Stranger Things season 5 set pictures tease Max’s return, but the showrunner has a disappointing clarification

Stranger Things showrunner Ross Duffer has shared a new behind-the-scenes look at season 5, featuring the return of Sadie Sink as Max. In a series of pictures posted on Instagram, we see the actor and her co-star Caleb McLaughlin on set, as well as pictures of what seems like the Upside Down.

Given that the last time we saw Max she was deep in a coma from Vecna’s attack, we’d be lying if we weren’t elated to see a picture of the character awake and smiling in the snaps. Unfortunately, though, Duffer had an important clarification about the set of images, explaining: "FYI this is a pic of Sadie, not Max. Max is in a coma." No news there then...

It seems like we’ll have to wait until Stranger Things season 5 reaches Netflix before we find out how the character is actually doing. The final season is set to pick up right after the events of the last, when Vecna succeeded in his plan and the Upside Down particles rained over the town of Hawkins, Indiana.

Plot details are pretty light at the moment, aside from the showrunners confirming that Will (Noah Schnapp) and his connection to Vecna will play a huge part in the conclusion. However, that hasn’t stopped some of the stars sharing their excitement for the final season, including David Harbour who says it’s going to "knock it out of the park". Speaking to ComicBook.com last year, he said: "If we don't, give me all of your fan rage. Write the petitions. Go ahead, do it."

While we wait for more Stranger Things, check out our guides to the best Netflix shows and the best Netflix movies you can watch right now.