Stranger Things season 5: Release date, cast and latest news
Hawkins final battle is fast approaching.
Ever since the dramatic end to season 4, fans have been clamouring for season 5. Now, finally, the trailer has been released – and it shows everyone's favourite Indiana kids preparing for one last battle against Vecna.
The footage reveals where Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) has been hiding as it opens with the supervillain emerging from the darkness in the Upside Down version of Hawkins' town hall, and saying: "We can begin."
We then cut to the people of Hawkins, who are “stuck” in their town thanks to the military as they try to contain the horror that Vecna unleashed at the end of season 4. The stakes get higher as Finn Wolfhard's Mike Wheeler and his pals plan one last stand against Vecna to “end this once and for all”.
The trailer also shows Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) harnessing her powers to fly through the air, while Max (Sadie Sink) is also shown being rescued from the hospital by Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), who is then pursued by a demodog.
In the final moments of the trailer, an epic showdown is teased, as Vecna levitates Will towards him, and says: "You are going to help me...one...last...time."
So, wondering when the fifth and final instalment of the series is set to land? Fear not: we've got everything you need to know about Stranger Things upcoming season, which has been divided into three climactic volumes.
Stranger Things season 5 release date: When is it coming out in the UK?
The next three episodes, Volume 2, will be released in three volumes on Netflix, with the first four episodes landing on Wednesday, 26th November in the US and on Thursday, 27th November in the UK.
The next three episodes, Volume 2, will be released on Christmas Day (Thursday 25th December) in the US and on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) in the UK.
And Volume 3, the grand finale, will cap things off on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 31st December) in the US and on New Year's Day (Thursday 1st January 2026) in the UK.
Each volume releases at 5 PM PT, which is midnight in the UK.
The two-hour finale will also be shown in over 350 cinemas in the US and Canada at the same time as it drops on Netflix.
This marks a first for a TV series, as an episode of a TV show screening in cinemas at the same time it debuts on a streamer has never been done before.
How many episodes will there be in Stranger Things season 5 and what are the titles?
Stranger Things season 5 will consist of eight episodes, with the episode titles now confirmed – with one notable exception.
The title of Stranger Things season 5 episode 2 appears redacted in the Netflix reveal, prompting speculation over who exactly will be "vanishing" this time around. It also serves as an homage to the first ever chapter – season 1's The Vanishing of Will Byers.
Here's an overview of all the episodes in Stranger Things season 5:
- Episode 1 - The Crawl
- Episode 2 - The Vanishing Of...
- Episode 3 - The Turnbow Trap
- Episode 4 - Sorcerer
- Episode 5 - Shock Jock
- Episode 6 - Escape From Camazotz
- Episode 7 - The Bridge
- Episode 8 - The Rightside Up
The new set of episodes appears to be breaking a series-long episode tradition.
As reported by Screen Rant, director Shawn Levy won’t be involved in as many episodes in Stranger Things season 5 as he has been in the series’ previous instalments.
Fans will recall that the filmmaker has directed episodes 3 and 4 of every season of the show since its release, but that won’t be the case in the new season, with Frank Darabont set to helm season 5, episode 4, titled Sorcerer.
Fans will be pleased to hear that Levy will return to direct one episode of season 5, but it’s unconfirmed which instalment he’ll be taking the reins of, and we'll have to wait and see.
We also have some details about the episode lengths, with cast member Maya Hawke teasing an epic fifth and final season, telling Podcrushed that the eight-part series is the equivalent of "eight movies".
"Season 4 and season 5 are very connected. Season 4 had a part 1 and part 2 because they separated them, so the last two episodes came out at a different time, which is unusual for streaming," she said.
She continued: "But this is its own season. It is a continuation, but it's the finale. And it has been a long time since last season."
When is Stranger Things season 5 set?
Stranger Things season 5 will feature a time jump to explain why the appearances of the young cast have changed, bringing the characters' ages in line with the actors'.
A brief description of Stranger Things season 5, released as part of the episode title reveal video, says: "In the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins."
While that doesn't reveal much, it confirms that season 5 will take place around one year after season 4.
Stranger Things season 5 cast: Who will return?
After the Duffer Brothers posted a complete cast picture when filming began, we've a bit of an idea of who we're expecting to see back in business.
Here's the confirmed cast list – including the newcomers who have been announced.
- Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
- Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
- David Harbour as Jim Hopper
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
- Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
- Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
- Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
- Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
- Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
- Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
- Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
- Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/One/Vecna
- Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
- Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie
- Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay
- Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
- Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow
- Alex Breaux as Lt Akers
- Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
Of course, it wouldn't be Stranger Things without our "original four", with a behind-the-scenes clip during production teasing more scenes with the four of them back together.
In particular, Levy has promised a strong storyline for Noah Schnapp's character Will, telling RadioTimes.com: "When we give Noah the juicy stuff, he delivers, and season 5 will be doing that once again."
Schnapp himself has teased a "beautiful" ending for the character, telling Forbes: "I can just tell you that I'm very very excited for what's to come.
"I think they did a great job with Will's character this season, and beautifully addressed everything they needed to. The way they closed the show is just perfect – the story started with Will, and it'll end with Will."
Max Mayfield's fate was left up in the air at the end of season 4 – although the cast picture posted to celebrate the start of production confirmed her return.
When quizzed on whether Max would make it out of her comatose state at any point in the season, actor Sadie Sink cryptically responded: "They love having me run."
Of course, that doesn't exactly answer the question as much of Max's running in season 4 took place while she was in a nightmarish trance state initiated by Vecna. Hopefully Kate Bush can come to the rescue once again.
Subsequently, Stranger Things co-creator Matt Duffer has assured fans that Max is "going to play a part" in season 5, but kept quiet on divulging any specific details.
He added: "We did film a scene the other day with [Sadie Sink] that was just absolutely heartbreaking. I don’t know how she hits those notes."
Joining the line-up as a newcomer is Linda Hamilton, whose casting was announced at a TUDUM fan event. She said at the time: "I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I’m gonna work on that."
More recently, Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly and Alex Breaux have also been announced for season 5.
Two characters that won't be back for more are Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) and Dr Brenner (Matthew Modine), who both met their ends in season 4. However, Quinn told RadioTimes.com about how pleased he was with Eddie's journey.
"I think there's a great beginning, there's a great middle and a great end for the character," he told us.
"And as an actor, you want characters with those kinds of arcs. So whilst it would have been great to come back for another season and get together with all those lovely people again, I think it was a brilliantly realised ending for a brilliantly written character."
Modine, on the other hand, has told RadioTimes.com that he'd love to return to his role on the show – so perhaps that door isn't completely shut.
One character who won't be returning despite making it out of season 4 alive is Eduardo Franco's Argyle. Introduced in season 4, Argyle was a friend of Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton), who quickly became a key part of the season.
He rescued Jonathan, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Agent Harmon (Ira Amyx) before helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) fight Vecna at the pizza parlour where he worked.
However, when asked if he'll be part of the final season on the Steve Varley Show, he said: "It's nice to hear that there's, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I never got a phone call. So I think, yeah, I think that's it."
What will the plot of Stranger Things season 5 be?
Stranger Things season 5 will follow the final battle for Hawkins, after season 4 was left on a major cliffhanger that suggested the barrier between normal reality and the Upside-Down had fallen.
The official synopsis for Stranger Things season 5 is as follows:
"The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown.
"Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
"The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."
In a previous interview with SFX, the Duffer brothers confirmed that the ending still fits "the rough sketch" they created, but it has become "more interesting and exciting than originally envisioned by [them] and Ross".
They said: "We know what the ending is. It's conceivable that it changes, but I think it's unlikely because it's one of those endings that just feels, and has always felt, right. And it also feels sort of inevitable. Then when you come up with it, you're like, 'Oh yeah, well, that is absolutely what is has to be.'"
Meanwhile, Dustin Henderson actor Gaten Matarazzo opened up to RadioTimes.com about what season 5 has in store and who might not make it out alive. "Everybody's potentially in danger," added Matarazzo. "That's kind of what makes this show so exciting, and what I think is going to make this season so exciting."
Elsewhere, Wolfhard has teased that the series is going to "answer an insane amount of questions".
He added: "I think a lot of people will be happy... It's the last season, so we kind of want to get back to the roots of why the show was so special in the first place, and why the dynamics are so special in the first place, and sort of getting back to that."
Plus, we know it's going to be an emotional one. While promoting his film Deadpool & Wolverine, producer Shawn Levy also told RadioTimes.com: "It’s not too far away but also not soon enough.
"I acknowledge that. I can just tell you what I was doing - at the end of when the Duffers pitched the story of season 5, nobody wasn’t crying, including me. Not a dry eye in that room."
For Stranger Things Day 2023, the Duffer brothers released the first line of the script – so we know exactly how the show will begin. Buckle in, it's a chilling one.
"Darkness. The sound of cold wind. Groaning trees. And... a child's voice. Singing a familiar song," the script reads.
Of course, theories on which song the script could be referencing have flooded the internet in the wake of the scene reveal. One popular theory is Will's season 1 favourite, Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash.
Others believe it could be Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill, which ultimately didn't save Max (Sadie Sink) from succumbing to Vecna, but which could be keeping her alive, should she be in a different dimension.
Duffer added: "For the first time ever, we don't wrap things up at the end of [season] 4, so... it's going to be moving pretty fast. Characters are already going to be in action.
"They're already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that's going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different."
Stranger Things season 5 trailer
A full-length trailer has now been released and, as you probably already guessed, it looks like our heroes are really going to be put through the wringer this season, as Vecna emerges from the darkness.
Watch for yourself below:
A teaser trailer was previously released, giving fans a taste of what they can expect from the upcoming season.
Watch for yourself below:
There are also teasers from production, such as behind-the-scenes. As well as showing our new faces in action, the teaser also sees the original cast reflecting on the past decade of their lives filming Stranger Things.
You can check that out below:
Will Stranger Things season 5 be the final season?
Yes! When season 5 was announced, it was confirmed that it would be the final season of the show.
However, the creators and stars haven't ruled out the story continuing in other ways. More recently, Matarazzo chatted to RadioTimes.com about potential spin-offs.
He said: "It definitely will be a bookend. I think it will wrap up really nicely. And I don't think Matt and Ross will want to approach anything like that for a long time.
"So if you were to ask me a year from now if I wanted to come back, I'd probably be like, 'I’m gonna do some other stuff for a bit initially,' but who knows what it's going to be like?
"I would love to see, potentially, if there's a continuation of Dustin after [season] 5, if any of us make it up to that point, I would love to see what would happen, what Dustin would be like as a 30-year-old. And I would love to see at tackling that, it could be a lot of fun."
Meanwhile, in January 2025, Matt Duffer said at a Next on Netflix event (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter), with regards to potential spin-offs: "There are more Stranger Things stories to tell and in the works.
"It’s a bit early at this point to talk about them, but we’re deeply involved in every one — it’s very important to us that anything with the Stranger Things name on it is of the highest quality and not repetitive — that it has a reason to exist and always blazes its own path.
"And also, it needs to basically just be… awesome. Or we need to think it’s awesome. And there are a lot of what we think are awesome things in the pipeline."
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
