Stranger Things is heading back to the small screen very soon and is one of the most exciting titles on the 2025 TV schedule. It’s been over three years since the previous season, as the fifth and final season has had a lot of setbacks due to scheduling and the 2023 Writers Strike. There is excitement about the release date drawing closer but also some fan concern, as some are worried about how much central cast has aged in the last few years. Thankfully, series creators the Duffer Brothers aren’t too concerned.
The twin filmmakers recently spoke to Variety and opened up about some of the flak they've been getting over the cast aging throughout the show's various hiatuses. Historically, gaps between Stranger Things seasons have led to the cast looking much older between installments (when, at this point, only a few years have passed within the show's actual timeline). This is the biggest gap yet, but the Duffer Brothers are set that things aren’t as glaring as a person might argue. Matt Duffer said:
It’s not as dramatic as people think. There was a scene in Season 4 in Episode 4, the ‘Dear Billy’ episode. Sadie [Sink] is in the basement, writing her letters, and then she walks out of the basement outside, and a year has passed for her, because we shot the two scenes at the beginning and the end of production. And you can’t tell. No one’s ever, ever noticed that. That’s a full year.
Of course, it's fair to say that in certain respects, the aging differences are evident. Ross Duffer also acknowledged that:
If you’re paying attention, you can notice it.
There was notably a COVID shutdown that affected production and led to parts of Season 4 being shot a year apart. A year is a lot of time with a young cast, as voices can change and teenagers rapidly grow up. Sadie Sink was in her late teens at the time, which benefited the team greatly as there wasn’t as big of a difference as there would have been if the cast was still middle school age. Fans not being able to catch this change bodes well for the upcoming season, especially as aging slows down once you are out of the puberty phase, which most of the cast is. Matt Duffer explained this, saying:
But my point is, nobody’s ever noticed it. As they get older, it’s less of a dramatic jump. Coming to shoot Season 3 was shocking to me and Ross. And we had to quickly adjust the writing, because we had been writing them too young.
Puberty definitely is the biggest factor on child actors seemingly growing into teenagers overnight. The Duffer Brothers even noted that they shot with a new child actor in the upcoming season whose voice started dropping while they were shooting and they had to adjust with technology. Now, that the primary cast members are past this stage of adolescence, there likely won’t be as stark of a difference like there was between Seasons 2 and 3.
Basically, it seems like fans won’t have anything to worry about with the cast aging. Yes, they admittedly are all in their early 20s now, as it’s not uncommon for 20 year old actors to play teenagers in Hollywood. But, as they've grown, the show has also taken on darker themes as was the case with Season 4. That direction seems to also be present within Stranger Things Season 5. Details are still under wraps, but I’m excited for what’s to come!
Check out Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5, which drops on November 26th for Netflix subscription holders. The season is set to be released in three parts, with subsequent drops on December 25th and December 31st. For more information on other exciting titles coming to the streamer later this year, make sure to consult the 2025 Netflix release schedule.
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