Why was Holly Wheeler recast in Stranger Things season 5? Nell Fisher character explained

Following almost 10 years of D&D campaigns, duets and a discovery of Eggo’s, the final adventure in Hawkins is almost upon us – and fans aren’t ready for the impending showdown in Stranger Things season 5.

With the town under military quarantine, multiple rifts opening up and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) still looming large. the party members are going to need all the help they can get in their imminent quest.

Stranger Things has always been a close-knit family-and-friends affair, with the main party’s relatives all tangled up in the strange events. This time round, one of the youngest cast members will be stepping up to the plate.

Holly Wheeler, the younger sister of Mike and Nancy Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard and Natalia Dyer), will be joining the fray – with a new actor being welcomed to Netflix's flagship sci-fi series in the role.

Here's everything we know about Holly's recasting and what part she’ll play in the fifth instalment.

Why was Holly Wheeler recast in Stranger Things season 5?

Holly Wheeler has been there from the start, witnessing the very fabric of Joyce Byers's (Winona Ryder) walls shift from the inter-dimensional effects of a Demogorgon searching for Will (Noah Schnapp) back in season 1.

Originally played by twins Anniston and Tinsley Price since 2016, the youngest of the Wheeler children has quite literally grown up over the course of the show’s four seasons.

But with season 5 of Stranger Things set in the Autumn of 1987 - approximately a year after the heartbreaking events of season 4 (miss you, Eddie Munson!) – there’s another time jump to contend with.

While this shift helps age up the main characters to match the actor’s real-life ages – as the delays in production has resulted in the cast visibly maturing between seasons – the same can’t be said for the twins.

With Holly now older and set to play more of a substantial role – promoted from supporting cast to the main party – the Duffer Brothers have opted to recast the role, bringing in an older and more experienced actor.

This isn’t the first time a recurring family member’s screen time has been upgraded. Priah Ferguson’s brilliantly sharp and sassy Erica Sinclair, sister of Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), played a major role in seasons 3 and 4, following her debut back in season 2.

And with Netflix teasing that the youngest Wheeler is finding “comfort in an imaginary friend” after “having a tough time at school and looking for a place to belong", signs certainly point to a potential link to the show’s big bad…

Actress Fisher opened up about's to come, telling RadioTimes.com of her favourite moment: "I have this amazing sequence with Cara [Buono] who plays my mum where it's like quite a lot of action.

"In the trailer we saw a little sneak peek of her and I hiding underwater and there's a whole lot to follow, which was a dream to film."

Who is playing Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5?

With a more substantial arc in the fifth outing, the Duffer Brothers have turned to Evil Dead Rise’s Nell Fisher to take on the mantle of the youngest Wheeler sibling.

Her experience in the fifth film in the classic horror franchise will no doubt have played a key role in the recasting – especially with the numerous Evil Dead references woven throughout Stranger Things's four seasons.

According to co-creator Matt Duffer, speaking recently to SFX, Holly will be a “centrepiece” of this season – and the one of the major reasons for this is to address a key issue.

“We wanted to recapture some of the feeling of season one, and some of that you can't recapture unless you have kids, because our kids are not kids any more.” Duffer explained.

“They're not close to being kids any more. So it was really fun to add Holly and her classmates into the show, because it allowed us to recapture some of that feeling."

Let’s just hope the final season doesn’t follow the same pattern as previous ones – where supporting characters who suddenly get an expanded focus tend to meet a tragic fate. (Here’s looking at you, Bob, Billy, and Eddie.)

What could happen to Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5?

From what’s been shown so far, Netflix isn’t shying away putting the youngest member of the Wheelers through the wringer.

In the first glimpse at promotional footage released alongside the three-part release schedule, eagle-eyed fans can spot Holly sharing a tight embrace with her mum as they both stare in shock at something hidden from view.

Karen and Holly are also involved in a tense underwater sequence in the new season, with a recent clip revealing the pair hiding in a bathtub as a Demogorgon attacks the Wheeler House in search of its inhabitants.

The release of Stranger Things season 5’s episode titles has also fuelled fan speculation that episode 2, The Vanishing of..., is actually titled The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler – suggesting that Holly could be the child to go missing this time round.

This would be a direct callback to season 1's The Vanishing of Will Byers.

As the final chapter begins, fans will have to keep their fingers crossed that all of the Wheelers survive the showdown!

Stranger Things 5 part 1 premieres on Netflix on Wednesday 26th November 2025.

Add Stranger Things to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.