Shawn Levy isn't worried about the Stranger Things kids looking too old next season. The internet, on the other hand…

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Maybe that's just how kids looked in the 80s...

Stranger Things season 4
(Image credit: Netflix)

Filming on Stranger Things season 5 is currently paused due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, and as more time passes, audiences can't help but think how old the actors will look in the final chapter. Director Shawn Levy isn't worried, though, and says he's prepared to use "all the tools available" to make the cast look more age-appropriate.

In an interview with Variety, Levy addressed the obvious maturing of Eleven, Will, and co. "We've already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly, (but) this passage of time is definitely not helping," he said. "That being said, our hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup. The '80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters."

By the end of season 4, the youngsters were in their freshman year of high school and yet frontrunner Millie Bobby Brown, who is one of the youngest cast members, will soon be turning 20. This makes us wonder how she'll fare in such an adolescent role, and it looks like the internet shares these concerns, too. 

One fan took to Twitter and said, "With this strike extending & delaying so many things, S5 of Stranger Things included, how old are these kids (adults now) going to be for the final season!?"

"I hope they don't look 28 and still doing junior high," another added.

The Stranger Things writers quickly clapped back quote tweeting a video of real-life very mature-looking high schoolers back in the 1980s. It's not like it hasn't been done before, either, let's remind ourselves that Andrew Garfield was 27 when he played 17-year-old Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man, and don't even talk about the original Grease...

For now, it is unclear when the fifth season will be released, but the Stranger Things team remains positive that the time that will have passed won't negatively affect the final season. Can't wait? To quench your Hellfire thirst, check out our list of 19 shows like Stranger Things that will turn your world Upside Down.

Megan Garside
Megan Garside
Junior Social Media Editor, GamesRadar+

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.