The Duffer Brothers confirm *that* Stranger Things character is dead

*Warning: This article contains spoilers for Stranger Things 4, Volume 2*

Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have a hard time letting go of their characters. Not only have they admitted it themselves, but lead actor Millie Bobby Brown has called them out for only killing off a handful since the Netflix show began in 2016. 

Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 saw a couple of villains and a hero meet their demise, however, and now the duo has confirmed that one character in particular is "definitively" dead: Matthew Modine's villainous Dr. Martin Brenner. 

"For real this time. He's toast," the pair joked while appearing on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, referencing how Brenner was believed to have wiped out by a Demogorgon way back in season 1, only to resurface in the most recent installment. (Modine did show up in season 2, but the scenes in question were flashbacks).

The scientist, who used to carry out tests on Eleven and the other superpowered children at Hawkins National Lab, was fatally shot by Lieutenant Colonel Sullivan's troops in the eighth episode of season 4, titled 'Papa', as he tried to carry a sedated Eleven away from the compromised NINA Project compound. While he was the one that drugged her before placing a shock collar around her neck, he tells Eleven as he bleeds out that he's always seen her as is family. A master manipulator with murky morals until the very end, eh, Martin?

Elsewhere in the new interview, the Duffers stated that everyone's favorite D&D-loving metalhead Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) is "sadly" gone, too – having been attacked be a bunch of Demobats. But that's fortunately not the case for Sadie Sink's Max Mayfield, who just about escaped with her life after using herself as bait for big bad Vecna in episode 9.

"She's brain dead, but yeah, she's alive. She's blind and all of her bones are broken, but yeah, she's doing great, Josh," they teased. "She's seen better days."

If you're on the hunt for more Hawkins-related content, check out our breakdown of the Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 ending and how it all sets up Stranger Things season 5, or our spoiler-heavy list of who dies in Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2.  If you're not keen to dwell on the darker stuff, though, we've rounded up all of the fun Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 Easter eggs here.