The End Is Near! Everything to Know About 'Stranger Things' Season 5

Stranger Things Season 5 has yet to move into production due to the ongoing WGA writers strike, but the season is, indeed, happening. While details on what to expect for Season 5 are so far scant, Netflix did make a surprising casting announcement at a global fan event on June 17. Read on to find out more about that news—and everything we know about Stranger Things Season 5 so far.

Related: Millie Bobby Brown Is Ready to Say Goodbye to Stranger Things

Will there be a Stranger Things Season 5?

Indeed! In February 2022, Netflix said in a statement that Stranger Things would return for Season 5.

Showrunners and creators Matt and Ross Duffer (known as "The Duffer Brothers") wrote in a Netflix blog (via The Hollywood Reporter), "Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to 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."

What happened in the Stranger Things Season 4 finale?

A lot! Eleven and Vecna had their big showdown, Max died for a minute and came back to life (albeit in a coma), and Joyce and Hopper made it back to Hawkins to reunite with their kids. But the town is in big trouble. In the last moments of the finale, we see Will reach for the back of his neck, just as he did in past seasons when he was under the spell of the Mind Flayer. Dark clouds roll in, Upside Down particles float from the sky and it's clear that Vecna is still alive.

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Who died in Stranger Things Season 4?

Eddie (played by Joe Quinn)

Eddie sacrifices himself to save Nancy, Steve and Robin from the Demobats. He dies in Dustin’s arms.

Dr. Brenner a.k.a. Papa (played by Matthew Modine)

After the military arrives to kill Eleven, Papa brings her to safety and gets shot down by soldiers. Despite being tranquilized by Papa, Eleven manages to destroy the helicopter with her powers. Before he dies, Papa asks her to tell him that she understands why he did everything that he did, and that he did it out of love—but she doesn't give him the absolution he's after.

Did Max die in Stranger Things Season 4?

Technically, yes. After getting her bones crushed by Vecna, she died for a whole minute. But she miraculously came back to life, albeit in bad shape (she's in a coma). Her longterm fate remains to be seen.

Was Season 4 the last season of Stranger Things?

Season 4 was not the last season of Stranger Things, but it was the beginning of the end. Season 5 will be the final season of the series, and Season 4 was marketed with the tagline, "Every ending has a beginning." The penultimate season set up Season 5.

Is there a Stranger Things Season 5 trailer?

There is no trailer for Stranger Things Season 5 just yet, but watch this space!

Who is in the Stranger Things Season 5 cast?

On June 17, Netflix announced that '80s icon Linda Hamilton would join Season 5 of Stranger Things. No word yet on who the Terminator star will play (or whether that character will be good or bad), but suffice it to say this is exciting news.

Season 5 will also include:

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven

David Harbour as Detective Jim Hopper

Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler

Noah Schnapp as Will Byers

Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair

Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers

Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley

Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman

Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna

When did Stranger Things Season 4 come out?

Stranger Things Season 4 was released in two volumes. Season 4, Volume 1 dropped on Netflix on May 27, 2022, and Season 4, Volume 2 was released on the streaming platform on July 1, 2022.

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What is the Stranger Things Season 5 release date?

No official release date has been announced for Stranger Things Season 5 just yet. The Duffer Brothers previously told Variety that there would likely be a much shorter wait between Season 4 Volume 2 and Season 5. But production has been indefinitely delayed due to the writers strike, so we've still got a ways to go. Sometime in 2024, one hopes?

Will the writers strike affect Stranger Things Season 5?

It already has. On May 6, the Duffer Brothers announced over Twitter that the final season of the show would not move into production as planned due to the writers strike. The show is Netflix's most watched series of 2022—surely, with the cast aging rapidly, the streamer would like to get the final season underway sooner than later.

How many episodes is Stranger Things Season 5?

A final episode count for Stranger Things Season 5 hasn't been revealed. We do know, however, that Season 5, Episode 1 is titled "The Crawl," which Netflix announced in early November 2022. Many fans of the show linked the title to a lyric of Metallica's "Master of Puppets," which was Eddie Munson's signature song in Season 4.

Will there be a Stranger Things movie?

No announcements have been made as to whether there will be a Stranger Things movie.

Related: Millie Bobby Brown's Net Worth and Stranger Things Salary Revealed

Is Stranger Things Season 5 the last season?

Season 5 is, in fact, the final season of Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers wrote in a blog (via Variety) that it was their decision from the start to have the Hawkins story arc run from four to five seasons.

However, they hinted that spinoffs may be possible in the future.

"There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes," the Duffers wrote. "But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down."

The Duffers reportedly signed a massive nine-figure deal with Netflix in 2019 ahead of Stranger Things Season 4, so it makes sense that we may see more stories from the Stranger Things universe on the streamer.

Are there Stranger Things Season 5 spoilers?

Though it's technically only a spoiler if you really haven't been paying attention, Noah Schnapp revealed to Variety in July 2022 that a significant portion of Stranger Things Season 5 will focus on Will Byers' struggle with being gay—and yes, the character is gay, and yes, he is in love with Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard)!

"It’s this multifaceted trauma that goes years back, because he was taken by the Demogorgon and then his friends, they never acknowledged him, and now he’s scared to come out and doesn’t know if they’ll accept him," Schnapp said of his character. "And then Eleven is like his sister, but he doesn’t want to hurt her because if he says he likes Mike, that’s gonna hurt her feelings. There’s all these things running in his mind. So I kind of just have to make sure that I’m conveying the depth of all his traumas."

Next, The Best Stranger Things Quotes