Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers promise an epic ending to Netflix smash when the fifth season begins on November 26 – with no stone left unturned for the residents of Hawkins and the moody madness of the Upside Down.
"It was important for us to resolve all storylines and tie up any loose ends," confirms Matt Duffer in an exclusive interview with GamesRadar+. "Typically, when we're working on a season, we don't find the time to do everything and we're able to kick the can down the road. That was not an option this time. We spent a long time with our writers – especially early on – making sure we got everything we wanted into the season. We wrote out everything, 'These are the things we have to explain; this is where we need the characters to get.' Hopefully, we accomplish that."
The twin creators of the super-successful show describe the final season as "unexpected" and "massive", while Gaten Matarazzo (who plays Dustin Henderson) doubles down on its grand scale. "It's a huge season," the actor enthusiastically explains. "I think they [the Duffers] knew it was going to be after they finished up season four. They leave off at a pretty wild place, comparatively to the prior three seasons. We hit the ground running in a really cool space in season five, which was fun to jump into. It was fun to work on. And, yeah, I'm excited to see how big it really feels. It feels like eight feature films."
"We’re very proud of season five," admits Matt Duffer, speaking to GamesRadar+ at Netflix's HQ in Los Angeles. "There are a handful of sequences I'm particularly excited for fans to see. We actually just watched the finale with finished sound yesterday. Maybe of all the episodes, that's the one I'm most excited for them to experience."
"And then episode four," chimes in Ross Duffer. "We have two finales, in a way: four and eight. Those are the two big episodes. I think [they are] the ones we're most proud of."
Stranger Things executive producer and director Shawn Levy agrees that the finale episode is going to be hard to beat. When quizzed about what he's most excited for audiences to see in season five, he reveals: "It's the emotional gut punch of this season – and particularly in that last episode. There's a reason it's going into theatres. There's a reason it deserves that. I think Matt and Ross made a masterpiece with the finale episode."
Flipping the script
While the showrunners, executive producers and cast remain tight-lipped on storylines, fans flipped when the first five minutes of the final season were unveiled online last week. The jaw-dropping reveal of Vecna engaging with a de-aged Will Byers in the Upside Down's version of Castle Byers – on 12 November 1983, no less – confirmed that the antagonist had a long-standing plan for the youngster. "At long last, we can begin," growls Vecna in the scene.
"When we were breaking the season, we realised so much of the story was about Will and his connection to the Upside Down and the evil that's been happening in Hawkins," explains Ross Duffer, speaking about the captivating start to the season. "That’s something we dealt with a lot in season two. We've been teasing it throughout season three and four, but we really wanted to get into that [in season five]."
What exactly does this entail? "We wanted to get into the heart of the story, which is Will being taken," continues Ross. "Why was he taken? What was the reason behind that? And what happened in the Upside Down? Once we started talking about that, we realised we wanted to go back and show what happened in the Upside Down."
The technological requirements of the opening scenes, which involve a de-aged Noah Schnapp, were a welcome challenge for the Duffers. "Obviously, it was very challenging technologically because Noah has grown up quite a bit," chuckles Ross. "It was a fun challenge to figure that out. That sequence probably took about a year to make, for WETA to make Will young again."
A young actor worked in front of the cameras for the scenes, but Noah Schnapp was also on set to lend a helping hand. "I was with the kid, helping him understand the physicality of how I curl up when I shake and breathe," reveals Schnapp. "It was fun to revisit that and reflect on, 'Oh, I was so little when I first started this.'"
Out of time
As for Vecna in season five, actor Jamie Campbell Bower promises more horrifying antics from the devilish antagonist. "We’ve all seen the trailer," he tells us. "There's definitely been some aesthetic changes to Vecna. He hasn't been relaxing. He's definitely out for blood now. There’s more rage, more resentment and more pain for a lot of our characters. That's all I can give over at this point in time."
Was it always the plan for Vecna and Will to open the final season of Stranger Things? "The brothers always knew," confides Levy. "They had a very clear vision for opening season five, where it all began with Will in the Upside Down. They had a very clear idea of where they wanted it all to end as well. Those bookends were pillars of this fifth season – and now that you've seen the opening, I can just tell you, having seen the closing, it is as beautiful a finale to any series I've ever seen."
With a November 26 release date for Volume One of season five, fans don't have too long to wait for more Hawkins revelations. "I think everyone's so good this year," Finn Wolfhard tells GamesRadar+. "I think everyone cared so much on set and I'm excited to see people's reactions to us being back together and being able to have scenes together again."
"I'm excited for the fans to see what we've been working on for the past year, or two years with editing," adds Caleb McLaughlin. "It’s been a long journey. I’m really proud of the work that everyone's put in."
Stranger Things season 5 Volume One (episodes 1-4) releases on 26 November. Volume Two (episodes 5-7) arrives on 25 December and the finale lands on Netflix and in theaters on December 31, 2025. For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Netflix.
