Who are the 4 new cast members of Stranger Things season 5? Details explored

One of the four new cast members of Stranger Things season 5 has been announced as the filming of the season begins. According to an announcement made at the 2023 TUDUM fan event, Linda Hamilton, the American actress known for her strong character portrayals in films such as The Terminator, is to be one of the newest arrivals.

The storyline of Stranger Things season 5 has not yet been revealed except for a few teasers by the creators and cast in interviews.

Stranger Things started as a long-form movie (one season) about a boy kidnapped in 1983 under mysterious circumstances and his family and friends set out to find him.

However, the show was such a smash hit that it became the most-watched English-language series in Netflix history. Season 4 gathered a massive amount of viewing hours, with Kate Bush's song magically transporting fans back to the 1980s. Season 5 is eagerly anticipated, with fans eager to see what surprises await them.

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Are all the main characters returning in Stranger Things season 5?

Stranger Things cast returns to season 5 (Image via IMDb)

Stranger Things season 5 has a huge ensemble of new and returning characters. The Duffer brothers' skill is expanding the cast of their series without compromising the story. The good news is that most of the old cast members will be returning for the upcoming season. You can expect to see the following actors in the new season:

• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
• Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/One/Vecna
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
• Eduardo Franco as Argyle
• Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie

Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) and Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine), who both died in season 4, are the two characters who most certainly won't be returning this time around.

Sadie Sink's character Max drops into a coma so there's a possibility of her waking up or having something more to do with in season 5. However, she didn't sound quite sure as she discussed the showrunner in her interview with Deadline. She said:

"They’ve been very secretive about season five in general. We did have a conversation. They called me before I read the ninth episode because in the script it literally says that Max dies."

Schnapp sounded excited about his character, Will, in his interview with Forbes and the possible twists in the story. He said:

"I think they did a great job with Will's character this season, and beautifully addressed everything they needed to. The way they closed the show is just perfect – the story started with Will, and it’ll end with Will."

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When will Stranger Things season 5 premiere?

According to Deadline, Stranger Things season 5 was supposed to begin filming on January 8, 2024, or January 5. As such, by early 2025, we can anticipate seeing the gang return on Netflix screens, even though the official date remains uncertain.

The series would have dropped by winter 2024, but a 140-day SAG-AFTRA strike from July 14 to November 9, 2023, halted the shooting schedule of many such projects.

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Catch up with the entire cast and the story till now in Stranger Things season 4 streaming on Netflix.