco’s Argyle is also not expected to be back.

Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecna will show up, setting the scene for a memorable final showdown. Other newcomers to the cast will include Evil Dead Rise star Nell Fisher, Waco: The Aftermath’s Alex Breaux and Between The Silence actor Jake Connelly. However, we’ll have to wait a little longer to find out who they’re playing.

What is the plot of Stranger Things season 5?

Very little is known about the plot of the fifth season, but on Stranger Things Day (6 November) in 2024, Netflix confirmed the episode titles for the show’s final outing, as well as a hint of what’s to come in a new teaser video.

The episode titles are as follows: The Crawl, The Vanishing of [blurred]. The Turnbow Tap, Sorcerer, Shock Jock, Escape from Camazotz, The Bridge, and The Rightside Up. What can be gleaned from the episode titles? The blurred name could hint at the disappearance of a returning character like Max or Eddie Munson, both of whom were changed forever by their encounters with Vecna.

Netflix also confirmed that the series is set in the fall of 1987, where “one last adventure begins” which will likely follow the characters in the aftermath of the shocking season 4 finale.

Watch the teaser video:

Fans who are fully up-to-date with season 4 will know that by the end of the finale, Max was still lying in a coma in hospital and Eleven was unable to access any of her thoughts or memories to communicate, suggesting that she might not recover.

Eleven and Hopper were reunited at their cabin in the woods, but with a mass exodus from Hawkins (most residents believe Vecna’s carnage was an earthquake, with rumours of a satanic curse attached) it’s possible that other key characters’ families could be preparing to leave.

Vecna/Henry/One is not fully defeated yet and promised a more global reign of terror to come, which was supposed to be kick-started by Max’s death before Eleven, whose powers are back and stronger than before, managed to keep her just hanging onto life.

Creators Matt and Russ Duffer have compared the show’s final outing to “season 1 on steroids.” Matt told the The Guardian in late 2023: “It’s the biggest it’s ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone’s back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season 1.”

He also confirmed that the show will close out its primary storyline: “And, yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here. That’s it…”

According to Ross, Schnapp’s character will “take centre stage again” in season 5. He told Variety that Will’s emotional arc is set to “tie the whole series together,” adding: “So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

Stranger Things season 5 will be released on Netflix in 2025