For those Stranger Things fans worried about the fate of their favorite characters, the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, have assured viewers that the series finale won’t be a massacre of character deaths.
In a recent interview with Variety following the release of Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1, the Duffer brothers were asked about the decision not to kill any characters off in Vol. 1 and whether that will change in Vol. 2, which lands on Netflix on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, at 8pm ET.
“Once we decided we knew we wanted to do the Will (Noah Schnapp) power stuff this season, we knew that that’s how we had to end Volume 1,” Ross said, referring to how Will channeled new powers at the end of Vol. 1 in the kids’ fight against super villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
He continued, “So there’s the low point of all the kids being taken, but the high point of Will has these powers. That was always the discussion. Vecna taking these children was the low point we needed for the end of Volume 1.”
Talking more specifically about character deaths and whether fans should be prepared for a bloodier Vol. 2, Matt added, “I’ve said this before: The show is not Game of Thrones. I’m hoping it surprises people. But there’s no Red Wedding, if that’s what you’re asking. That would be depressing.”
The Red Wedding was a reference to the iconic Game of Thrones Season 3 episode “The Rains of Castamere,” in which several major characters were killed off in a particularly bloody fashion.
Throughout its run, Stranger Things has been reluctant to kill off any of its core cast, which includes Schnapp as Will, Finn Wolfhard as Mike, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas, Sadie Sink as Max, Natalia Dyer as Nancy, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan, Joe Keery as Steve, Maya Hawke as Robin, David Harbour as Hopper, and Winona Ryder as Joyce.
However, the show has said goodbye to recurring characters, including fan favorites like Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), Bob Newby (Sean Astin), and Barbara Holland (Shannon Purser), as well as Max’s older brother, the villainous Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery).
Do the Duffer brothers’ latest comments mean all the core cast will survive Vol. 2 and the December 31 series finale? Only time will tell.
Stranger Things, Season 5 Vol. 1, Now Streaming, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5 Vol. 2, Christmas Day, December 25, Netflix
Stranger Things, Season 5, Series Finale, Wednesday, December 31, Netflix
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