Finn Wolfhard might not be the face of Stranger Things in the same way Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven is, but that doesn’t mean his character Mike Wheeler isn’t vital. In fact, he was one of the catalyst characters in the first season who welcomed El in with open arms, and in Season 4 he continued to harness that inspirational leadership quality, encouraging her to keep fighting and defeat Vecna. Now, the actor is opening up about that last season of the show, why it was harder to work on, and how Season 5 will be different.
With Stranger Things Season 5 in production and Wolfhard on a press tour promoting the highly anticipated 2024 movie Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, it’s the perfect time for him to look back on his Stranger Things journey. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he specifically looked back on the filming of Season 4 and how it differed from the prior season of the hit Netflix show.
Stranger Things superfans will remember that much of the fourth season, especially Volume 2, saw Wolfhard’s Mike Wheeler and several other cast members away from Hawkins and the rest of the Upside Down fighting team. It was the farthest away the characters had been from each other, and by far the most divided since no one knew the full scope of what they were up against. When asked if that isolation was a “bummer at times,” the It actor answered:
Yeah, definitely. But it was also really nice to have a storyline with people that I hadn’t really acted with for a long time, like Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan. I never really had full scenes with him ever. I was already very close friends with Charlie, but just being able to really have scenes with him was really nice. And then spending time with Noah [Schnapp] and everyone was great.
It’s no secret that the sci-fi horror series has a massive cast. It’s a fact that has been scrutinized by fans and the cast (like Brown) several times over the last few years. With that comes the reality that not everyone gets to work together every season, despite the fans (and cast members) desperately wanting to see certain pairings together. It seems like separating the cast the way the Duffer Brothers did in Season 4 had some positive outcomes though according to Wolfhard since he finally got to act opposite Charlie Heaton in a number of scenes.
Stranger Things has always been praised for its ability to juggle multiple engaging storylines, and the penultimate season was no exception. However, the Hawkins storyline, which left many wondering what’s going to happen to the town and Max Mayfield, as well as if Eddie Munson is really dead, was definitely the strongest of the four stories. It’s where most of the action took place, and it definitely had the highest stakes.
It’s hard for an actor like Wolfhard to know what’s happening with the other storylines when he’s not involved in the scenes, so it’s no surprise the actor-turned-director was intrigued by all the action his fellow castmates were up to. He even went on record saying that the Hawkins storylines were his favorite part of Season 4 after watching the season in its entirety:
We really didn’t shoot very much for the first few months of production, because they were so focused on all the Hawkins stuff. So I was really jealous. Even when I finally watched the show, my favorite part was watching the other guys in Hawkins. I just liked that storyline so much. So, yeah, not being around everyone all the time was definitely a bummer about filming 4, but 5 is the opposite. We’re all together all the time, and a bunch of us live around the corner and across the street from each other in real life. So the cast is really seeing each other a lot, and we’re in a lot of the same scenes, which has been really great.
With the way Season 4 ended, it’s common sense that the entire gang (minus Argyle who is allegedly not returning) will be united back in Hawkins for one final battle. But it’s reassuring to hear Wolfhard confirm that too.
I for one can’t wait to see what new conspiracies arise as Hawkins is infiltrated by Upside Down creatures like Demogorgons and Demobats. It’ll also be nice to see everyone back together to explore how their friendships and relationships have changed with each other since Season 1.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is in production, but it will be a while before we get to see the fate of Mike and the rest of the cast. Until then you can revisit the show with a Netflix subscription and stay up to date. And don’t forget to support Wolfhard in his latest project Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire when it hits theaters on March 22nd.
