Stranger Things star Sadie Sink weighs in on Eleven's ambiguous fate: "I think Mike's story is just one last story"

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things 4 — (Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 5 ended on a huge twist, with the fate of Millie Bobby Brown's lead character up in the air. But, fellow star Sadie Sink, who plays Max Mayfield in the show, has her own take on what happened to the super-abled hero.

"I think she's dead," said Sink on The Tonight Show when asked whether or not she thinks Eleven is still alive. "I think, like, Mike's story is just one last story, and then they say goodbye to childhood. But that's just one final tale, and that's it."

Of course, the 'story' Sink is referring to is the one Mike dreams up during the finale's epilogue, 18 months after Eleven sacrifices herself. At the end of the final battle, after Eleven and co. defeat Vecna and return to Hawkins, Eleven steps back into the gate just as Hopper's explosive device is triggered, killing herself so that Dr. Kay and the military won't be able to use her to open the gate back up.

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However, Mike chooses to believe that Eleven didn't die, but managed to escape while Kali (who was injured and stuck inside the Upside Down at the time) created a hologram of Eleven, allowing the real El to sneak away behind the guards and break free. In Mike's mind, Eleven is traveling the world, finding a land with multiple waterfalls just like they spoke about. You can read more on that in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained.

So what is the truth? Well, no one really knows apart from Bobby Brown and the Duffer brothers. While on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, the series' co-creator Matt Duffer said, "Ross and I know, and we were just talking to Millie about it," adding, "she’s not going to tell you either… Millie swore herself to secrecy."