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Credit: Inside the MagicStranger Things Season 4’s ending could have all been for nothing…
Stranger Things (2016) became a worldwide phenomenon when it emerged from the Upside Down seven years ago. Recent months have seen several spinoff projects announced, from an anime show to a West End stage production, and comic book crossovers to a Saturday morning cartoon-style animated series.
Prospects of Season 5 premiering on Netflix anytime soon, however, are looking bleak. Several cast members, including Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), recently suggested that the fifth and final series could land as late as 2025, while most of the actors from the show, Wolfhard included, have already started to jump ship to other franchises.
Related: First Teaser For ‘Stranger Things’ Star’s Upcoming Prequel Revealed
Who can blame them — Season 5 is set to be the last time we watch the likes of Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) battle dark forces from the Upside Down. But that doesn’t mean fans aren’t excited to see how it will all end for Hawkins.
Stranger Things Season 4 is incredibly epic, with each of its nine episodes feeling like a feature-length film in its own right. The finale, which clocks in just under three hours, sees the kids, along with Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke), Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink), Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), and Murray Bauman (Brett Gelman), face off against “dark wizard” Vecna/One/Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower).
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Is Recasting Three of Its Main Characters
But victory is short lived, as Stranger Things Season 4’s ending has quite a sting in its tail. A supernatural earthquake splits Hawkins right down the middle, forcing its surviving residents into a mass exodus, and those who choose to remain watch in horror as the same ash from the Upside Down begins to fall from the sky, suggesting that Vecna has won.
Unfortunately, it may have all been for nothing. Cliff-hangers are of course designed to build anticipation for the follow-up, and they often demand a lot of patience from viewers, but the prospect that Stranger Things Season 5 is nowhere in sight might be a massive turn-off for many. That’s not to say there wasn’t a big gap between Season 3 and Season 4 — fans had to wait a full three years — but the third season doesn’t end on a massive cliff-hanger like Stranger Things Season 4.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Is Bringing Back a Fan-Favorite Character
While the Duffer brothers started work on the script for the fifth season last summer, with shooting planned for May this year, production ceased due to the ongoing WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) strike. At that point, Matt and Ross Duffer tweeted that “writing doesn’t start [until] after filming begins”:
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
Now, in an interview with Inverse, Maya Hawke, who plays Robin Buckley in the show, has confirmed that the Duffer brothers continue to support the strike, and that any other writing is on the back burner until it’s all over. “I know that the Duffer brothers have worked on this script and will continue to work on it when the strike is over,” she said.
She also added that she hopes the Duffers will “come to a fair deal with the same love and intensity and excitement they have [for] all the other seasons, but with the added pressure and specificity of it being our farewell.”
There’s no doubt that fans of Stranger Things will flock to the fifth and final season when it eventually arrives, but let’s just hope that, by the time that happens, we all care about what happens to Hawkins and all its characters as much as we did last year.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Is Temporarily Replacing Its Main Character Lineup
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.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Spin-off Will Officially Break the Fourth Wall
Stranger Things 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).
Stranger Things Seasons 1 — 4 are now streaming on Netflix. There is currently no release date for Season 5. However, we know that there will be eight episodes.
Previews for the West End stage production Stranger Things: The First Shadow (2023) will begin on November 17 in London’s Phoenix Theater, and the main show will premiere on December 14.
How long do you think it will be before Stranger Things Season 5 arrives on Netflix? Are rewatches of Season 4 enough to keep you hanging on in the meantime? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!