Beloved 'Stranger Things' Actor Speaks out Ahead of Exit From the Show

Yet another Stranger Things actor is ready to move on.

Stranger Things Season 5 might be a long way off, with writing on hold due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but a number of cast members are already looking ahead to the future beyond the show’s final curtain call.

Earlier this year, David Harbour (Jim Hopper) said it’s “definitely time” for the Netflix series to come to an end, and recently added that he doesn’t want to be known only for his role in the show, while Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) has said she’s ready to move on.

Jim Hopper (David Harbour) being "killed off" at the end of Stranger Things Season 3 — Credit: Netflix

Other stars such as Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) and Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) have also talked candidly about their departure. And now, Stranger Things actor, Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington, has broken his silence on the show coming to an end.

In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily while discussing the fifth and final season, Keery said, “It does feel like it’s time. It won’t be easy for it to end. I mean, I owe my whole career to being on that show and all the opportunities that I had since are because of that show.”

Maya Hawke as Robin (left), Joe Keery as Steve (middle), and Joseph Quinn as Eddiie (right) in Stranger Things — Credit: Netflix

He also talked about his mixed feelings about Stranger Things ending, saying that there’s both “relief” and “sadness”:

“So it’s very convoluted. There’s a sense of relief, there’s a sense of sadness,” he said. “I guess my goal is to just really soak it up as much as I can while we’re doing it, and not take any of it for granted because it’s been an amazing ride with such great people. And then once it’s done, move forward and try to just hold on to the joy that we had when we were making it. Everything has a beginning and the middle and an end. It’ll be nice to have the end of this too.”

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington (far left), Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson (left), Natalia Dyer as Nancy (right), and Maya Hawke as Robin (far right) in Stranger Things — Credit: Netflix

Steve Harrington remains a fan-favorite in Stranger Things, so fans will be watching through their fingers when Season 5 finally arrives on Netflix, which will undoubtedly kill off a number of characters before wrapping things up for good.

In Stranger Things Season 4, Harrington impressed fans when he went toe to toe with the Upside Down by taking on a horde of demonic bat-like creatures. However, most of the attention was turned towards Joseph Quinn’s character, Eddie Munson, at the time.

There are several Stranger Things spinoffs in development, and while we weren’t expecting any of the actors to return after Season 5, it’s still heartbreaking to hear Keery confirm that his time in the franchise will be over after the fifth and final season, which puts to bed any rumors that he and co-star, Maya Hawke, will return in their own spinoff series.

Check out the official trailer for the West End stage production, Stranger Things: The First Shadow (2023), below:

As per the official website for The First Shadow, here’s the synopsis:

BEFORE THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN…

Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.

Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story — and may hold the key to the end.

Nancy Wheeler in in Stranger Things Season 3 poster — Credit: Netflix

As per Netflix, 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 artwork poster — Credit: Netflix

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 currently streaming on Netflix. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set to premiere in London’s Phoenix Theater on December 14, 2023.

Is Joe Keery one of your favorite Stranger Things actors? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!