The gang is finally coming back after nearly three long years.
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed that they’re aiming for the fifth and final season — described as “eight blockbuster movies” — to premiere in 2025. “I will say that it is coming this year. We’re definitely on target,” Matt Duffer said at SCAD TVFest, per Variety, after Ross noted they were “ahead of schedule” on editing.
It’s a bittersweet moment not just for viewers but also for the cast and crew, who have been a part of this journey since the show’s debut in 2016. The cast will reunite onscreen one last time as they prepare to face the Upside Down, which has begun its invasion of Hawkins.
Details about the final season remain scarce, but a few clues have surfaced since Season 4 concluded. On Stranger Things Day 2024, the episode titles were revealed — though part of Episode 2’s title was blurred out. The year before, they teased the first few lines of the premiere episode, “The Crawl.”
What we do know is that our favorite characters will be back onscreen, along with a few new additions. Below is a list of everyone returning for the final season.
Finn Wolfhard returns as Mike Wheeler, the de facto leader of the Core Four and Eleven’s love interest, who played a crucial role in saving her life last season as she battled Vecna
Winona Ryder returns as the caring and determined Joyce Byers, mother to Will and Jonathan, who undertook a perilous journey last season to rescue Hopper from a Russian prison.
Millie Bobby Brown returns as Eleven, the telekinetic powerhouse of the group, who played a pivotal role in battling Vecna.
Caleb McLaughlin returns as Lucas Sinclair, an original member of the Core Four, whose bravery shone in Season 4 as he got deeper in the fight against Vecna.
Noah Schnapp returns as the sweet and sensitive Will Byers. The last time we saw him, he was the first to sense that the Upside Down was closing in.
Sadie Sink returns as Max Mayfield, the avid skateboarder and Billy’s stepsister. Max briefly dies after Vecna possesses her, but Eleven resurrects her, leaving her in a comatose state.
David Harbour returns as Jim Hopper, the gruff yet caring sheriff and Eleven’s surrogate father. After a challenging season imprisoned in Russia, he returns to Hawkins to reunite with his family, only to find the Upside Down beginning to invade.
Charlie Heaton returns as Jonathan Byers, Will’s protective older brother.
Joe Keery returns as Steve Harrington, a character who has won everyone over since the first season. His redemption arc — from a former jock to a compassionate “babysitter” who protects the younger members of the group — has been one of the most beloved transformations.
Natalia Dyer returns as Nancy Wheeler, Mike’s older sister, whose investigative skills drive her mission to uncover Hawkins’s dark secrets.
Gaten Matarazzo returns as Dustin Henderson. Slightly nerdy but incredibly quick-witted, his intelligence becomes a major asset to the crew in helping decipher the mysteries of the Upside Down.
Maya Hawke returns as Robin Buckley, Steve’s bestie who teams up with the crew to help fight Vecna.
Amybeth McNulty returns as Vickie, a member of the marching band, and Robin’s love interest.
Cara Buono returns as Karen Wheeler, the caring and loving mother of Nancy, Mike, and Holly, and wife to Ted Wheeler. She does her best to keep her family together amidst the chaos.
Joe Chrest returns as Ted Wheeler, the perpetually exasperated and often clueless patriarch of the Wheeler family.
Jamie Campbell Bower returns as Vecna, the malevolent entity from the Upside Down who is revealed to be the mastermind behind all of the events terrorizing Hawkins, dating back to the disappearance of Will Byers.
Priah Ferguson returns as Lucas’s younger sister, Erica Sinclair. In Season 4, she became a lookout for the group and played a key role in helping them communicate as they fought Vecna.
Brett Gelman returns as Murray Bauman, the P.I. and resident conspiracy theorist who helps Joyce break Hopper out of prison in Russia.
Sherman Augustus returns as Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan, a high-ranking US Army criminal investigation officer on a mission to neutralize Eleven.
And here is who will be joining the cast for the fifth and final season, per Tudum.
Nell Fisher will reportedly take on the role of an older Holly Wheeler. Fisher previously appeared in Bookworm alongside Elijah Wood and Evil Dead Rise.
Jake Connelly will also be joining the final season, though his role isn’t entirely clear right now. The 12-year-old actor is rather new, making his acting debut in 2022 in the short film Between The Silence, according to his IMDB page.
Alex Breaux’s role hasn’t been revealed yet, but he’s already a part of the Stranger Things universe. He portrays Dr. Brenner in Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway and currently stars as Wild Bill Hickman in Netflix’s American Primeval. He’s also recognized for his performances in Joe Pickett and Waco: The Aftermath.
And finally, Linda Hamilton, known for her roles in The Terminator and Children Of The Corn, will also appear in the final season of Stranger Things, though it’s still unclear who she’ll play.
