Created by the Duffer brothers, namely Matt and Ross, Netflix’s Stranger Things is a genre-defining show which premiered its fourth season on Netflix in early 2022. After a three-year-long hiatus due to the pandemic, the show finally dropped on the streamer, much to the excitement of fans.
Now, with a fresh Emmy to its name, the show is gearing up for its fifth and final run. A perfect resuscitation of the sci-fi genre with a subtle blend of supernatural horror, the fourth season saw the Hawkins gang be split up into tiny groups across Hawkins, Nevada and Russia as they battled a dangerous monster named Vecna.
With brilliant soundtracks, old classics, excellent visuals and acting, the fourth season was dark and ominous and has increased expectations for the final season. With a record-breaking debut, the stakes are already quite high, especially since the streamer’s revenues are largely dependent on such fan-favourites in what is one of their worst years, financially.
Ahead of its release, here’s what we know about Netflix’s Stranger Things season five:
Everything we know about Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ season 5
Is season five the final season of Stranger Things?
When the Duffer brothers announced season four, they talked about how the penultimate season would be the “beginning of the end”. This meant that the upcoming fifth season will bring an end to this fan favourite series.
When will the fifth season of Stranger Things premiere on Netflix?
After a long wait and heightened anticipation, Stranger Things season four premiered in two distinct halves on Netflix this year and shocked everyone with how gory and dark it was.
The Duffer brothers returned to the writer’s room on August 2nd, 2022, as indicated by the Twitter post below.
The showrunners have already hinted at a possible time jump in the fifty seasons. The season will potentially begin filming in 2023 and release sometime in 2024 due to how extensive the Stranger Things post-production processes usually are.
Who are the possible cast members in Stranger Things season five?
During Netflix Geeked week, the Duffers revealed that they would not be adding any new characters in the fifth season. They said, “We’re stopping. We’re not adding any more characters in season five. I promise.”
Stranger Things season four bid adieu to Eddie Munson and Dr. Martin Brenner, among others which implies that these actors, namely Joseph Quinn and Matthew Modine, will possibly not make a comeback.
While Jamie Campbell Bower has heightened anticipation by talking about how he knows about the fifth season, creating ambiguity about his return, most of the main cast will make a return.
They include Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman and more.
What are the possible outcomes of Stranger Things season five?
Stranger Things season five will take place primarily in Hawkins, Indiana, taking the viewers back to where it all started. The Duffer brothers have promised a major twist in the fifth season, which will shock almost everyone. And nobody, except the “crazy smart kid” Finn Wolfhard, knows what will ensue.
They were quoted saying, “We think everyone – including Netflix – will be surprised when they hear the concept, because it’s very, very different.”
It is important to note the events at the end of season four. The fourth season saw the various groups across Nevada, Indiana and Russia unconsciously teaming up to defeat Vecna. However, towards the end of the fourth season’s second half, the Upside Down seems to be overtaking the real world, promising an epic showdown and possibly more bloodshed.
Since Upside Down is set in November 1983, the fifth season might see a possible time travel where the gang finds themselves trapped in the past, trying to make sense of all the events.
Will, too, will admittedly be a major part of the fifth season. The fourth season hinted at Will’s alleged homosexuality and feelings for Mike. The Duffers have talked about how the fifth season will focus more on Byers’ journey.
They have also promised to resolve the tension and love triangle between Steve, Nancy and Jonathan, all of whom will play major roles in the fifth season.
The season will also most likely be pretty emotional as the actors will finally bid a bittersweet farewell to the characters they have all grown up with and can attribute their success to.
How many episodes will Stranger Things season five have?
Stranger Things season five will be admittedly shorter than season four which was extremely lengthy and paved the way for the final showdown. Matt Duffer talked about how they are aiming for eight more episodes to keep up with the tradition.
“I think we’re aiming for eight again. We don’t want it to be 13 hours. We’re aiming for more like 10 hours or something,” Matt told Collider.
He added, “I think it’s going to be longer than Season 1 because we just have so much to wrap up, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as Season 4.”