Gaten Matarazzo Speaks Out Ahead of Exit From 'Stranger Things'

Gaten Matarazzo has a “deep fear” about leaving Stranger Things…

After dominating Netflix for several years, the hit show Stranger Things (2016) will be ending with its fifth and final season. While there’s no release date in sight just yet, many Stranger Things stars have already jumped ship to other major franchises.

Millie Bobby Brown has previously starred in blockbusters such as Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Netflix’s two Enola Holmes films, while Finn Wolfhard starred in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and will be returning in the upcoming sequel Ghostbusters 4 (2023).

Finn Wolfhard as Trevor at the Shandor mines in Ghostbusters Afterlife — Credit: Sony Pictures

However, on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin Henderson, talked about his time on the show over the past few years, while also addressing his concerns about exiting along with all the other actors he’s worked with for so long.

“It’s interesting to constantly just be reminded how much people have resonated with it,” he said. “I mean, it’s something that’s so important to all of us and has just been essential to the growth that I’ve had over all of my teenage years into my 20s. It’s the defining aspect of the past 10 years of my life, practically the past decade.”

Stranger Things 4 ensemble cast — Credit: Netflix

Fallon asked Matarazzo if the experience had become bittersweet, to which the actor responded, “Of course it is. There’s kind of an excitement there, ’cause you always want to wrap it up and see how these characters are going to finally develop one last time, and how they’re going to finish their journeys. But also there’s like a deep fear. Not only has it been amazing, but it’s been pretty great job security for a while. Back to freelance.”

He then added, “I’d love to see a good launchpad for growth and I’d love to see these characters thrive and move on from the trauma they’ve endured over the past few years.”

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley (left), Joe Keery as Steve Harrington (middle), and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson (right) in Stranger Things — Credit: Netflix

Stranger Things Seasons 1 — 4 are now streaming on Netflix. A spin-off series is currently in development, and there’s also a stage show titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow (2023), which is heading to London’s West End later this year.

As per the Netflix website, here’s the official synopsis for Stranger Things Season 4:

It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.

Stranger Things Season 4 character poster — Credit: Netflix

Season 4 stars Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour) (Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven/Jane Hopper), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson), Paul Reiser (Dr Sam Owens), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Matthew Modine (Papa/Martin Brenner), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), and Jamie Campbell-Bower (Vecna/One/Henry Creel).

Eleven screaming and using her powers against Vecna in Stranger Things Season 4 — Credit: Netflix

Is Dustin your favorite character in Stranger Things? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!