It has been 10 years since Stranger Things season 1 started filming, and with so much time passing, fans are worried about younger cast members looking too old in season 5, but fear not as creators Matt and Ross Duffer say there's really nothing to worry about.
"It’s not as dramatic as people think," says Matt Duffer to Variety. When the first season dropped in 2016, the cast were pretty much the same age as their characters were in 1983. But the whole series has only spanned over four years throughout the whole show, meaning that now in 2025, right when Stranger Things season 5 is about to hit screens, many cast members are far older than their characters.
However, the Duffer brothers say the audience doesn't even notice that time has passed when the show is brought to screen. "Nobody's ever noticed it. As they get older, it’s less of a dramatic jump. Coming to shoot season 3 was shocking to me and Ross. And we had to quickly adjust the writing, because we had been writing them too young."
In fact, there's proof. In season 4, episode 4, Max (Sadie Sink) is seen writing her letters in the basement. But because this was shot before COVID-19 lockdowns, the Duffers had to shoot the next part of the scene, when she walks outside, one year later. "We shot the two scenes at the beginning and the end of production," explained Matt Duffer. "And you can't tell. No one's ever, ever noticed that. That's a full year."
The only issue is their voices, as everyone knows what happens to teenage boys' tone when they reach a certain age. "We’re still dealing with that," said Matt Duffer. "We were recording with actor Jake [Connelly], who plays a new character this year, and his voice has already dropped quite a bit since we shot him. Luckily, there's EQ technology. We actually were just listening today. It's fine. We got worried for a second, but it's OK."
Stranger Things season 5 follows our favourite Hawkins inhabitants as they take on Vecna one last time, in a bid to save their town and each other. Alongside Sink, the final season welcomes back Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, David Harbour, and Winona Ryder, and Jamie Campbell Bower.
Stranger Things season 5 Volume One releases on Netflix on 26 November, followed by Volume Two on 25 December, and the finale on December 31, 2025. For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Netflix and best movies on Netflix, or see our Stranger Things season 5 release schedule.
