Stranger Things star Maya Hawke weighs in on whether Eddie should return in season 5

*Warning: this article contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 4*

Stranger Things fans grew so fond of Eddie Munson in season 4 that they have been coming up with all sorts of ways to justify the ill-fated new character's return in the show's fifth and final instalment. Maya Hawke, however, isn't convinced he should come back. 

In a new interview with NME, the actor, who plays Robin Buckley in the hit Netflix series, was asked about the theories surrounding Eddie's resurrection – and the petition urging The Duffer Brothers write the fan favorite back in. "I totally sympathise with fans who want to see more of him," she replied. "[But] I feel like we can't keep killing people and bringing them back to life. 

"The same fans would be so annoyed! I would love them to find a way to have Eddie's ghost in the mix, just because Joe Quinn is such an awesome guy. He's so much fun to have on set and such a great actor." Hawke went on to say that filming the new batch of episodes without Quinn will be like "losing a weird limb".

Shortly after Stranger Things season 4, Volume 2 landed on Netflix, Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed to Collider that Eddie, the metal-loving leader of Hawkins High's Hellfire Club, was "sadly", definitely dead.

In episode 9, Eddie and Dustin's attempt to distract a colony of vicious Demobats – so that Robin, Nancy, and Steve could torch Vecna's body elsewhere in the Upside Down – ended in tragedy, when Eddie was bitten several times, and bled out in his pal's arms. Given the circumstances of his death, many viewers think he'll come back as a vampire, specifically inspired by a Dungeons & Dragons character. Time will tell as to whether they're on the money with that one.

If you can't get enough of 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.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.