Stranger Things season 5 may end different for some characters, as Lucas star Caleb McLaughlin says his finale "is different" from the rest of the cast

Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin has suggested that his character Lucas Sinclair may not make it to the end of Stranger Things season 5, and fans (including us) are now very worried about his fate.

When discussing which episode or particular scene was the most challenging to film, Mike Wheeler star Finn Wolfhard said, "The finale I would say generally was the hardest thing to film for sure, and its annoying because we can't really talk about it," during the press tour (via Twitter). Co-stars Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) seemed to agree, but not McLaughlin.

"My finale was different, so I don't know," said McLaughlin, to which Wolfhard asks, "Is that episode 9?" Although the rest of the cast laughed at McLaughlin's remark, suggesting he may be joking, we are so worried that the star may be serious and Lucas may not make it to the end.

Although it seems inevitable that a few key characters may meet their end in season 5, it would be heartbreaking to see one of Hawkins AV Club's core four not make it to the final episode. However, we can't ignore the fact that shows are known for killing off main characters right at the last minute, like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones.

So how might Lucas meet his end? If Caleb was being serious, we could see the Hawkins hero going out to save someone he cares about, like Max (Sadie Sinclair). In one of the first look images at season 5, which you can see above, Lucas is carrying Max, meaning he may have saved her. Or, Lucas could go after Vecna for what he did to Max in season 4, putting her in a coma, that is.

Set in 1987, season 5 catches up with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and co as they band together one last time to defeat Vecna. But he has vanished. To make matters worse, the government has placed Hawkins under military quarantine and is still looking for Eleven. The season also stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Jamie Campbell Bower, and more.

Stranger Things season 5 Volume One releases on Netflix on 26 November, followed by Volume Two on 25 December, and the finale on December 31, 2025. For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Netflix.