'Stranger Things' Season 5 Cast, Release Date, Everything We Know

On Monday, Netflix announced the much-anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things has started filming.

Production was originally set to begin in May 2023, but was halted due to the writer's strike. The fourth season aired in May 2022 and quickly became the most-streamed show of the year.

To mark the occasion, Netflix shared a cast photo on X, formerly Twitter, along with the show's creators, Matt and Ross Duffer.

From new and returning characters to the release date, here's everything we know about the final season of the sci-fi mega-hit so far.

Which Cast Members Are Returning for Season 5?

Based on the new cast photo, most of the characters who made it through Season 4 will be back in the town of Hawkins for Stranger Things final outing.

The snap includes the show's younger stars including Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) and Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair).

The actors playing the older teens were also present such as Charlie Heaton (Johnathon Byers), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington) and Amybeth McNulty (Robin's love interest Vickie).

David Barbour, who stars as police chief Hopper, can be seen perched on the back of a sofa, alongside Joyce Byer's actor Winona Ryder and Carla Buono (Karen Wheeler).

Brett Gelman, who plays conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman was also there for the photo opp, sitting with Jamie Campbell Bower, who brought to life season 4's big bad Vecna.

However, Argyle actor Eduardo Franco was noticeably absent, causing fans to speculate whether the character had been cut. Newsweek reached out to Netflix and Franco for comment via email.

What New Characters Will be Appearing in

'Stranger Things' Season 5?

The Duffer brothers have previously said they're reluctant to add new characters during the final season, but the cast photo does include one new face. Terminator star Linda Hamilton will be joining the show, but the horror icon's role has been kept under wraps so far.

What's Stranger Things Season 5 about?

A past interview with the Duffer brothers suggests the showrunners planned Stranger Things' ending long ago.

Speaking to Netflix's Tudum site in 2022, Ross and Matt Duffer said they had compiled a 25-page mythology document way back in season 1 that breaks down the lore of the Upside Down.

"We were like, 'We know what's going on in the Upside Down, more or less, but we want it to be unknowable. We want it to be mysterious,'" Matt Duffer said.

The show delved more into the Upside Down's history during the fourth season, but according to Ross Duffer, any lingering questions will answered in Season 5.

"The last remaining questions that are answered in that document, we've punted a couple of those to have some big reveals in Season 5," he said during a Geek Week panel in June 2022, telling the audience: "that's really going to affect what season 5 is about."

The Duffer brothers began writing Season 5 in August 2022, shortly after Part 2 of Season 4 had aired. Netflix released the first episode's title on X in November 2022.

The streamer posted a photo of a script, with the front page reading: "Episode #501, 'Chapter One: The Crawl.'"

To celebrate Stranger Things Day 2023, the official @Stranger_Things X account revealed the fifth season's opener.

Sharing a paragraph from the script, the excerpt read: "Darkness. The sound of cold wind. Groaning trees. And... A child's voice, singing a familiar song."

Although Netflix only divulged a few lines from the first episode, the leak sent fans into a frenzy.

Will Max be Alive in 'Stranger Things' Season 5?

Straight-talking teen Max Mayfield—played by Sadie Sink—quickly became a fan favorite following her Season 3 debut. Her tough demeanor hid a heart of gold, with the skateboarder offering herself up as bait for Vecna in the Season 4 finale.

Unfortunately, not even Kate Bush tunes could save her, with Max dying in Lucas's arms. Eleven used her powers to revive Max, but she ended the season in a coma.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2022, Sink claimed to know nothing about her character's fate in Season 5.

Is Will Byers Going to Die in 'Stranger Things' Season 5?

This autumn, Stranger Things faced boycott calls following Noah Schnapp's comments on the Israel-Hamas war. The 19-year-old plays Will Byers, and has been an integral part of the show's storyline since Season 1.

On October 7, Palestinian militant group Hamas' launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking a further 240 hostage. Israel subsequently fired airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is based, before later launching a ground offensive into the territory.

As of January 9, over 22,400 people in Gaza have been killed, while an estimated 1.8 million of the area's 2.3 million population have been made homeless.

Following the news of the Hamas' initial attack, Schnapp—who is Jewish-American—shared a statement on the topic to Instagram.

Although the 19-year-old expressed sadness for civilians on both sides of the conflict, the line, "You either stand with Israel or you stand with terrorism" enraged a number of users.

The backlash intensified a few weeks later, when Schnapp posted a video featuring a sticker that read "Zionism is sexy." Merriam-Webster defines Zionism as a movement "originally for the establishment of a Jewish national or religious community in Palestine," which now supports the preservation of modern Israel.

His remarks caused Schnapp to lose more than 491,000 social media followers in less than two weeks. Fans threatened to boycott the upcoming fifth series of Stranger Things in protest, along with calls to fire Schnapp or kill off his character.

However, Schnapp's presence in the cast photo means Will's inclusion is almost guaranteed.

Has Brett Gelman Been Fired From 'Stranger Things' Season 5?

Like Schnapp, Gelman also caused controversy with his comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Since news of Hamas' shock attack broke, Gelman—who stars as Murray Bauman—has been vocal on the topic.

In October, the 47-year-old posted a bizarre video to Instagram, in which he sang a tune blasting Palestinian supporters.

"Hi Gen Z and all you other fake woke liberals, here's a little something for you," Gelman said in the clip, before singing "You don't read. No, no, no," on repeat.

"So how you know, history. How you know, history?" the actor asked viewers, captioning the footage "sent from my rage."

Gelman posted a similar video a few days later, telling "fake woke liberal Americans" that they live "on stolen land."

"Guess who actually lives on stolen land?" he chanted. "You do you, me Jew. You live on stolen land."

In the caption, Gelman targeted people who "have been pushing this false antisemitic narrative for years," claiming "Jewish and Palestinian blood and trauma are in your hands!"

Although his comments sparked outrage, the comedian was also included in the new cast photo, suggesting he will also be making a return in Season 5.

'Stranger Things' Season 5 Release Date?

As the fifth season has only just started filming, it will be a while before Stranger Things hits screens for the final time. Netflix is yet to reveal a release date, but it will likely be late 2024 or the start of 2025 at the earliest.