Picture: Netflix / Axel Almirón (Used With Permission)
Stranger Things is returning to Netflix for a fifth and final season in Q4 2025. Hit hard by two Hollywood strikes, filming has finally completed on the new season and is now deep into post-production prepping for its big 2025 conclusion. There’s a lot to talk about, so strap in. This is our huge preview of everything we know so far about season 5 of Stranger Things.
Please note: This preview was first published in July 2022 and has been updated over time to reflect new developments and updates. It was last edited in February 2025 to reflect all the latest news.
Stranger Things is set to expand beyond its upcoming final season, too. We’re also getting an animated spin-off and a stage play currently in London and New York. We’ve got more on those additional projects at the bottom of this article.
Without further ado, here’s everything known about season 5 of Stranger Things:
When was Stranger Things Renewed for Season 5? Why will it be the final season?
Netflix officially announced a fifth season alongside its plans for its super-sized season 4 of Stranger Things, released in the summer of 2022. Matt and Ross Duffer released a letter explaining that Season 5 will conclude the series and complete the story arc they intended for it. Writing on February 17th, 2022, the duo said:
“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.
There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. 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. As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”
Ahead of the fourth season release and the season 5 announcement, The Duffer Brothers were previously unsure about how many seasons it would take to tell the whole story of Stranger Things. Speaking about the length of the show ahead of time, Ross Duffer said, “We don’t actually know. I think, you know, four to five seasons is likely where we’ll end up, but who knows? I mean, none of this is official, and we know where we want to go. We’re trying to figure out still how long it’ll take to get there, so we’ll see.” Matt seemed to know well ahead of time that the series would conclude with a fifth season, “It’s hard. Four seems short, five seems long. So I don’t know what to do.”
Ross (left) and Matt Duffer (right) – Alberto E. Rodriguez | Getty Images
What to expect from Stranger Things season 5
Welcome to Hell, aka Hawkins
Despite their best efforts, Vecna, aka Henry aka 001, successfully carried out his plan to tear open a giant gate between the Upside Down and the real world. Dozens of people died in the chaos, and residents are leaving en masse to escape further danger.
Thanks to the giant smoke plumes emitted from the massive gates, the particles falling all around Hawkins will result in any plant life decaying rapidly. Soon, the real-world Hawkins will emulate the look of Hawkins from the Upside Down as Vecna’s vision for his “beautiful” new world begins to take shape.
As Hawkins falls deeper and deeper into chaos, expect to see a significant military presence surrounding the town, with only very few residents and our heroes staying behind to keep fighting Vecna.
Vecna’s Return / 001 vs 011
Vecna came extremely close to being killed by Nancy, Steve, and Robin, but he escaped before anyone could deal a killing blow. It’s unclear how injured he is and how long it takes to recover from multiple shotgun blasts and Molotov cocktails. Once fully recovered, we expect to see Vecna unleash his true powers on Hawkins and unleash the hordes of monsters from the Upside Down.
Eleven is the only person capable of fighting Vecna one-on-one, and she barely survived her second encounter with him. There’s no denying Eleven’s strength is vast, but it’s more than likely we’ve barely scratched the surface of her true potential. If Eleven wants to defeat Vecna, she must practice and hone her powers.
Netflix released a missing persons poster for Jane Hopper on January 30th, which implies that she’s gone missing (or at least, not available to the government, anyway) and features a telephone number. If you call that number, you get the following voicemail:
“Thank you for contacting the Hawkins police department. Due to the recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake, Hawkins is currently under lockdown to ensure the safety of our residents. The Hawkins emergency task force is working closely with the Hawkins PD to track down missing persons, of which Jane Hopper is a priority. We urge you, as a responsible citizen of Hawkins, to assist us in our search to locate her.”
Hawkins is quarantined
Given the danger that the gates pose to Hawkins and the rest of the world, the military may declare martial law and potentially quarantine Hawkins. We can expect a robust military presence, especially if Demogorgons and other monstrosities begin to surf from the gates.
Sadly, for the people of Hawkins, those unable to get out of the town before a quarantine starts may have to fend for themselves while the military wage war against the forces of the Upside Down. During a trailer shown to press at Next on Netflix 2025, the military had a huge presence in Hawkins during clips shown to the media.
Will takes a central role in Season 5
In a Variety piece in August 2023, the Duffers told the trade magazine that Will will take “center stage again in [season] 5”, adding, “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.”
Scooper Daniel Richtman has said that Will is one of three main characters of focus for the final season, with the others being Eleven and Mike.
Picture: Ross Duffer / Instagram
What will happen to the gates?
If Eleven successfully defeats Vecna, this doesn’t guarantee the gates to the Upside Down will be closed. It may require Eleven to replicate what she did with the gate under Hawkin’s Lab in the second season and forcibly close it herself. That first gate was large but pales compared to what Vecna has done to Hawkins. Not only will it take every ounce of Eleven’s power, but closing the gates may require Eleven to sacrifice herself.
Max’s death results in Vecna’s plan coming to fruition, but Eleven unexpectedly brings Max back to life. Between dying, having her limbs snapped, and potentially becoming blind, it’s no wonder Max is in a coma. We fully expect Max to wake up, but what condition she will be in remains to be seen. Filming leaks do suggest she’ll be back on her feet this season, but what will the permanent damage be? If Max wakes up and is fully healed, Eleven can bring people back from the dead. The consequences of such power haven’t been explored yet, but with some potential deaths headed our way in season 5, Eleven will be needed more than ever.
Picture: Netflix
Speaking on the TODAY program, Sadie said, “We know that it’s happening and that it’s the last season, so it’s going to be emotional, I’m sure,” adding, “Spoiler-free, just with the way my character ended in season 4, I have no idea what is going to happen. But I’ll be there.”
Time Skip
The Duffer Brothers have already announced that the story will skip another time and potentially pick back up around 1988 or 1989. This coincides with the actors’ real-life ages, who are already outgrowing their 15-year-old counterparts, such as Gaten Matarazzo, who turns 20 in September 2022 and will turn 21 during the production of season 5.
Finally, as to what we can expect, the Stranger Things writing staff gave us a clue when they tweeted, “Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids.”
What is the production status of Stranger Things season 5?
Development
Filming Scheduled
Filming Ongoing
Post-Production
Collider first reported that writing for the fifth season would begin in August 2022, which was subsequently confirmed with a tweet from the Stranger Things writers’ account on August 2nd, 2022:
Writers Room for Stranger Things Season 5 – Day 1
Filming was originally scheduled to start on Stranger Things season 5 in May 2023. Production listings state the series will continue filming in Atlanta, Georgia, as per prior seasons. It’s expected to return to EUE/Screen Gems Studios Atlanta Studio, which has been home to Stranger Things since season 1. The 33-acre Atlanta studio complex boasts 11 stages and was the first full-service production studio campus to open in Atlanta. The season 5 working title/codename is reported to be “JERICHO.”
Casting grids and production listings from various sources stated that season 5 was originally due to begin filming in early June 2023 and not wrap up until late June 2024. Yes, that means Season 5 was initially scheduled to be in production for a year. Each episode costs well north of $20 million each.
Sadly, the series has been severely impacted by the writers’ strike that began in May 2023 and was soon joined by SAG-AFTRA beginning in July 2023. That initial WGA strike delayed the start of production for the fifth season, which the Duffer Brothers confirmed through the Stranger Things writer’s Twitter account.
On May 6th, the Duffers wrote on the Stranger Writers account that ruled out any filming taking place without the involvement of the writer’s posting:
“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”
Despite the strikes, it does appear that set building has been allowed to take place throughout the summer of 2023, with video editor and videographer Jared (itsjaredfilm on Twitter/X – account protected) posting numerous videos and photos of the sets that have been erected in Atlanta, Georgia.
The writer’s strike ended in late September, with the Stranger Writers account confirming they were back in business for season 5 as of September 27th. Following the end of the writer’s strike, a report from Variety stated that “Netflix’s priority is scripting and filming the fifth and final season of ‘Stranger Things’ before its aging stars can no longer pass for high schoolers.”
In November 2023, SAG-AFTRA announced that their strikes had ended after reaching a tentative agreement. In December 2023, casting began ramping up for background extras, which revealed that they’re looking for medically trained people and those with military experience, which goes into the fact we’re headed into all-out war.
Production began in early January 2024, with Netflix’s socials confirming that production “has officially begun!”
Throughout production, the Duffers have provided regular behind-the-scenes pictures through their Instagram accounts. On July 3rd, Ross Duffer confirmed they were at the midway point of production. Filming on season 5 is due to wrap on October 1st, 2024.
Here’s a bunch of the behind-the-scenes photos provided by Ross Duffer via Instagram:
Pictures via Ross Duffer on Instagram Filming wrapped on December 17th with a big party thrown for the cast and crew who had been working on the project for 11 months by that point. Netflix confirmed the wrap several days later on December 20th.
Ross Duffer posted on Instagram:
“We’ve been telling this story for nearly a decade now. Many of our cast members joined us when they were kids, just ten or eleven years old. It wasn’t just a show for them—it was a defining part of their childhood. They’ve grown up before our eyes, becoming more than actors—they’ve become family.
But it’s not just the cast we consider family. Our crew—many of whom have been with us from the very beginning—holds a special place in our hearts. Their dedication and passion have been the backbone of this journey.
Everyone involved was determined to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion. They poured their hearts and souls into it, and we couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
We can’t wait to share it with you all next year. Until then—over and out.”
At Next on Netflix 2025, Ross and Matt Duffer spoke about filming throughout 2024, describing each episode as a “blockbuster movie.” The pair added, “It’s our most personal story,” adding, “There was a lot of crying. There was SO much crying. Everyone put their hearts and souls into it. By the end, we’d captured over 650 hours of footage. So, needless to say, this is our biggest and most ambitious season yet.”
Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix
When is Stranger Things Season 5 coming to Netflix?
Netflix confirmed that the final season of Stranger Things will air in 2025 and reiterated that fact at the Next on Netflix 2025 event earlier this year. We’ve had confirmation that the series will be dropping in Q4 2025, but the exact dates have yet to be revealed.
Is there any footage or first-look pictures of Stranger Things season 5?
No. The only footage released thus far is the episode titles clip and behind-the-scenes photos.
A trailer was shown to the press during Next on Netflix 2025, but it has yet to be released to the public. The trailer featured many different clips mashed up, showing a huge military presence (including a first look at Linda Hamilton in her new role) in Hawkins, with a heavy emphasis on Hawkins’ radio station, WSQK.
Episode Titles, Writers, and Directors for Stranger Things Season 5
The name of the first chapter of season 5 episode 1 was revealed as part of Stranger Things Day 2022 (which took place on November 7th, 2022) with the remaining episode titles announced in late 2024.
Episode 501 – Chapter One: The Crawl – Written and directed by The Duffer Brothers
Hawkins is under quarantine after the Upside Down events. Our heroes hide from the government, still plotting a capture, when an unexpected event destabilizes the team. Steve and Robin take over the new radio station, buzzing with odd mysteries, as a new face shows up in town.
Episode 502 – Chapter Two: The Vanishing of [Spoiler] Holly Wheeler – Directed by The Duffer Brothers
Episode 503 – Chapter Three: The Turnbow Trap – directed by Frank Darabont
Episode 504 – Chapter Four: Sorcerer – Directed by The Duffer Brothers
Episode 505 – Chapter Five: Shock Jock – Directed by Frank Darabont
Episode 506 – Chapter Six: Escape from Camaztotz – Directed by Shawn Levy
Episode 507 – Chapter Seven: The Bridge – Possibly directed either by the Duffers
Episode 508 – Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up – Directed by The Duffer Brothers
In June 2023, Netflix confirmed (One Take News first reported it) that Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) would direct a single episode for the fifth season.
Photo credit: Tyson Breuer
In November 2023, at Geeked Week, numerous Stranger Things-related news items dropped, but the only thing related to season 5 was the very first line of the script for season 5, chapter 1. The script starts with “DARKNESS. The sound of COLD WIND. GROANING TREES. And… A CHILD’S VOICE. Singing a familiar song:”
Who is in the cast of Stranger Things season 5?
Pictures: Stranger Things / Instagram / Netflix
The cast for Stranger Things has swelled in recent years, and expect a big ensemble cast for the final season. Confirmed to return in Stranger Things season 5 are:
Eleven – Millie Bobby-Brown
Peter / 001 / Henry / Vecna – Jamie Campbell Bower
Mike Wheeler – Finn Wolfhard
Dustin Henderson – Gaten Matarazzo
Lucas Sinclair – Caleb McLaughlin
Will Byers – Noach Schnapp
Joyce Byers – Winona Ryder
Jonathan Byers – Charlie Heaton
Jim Hopper – David Harbour
Max Mayfield – Sadie Sink
Nancy Wheeler – Natalia Dyer
Steve Harington – Joe Keery
Robin Buckley – Maya Hawke
Murray – Brett Gelman
Erica Sinclair – Pirah Ferguson
Argyle – Eduardo Franco
Karen Wheeler – Cara Buono
Ted Wheeler – Joe Chrest
Vickie – Amybeth McNulty
Per Puck News, the cast negotiated a pay rise going into season 5. Winona Ryder and David Harbour are expected to net $9.5 million for the season. Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, and Sadie Sink at just over $7 million for the season. Series regulars such as Natalia Dyer, Maya Hawke, Charlie Heaton, and Joe Keery will net over $6 million for the final season.
Although The Duffer Brothers are on the record saying they’ll “stay away” from introducing new characters, there will be a handful. In April 2023, we got word that Netflix was casting the following minor roles, including multiple army/military guys plus two kids aged between 8 and 10. Two job listings outlined the two new children that would feature:
“[DEREK] Character is portrayed as 8-10yo, male, any ethnicity, overweight. An outsider with no friends, he is rude to adults — and a bully to those his age.
[APRIL] Character is portrayed as 8-10yo, female, white. Active and inquisitive, she is a happy, friendly kid.”
Pictures: Netflix
So far, four new main cast members have been confirmed for Stranger Things season 5. In June 2023, at the live event Netflix TUDUM (video clip here), we learned of the first major new star who had boarded the final season: Linda Hamilton. Best known for her roles in The Terminator franchise, Hamilton’s role has yet to be officially unveiled, although it’s speculated it’ll be part of the military that’s descended on Hawkins.
The next batch of cast announcements will come in July 2024, when Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux officially join the cast. Fisher is set to play Holly Wheeler, who goes missing in episode 2.
Finally, we should note that there are unfounded reports that Kali, Eleven’s sister who was introduced in season 2, is reportedly set to return.
What Stranger Things spin-offs are coming on Netflix?
Alongside the announcement that The Duffer Brothers are re-upping their Netflix deal, we also learned that they’re working on multiple spin-offs—some of which we’ve got more information on. “While this might be the end of the story for Mike, Hopper, Dustin, Lucas, Eleven, and the others, it’s not a goodbye for Stranger Things,” the duo said on stage at Next on Netflix 2025. They stressed that every project beyond the main series needs to justify its existence. “It’s very important to us that anything with the Stranger Things name on it is of the highest quality… It needs to basically just be… awesome.”
In December 2022, we got word about one of the new spin-offs, described as an anime series set in Tokyo during the 1980s. The logline we have for the new anime series, which hasn’t been officially confirmed, is as follows:
“An encounter with the Upside Down evolves into a grand adventure for video game-loving twin brothers living on the outskirts of 1980s Tokyo.”
In April 2023, we also got word of a new animated series described as a Saturday morning cartoon. This has been given an upfront order of two seasons and is codenamed Project Mirkwood. What’s on Netflix can exclusively reveal the logline for that new series:
“About a young girl Janet who has moved in with her uncle Brody after being in social services for years. Follows their dynamic as she learns to navigate having a real family and he learns to care for someone other than himself.”
Stranger Things VR game
To recap, here are all the various spin-offs and other Stranger Things projects coming shortly:
Untitled Stranger Things Animated Series – Described as a Saturday morning cartoon.
Stranger Things: Tokyo – a yet-to-be-confirmed anime series spinoff.
Untitled Stranger Things Live-Action Series – Spin-off series based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers, with Upside Down and 21 Laps producing.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow – Live performance play currently playing in London through 2024.
Stranger Things VR – The video game VR project from Tender Claws was released in November 2023.
Stranger Things Comics – Currently announced projects include Tales from Hawkins and The Many Ghosts of Dr. Brenner.
This is in addition to some other projects The Duffer Brothers and 21 Laps are working on for Netflix. The Duffers are working on a Death Note adaptation, a sci-fi series called The Boroughs, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen, and the Stephen King adaptation The Talisman.
Are you looking forward to the fifth and final season of Stranger Things on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
Rating: TV-14 Language: English Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin Season Additions:
- Season 4 - Volume 2 was added to Netflix on July 1st, 2022
- Season 4 - Volume 1 was added to Netflix on May 27th, 2022
Contains additional contributions by 
Rating: TV-14
