Stranger Things actor breaks down their big character death – and if they could return

Stranger Things 4
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 went out with a bang in an epic two hours, 20-minute finale episode. However, not everyone made it out alive, and one departing star has opened up about their fate on the Netflix show.

Warning! We’ll be getting into spoiler territory from here on out, so if you haven’t seen the Stranger Things season 4 finale yet, don’t read on.

The Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 ending featured a heroic moment for Eddie Munson. The student-turned-fugitive was an integral part of the plan to bring down Vecna

In the finale, he and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) head into the Upside Down to distract the demobats while Nancy, Steve, and Robin try to find Vecna’s body. Things start to go wrong when the bats infiltrate the trailer Dustin and Eddie are hiding in, and Eddie decides to be a hero and distracts them. They swarm over him, and he bleeds out in Dustin’s arms after he’s too wounded by the onslaught.

Actor Joseph Quinn has shared some insight into his character’s death, revealing he’s braced for fan reaction. "I’ve been texting the Duffers intermittently during the hiatus period and yeah, we’re bracing ourselves," he told the Los Angeles Times. "There’s a beginning, middle, and end to every character’s arc, and I feel incredibly touched by the reception that Eddie’s gotten, how inviting they’ve been. There’s a lot of devotion toward the show and its characters." He added: "It’s humbling and something I never expected to feel."

Quinn explained that it was only when he landed the role that he found out his character’s fate. The Duffer Brothers sent him the finale script, and he got to work immediately on his guitar-playing skills. 

In an interview with RadioTimes.com, the Eddie star shared how much he would love to come back to the role. When quizzed about how this could happen, he said: "I don't know, I was thinking… me and Joe Keery were discussing ways in which I could [come back]. Maybe I'd be a figment of Gaten's imagination or something like that if there could be some room for something a bit supernatural."

While it would be great to see him back for Stranger Things season 5, he did admit he thinks the character’s storyline has come to a satisfying end. "My suspicion is that Eddie has done what he needed to do for the Brothers," he added.

If you're still craving more Stranger Things? Check out our guide to Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 Easter eggs as well as who dies in Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.