The cast of Stranger Things opened up about the concerns they had with their noticeable age gap in season 4. Stranger Things is a sci-fi horror series that premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The series was created by the Duffer brothers and follows a group of kids as they investigate their friend's disappearance in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, only to uncover supernatural forces at play. Stranger Things became an overnight sensation and shot its young stars to fame. The cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin.
The first half of Stranger Things' 2-part season is set to hit Netflix on May 27, making the gap between seasons 3 and 4 just short of 3 years. Delays can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the large scale of season 4. This season is estimated to have a total run time that is twice as long as prior Stranger Things seasons. When Stranger Things first started, some of the show's stars were as young as 12-years-old. Now, after three seasons and a 3-year gap between episodes, these same stars are not children anymore, and their ages range from 17-20.
In an interview with TODAY, Matarazzo and Schnapp open up about some of their concerns regarding the Stranger Things age gap. The problem is more significant than just looking older from season to season. Due to the drawn-out season 4 production, there are actually instances where the cast looks older from scene to scene. However, Matarazzo states that they worked with it pretty well and that the aging captures the transformative periods of the characters. Check out their statements below:
Matarazzo: It's something we're always thinking about, but it's something we work with pretty well I think. The characters are at transitional periods in their lives... it's crazy to see what all of us looked like when we first started.
Schnapp: I remember in season two they told me you need to lower the pitch of your voice, you have to speak at a different level and stand shorter, I was like, ‘I can't do that, I'm not like that anymore.
Regardless of concerns, the fact is that the Stranger Things cast's aging can't be controlled by a production crew. As Schnapp points out, he reached a point where he had to explain that he wasn't that young anymore and couldn't appear so. Fortunately, for the most part, Stranger Things does seem to be working with their aging actors. As the series has progressed, viewers have been able to see these characters really grow into themselves. From finding courage, facing their fears, dealing with grief, or navigating their first relationships and breakups, Stranger Things definitely explores the coming-of-age aspect of the series even amid the supernatural side of things.
Ultimately, the age gaps of the Stranger Things cast shouldn't create too much of a problem. For the younger actors, there will only be about a 2-5 year difference between their characters' ages and their real-life ages. This isn't much, considering that one of the older cast members, Charlie Heaton, is 28 and will be portraying 18-year-old Jonathan Byers in season 4. It's actually not uncommon at all in the film industry for adults to portray teenagers onscreen. As for aging from scene to scene, that does create more of a problem. At the same time, the cast dealt with some unforeseeable delays and scenarios, and simply did the best they could. Likely, it will be the grand scale of Stranger Things season 4 and its unique nature that will take precedence in viewers' eyes, rather than some minor inconsistencies in aging.
Source: TODAY