'Stranger Things' Actor Refuses Return, Proving Another "Dead" Character's Resurrection

Stranger Things has become one of the most iconic shows to ever hit television, breaking multiple barriers and boundaries, and while the plot plays a massive role in Netflix’s show’s success, the characters are also among some of the most popular aspects of the show. It is so easy to fall in love with everyone from Eleven to Steve Harrington, to Jim Hopper — and everyone in between.

Sadly, fans have also had to mourn losses on the show. Recently, one of the actors who has already walked off set for the last time is detailing why he plans to never return, but that answer is exactly why we are likely to see another “dead” character return.

Stranger Things Rise to Fame

Before the breakout of Stranger Things on Netflix, it had been a considerable amount of time since a show with such a distinctive and uniquely horrific yet relatable quality had been developed. Now, after completing four seasons, the series has reached its peak in terms of popularity. That statement has been made quite clear from the numbers from the previous season. While all seasons of Stranger Things have been a massive hit, not all of them reached the success of season four.

As shared by Variety, “Stranger Things Season 4 is now Netflix‘s second title ever to rack up over one billion hours viewed. This milestone comes after the July 1 debut of the season’s second volume, consisting of two episodes that run for approximately four hours. The new episodes brought Season 4 up to 1.15 billion hours viewed in total since Volume 1 premiered on May 27.”

Crafted by the Duffer Brothers and featuring a talented ensemble cast, which includes Millie Bobby Brown in the role of Eleven, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Chief Jim Hopper, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and more. The show initially debuted as a Netflix original series. Over time, it has evolved into an expansive franchise, extending its reach into books, merchandise, and video games, as well as taking over Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights for multiple years.

This nostalgic journey unfolds in the 1980s, set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Here, a group of young protagonists embarks on a terrifying and suspenseful adventure, encountering supernatural phenomena, government conspiracies, and the mysterious parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. From the moment Will Byers goes missing, things go awry and stay that way for four seasons.

At the moment, a fifth season is on the way, Netflix has stated that they are prioritizing Stranger Things, now that the strike has come to an end. While the next season is in development, one actor whom fans loved, has explained why he will not be returning to the show.

The Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Stranger Things

Now, when it comes to deaths in Stranger Things, the list is quite long. From Benny Hammond to Barbara Holland to Alexei and more, the list is expansive. That being said, there are a few characters that Netflix allowed us to get to know pretty deeply, only to have the show rip them from us.

Below is a list of the more tragic deaths for fans in Stranger Things: 

• Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery): Debatably, one of the most heart-wrenching moments in the Season 3 finale of Stranger Things was the demise of Billy Hargrove. Despite breaking free from the Mind Flayer’s influence with Eleven’s intervention, Billy, in a selfless act, falls to fatal stab wounds to his chest. He makes this sacrifice to shield Eleven and her friends, among them his sister, Max Mayfield.

• Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn): Discussing this death remains a painful topic for fans. Eddie Munson, who emerged as a standout character in Season 4 of Stranger Things, met his death in the finale. Throughout the season, he faced accusations in the death of Chrissy Cunningham (which were wrong). In the finale, driven by a desire to confront danger head-on and not repeat the past when Vecna attacked Chrissy, Eddie valiantly faces a swarm of demo-bats during the Upside Down battle. This solo effort, prompted by the failure of the initial plan to keep the creatures distracted, aims to ensure the success of his companions in their mission against Vecna. The scene is emotionally charged, depicting Dustin cradling Eddie in his arms as he succumbs to death.

• Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink): While there is a chance that Max could come back from her vegetative state, it seems unlikely at this point. Following Max’s close encounter with death at the hands of Vecna, she managed to escape his clutches and return to the real world, thanks to Eleven’s battle against him in the Upside Down. Despite making it back, Max had sustained significant injuries from the encounter with Vecna, leading to her temporary death for over a minute and a half. Eleven, determined to bring Max back, discovers a method to restore her heart. However, in a poignant moment during the finale, Eleven ventures into Max’s mind, calling out to her, only to find an empty space devoid of Max’s presence. She was confirmed brain-dead by the Duffer Brothers.

While these three deaths were among the biggest, they were not the first to break our heart.

Bob Newby’s Tragic End

Bob Newby played by Sean Astin died in season 2, Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer. Bob was the romantic interest for Joyce Byers, and was also about the sweetest character in the show. Because of his loveable demeanour and ability to put everyone’s safety first, it was evident that Bob was not going to make it; however, the Duffer brothers made sure you knew how kind of man Bob was before they killed him off, just to make it hurt that much more.

In the second last episode of the season, the group found themselves in a desperate situation, attempting to escape Hawkins Lab while being pursued by Demodogs. Bob makes the selfless decision to stay behind, aiming to reset the power and facilitate the group’s escape. Unfortunately, he doesn’t manage to exit in time and falls victim to a fatal mauling by Demodogs. To make it worse, Joyce Byers is forced to watch him get ripped apart.

Astin has since even revealed that the Duffer brothers cried while writing his death. Movie Web stated Astin’s quote from the brothers:

“The word—if it’s on the page, ‘And Bob stops running, period.’ It’s just an awful sentence to read. You know, the Duffers, I’m like ‘Did it hurt to write it?’ And he’s like ‘I was sobbing, I was sobbing writing it.’ And I’m like, well you could’ve put a comma, ‘and realizes the dogs are still behind him and so, therefore, he exercises great wisdom and judgment and continues to sneak out of the building, slamming the doors behind him, trapping the dogs forever, takes Joyce’s hand in his.’ [Audience awws] THANK YOU! I just did that riffing, but that was pretty good.”

That being said, we have seen characters come back from the dead before, but Sean has dispelled any rumors of his return, and it seems that it is because it would ruin the overall storyline.

According to Screen Rant, Sean said, “[Fans would] say, ‘Are you gonna be in ‘Stranger Things‘,’ and I would say, ‘No, I’m dead.’ But why couldn’t they do a flashback [for Season 5]… to a happier time with—I know why they won’t. Because it’s going to be Hopper and Joyce, and they’re not going to want to flashback to a time when she was actually happy [laughs].”

Luckily, fans of the character are able to learn more about him in the prequel play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is currently being performed on the West End.

Could Bob’s Death Means Max’s Return?

While Astin may be certain that he will not be returning to the series, one of the other deaths that we reported on, being Max, is less defined. Max was confirmed brain dead by the Duffer brothers, but her heart still continued to beat at the end of the show. While Eleven was unable to find Max in her head, this could have just been a heartbreaking cliffhanger.

In the past, we have seen Max fight for her life, and win.

During the viral “Running Up That Hill” sequence in Chapter Four: Dear Billy, we are able to see Max escape Vecna’s clutches. Max has been an incredibly strong character on the show, and unlike Bob, she is not one that many would have predicted to die. Additionally, Sadie will be starring in The Whale with Brendan Fraiser, making an even bigger name for herself.

With her rise to fame, coupled with the cult-following her character has developed by fans of the show, it would likely make the fandom much more happy to have her return in the final season. Plus, if the Duffer brothers wanted to really shut the door on Max Mayfield, they would have done what we have seen them to do many characters like Bob, which is show the official death on screen. Putting Max in a coma gave the show the ability to evoke those same emotions that have come from previous deaths, but without making it final.

Considering Max is being kept alive inside Vecna, it is much more likely that her return will be from within the monster, and likely, she will play a strong hand in defeating it as she is already so close to it.

Sadie has not said she will not be returning to Stranger Things, and as we see on IMDB, she is slated to return for the final season.

At the moment, there is no official date for season 5 of Stranger Things, but previous seasons can be streamed on Netflix.

Would you like to see Bob return to Stranger Things in a flashback?