Finn Wolfhard makes it clear that Stranger Things season 6 isn't really on the table. A show set in the '80s and following the adventures of the Hellfire Club, a group of friends that often play Dungeons & Dragons together, Stranger Things explores the supernatural "Upside Down" and the human experimentation that mysteriously created super-powered human beings. While Stranger Things has become a massive hit for Netflix, it is soon to come to an end with a season 5 conclusion.
Though it had a brilliant run, even James Cameron has critiqued Stranger Things' timeline as the kids are aging out of the show with every year that passes, and it was among many qualities that made future seasons feel utterly impossible. In an interview with Uproxx, star Wolfhard, who plays Mike, made it clear that continuing Stranger Things into season 6 and beyond would have been too much. Check out Wolfhard's quote below:
"Not ready but I'm just really excited to start working on it because after I finished watching season four, I just was like, "Damn, let's just go back and film now." I just want to help finish it off, but not in a way of I want to be done with it. It's just like I want to know what happens. I'm definitely sad about it, but also, I know that it's the next kind of chapter of everyone's life that needs to happen.
Also, to me, if Stranger Things went on any longer than five, I would say it would be ridiculous. I think the Duffer brothers figured out, I would imagine, a perfect ending in five. We didn't even know if we'd do two. So, we're happy that people still are around and want to watch it. But yeah, I'm excited. Four was huge in scale, but I think I'd like to see the fifth season draw back on more of the dynamics of season one, and sort of be a little more contained, but also still be gigantic. I hope we kind of get an ending for each character that's pretty satisfying for fans."
How Stranger Things Will Continue Past Season 5
While the main show will end, that doesn't mean that the Stranger Things'story will be completely over. Though it is easy to argue that Stranger Things doesn't need spin-offs, as the Hellfire Club lays down their dice, new spin-off shows will be picking up where they left off. Besides the news that one spin-off will be an anime set in Tokyo, Netflix has been remarkably quiet about what the shows could be about. Speculation generally ranges from adventures in the Upside Down and experiments at the Hawkins lab to even Eleven's adventures as an adult. Regardless, Stranger Things will continue, much to Netflix's benefit.
Everything We Know About Stranger Things Season 5
Stranger Things season 5 isn't expected to be quite as long as season 4, which featured 13 hours of content and a substantial amount of filler. Season 5, while serving as a conclusion for the overall show, is likely to run for 10 hours, which should be more than enough to tie up potential loose ends as it brings together the original Hawkins gang. After Eleven and Hopper finally reunited in season 4, it will be a rewarding experience to see them spending time together again after everything that the Stranger Things heroes have been through throughout the show.
The season will also feature a major time jump to explain why the actors have aged so much since they were last seen on screen. Set in Hawkins, Stranger Things season 5 will explore the Upside Down and finally explain everything the characters need to know about its dark and horrifying reality. With the heroes set to face off in a final fight against Vecna, they will have the opportunity to end the story alongside all the surviving original Hellfire Club members. Unfortunately, the season risks bringing back Strange Things' worst villain problem by having too many villains (including Vecna and Colonel Jack Sullivan) as it ties up everything the show has left over. However it plans to end, Stranger Things season 5 is expected to air on Netflix late in 2024.
Source: Uproxx