Betting on Everything Stranger Things

The air is getting colder in Hawkins (or what’s left of it) and after a wait that has felt longer than a journey through the Upside Down, our collective patience is about to pay off. The final season of Stranger Things is so close we can almost hear the ominous chime of Vecna’s grandfather clock. The gap between seasons, stretched by the historic Hollywood strikes of 2023, has given the global fandom years to speculate, theorize, and place their friendly wagers on how this epic story will conclude. As we stand on the precipice of the end, let’s dive into the biggest predictions and burning questions that have defined the long wait.

The Familiar Faces of Hawkins

First things first: who is coming back for the final showdown? Based on all official reports and cast sightings, the core group is fully intact. You can expect to see Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Sadie Sink (Max), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), and Noah Schnapp (Will) leading the charge. The slightly-less-young-adults are also confirmed, with Joe Keery (Steve), Maya Hawke (Robin), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), and Charlie Heaton (Jonathan) returning. Of course, Winona Ryder (Joyce) and David Harbour (Hopper) will be there to anchor the parental contingent.

The most exciting new variable is the addition of 80s icon Linda Hamilton. Her role is still a closely guarded secret, but the presence of the original Sarah Connor suggests she won’t be a passive bystander. As for who we won’t see, it’s safe to assume Matthew Modine’s Dr. Brenner is finally gone for good, and while his memory may haunt Eleven, a physical return is unlikely. And, though we still mourn him, Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson will only be back in flashbacks, if at all.

Who Won’t Survive the Finale?

This is the big one, the question that has launched a thousand Reddit threads. For years, the smart money was on Steve “The Hair” Harrington making the ultimate sacrifice. His journey from high school jock to the world’s best babysitter has felt like a perfect hero’s arc culminating in a noble death. However, a compelling new theory has gained massive traction, suggesting a different target. Fan forums are ablaze with the idea that Jonathan Byers is the one who won’t make it to the credits. The logic suggests his character arc is largely complete, and his death would serve as a powerful emotional catalyst for Will and Joyce, while also decisively resolving the long-simmering Nancy-Jonathan-Steve love triangle. Still, with Vecna’s sights set on everyone, no character is truly safe.

What is Vecna’s Master Plan?

When we last saw Hawkins, the Upside Down was bleeding into the real world, with four gates merging to create a massive, cross-shaped wound in the center of town. Vecna was wounded but not defeated. His ultimate goal remains a subject of intense debate. Is it simple annihilation, or is there a more twisted purpose? He sees himself as a predator, bringing order to a flawed human world. Perhaps his plan isn’t just to destroy Hawkins, but to remake it in his own terrifying image, with himself as its dark god. The key to his plan, and his potential defeat, almost certainly lies with his unique and horrifying connection to Will Byers.

The Question of Max Mayfield

The fate of Max Mayfield is arguably the most painful cliffhanger from Season 4. Left blind, with broken limbs, and clinically dead for over a minute, she was saved from the brink by Eleven. However, when El searched for her in the psychic void, she found nothing. Max’s body is in a coma, but where is her consciousness? This is a critical mystery. Will her friends find a way to bring her mind back from wherever Vecna has trapped it? Or could her empty body become a vessel for the villain, a Trojan horse inside the hospital? Her survival and role in the final fight is one of the season’s most emotionally charged plot points.

A Leap Through Time

The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that Season 5 will feature a time jump, a practical necessity given how much the young actors have grown. This jump allows the story to pick up with the characters in a new stage of life. Are they in their final year of high school? Starting college? How does a battle for the soul of a town fit in with college applications and future plans? This narrative device will allow the final season to explore how our heroes have processed their trauma and prepared for the fight that they know is coming.

After years of waiting, theorizing, and re-watching, the end is finally in sight. The questions are bigger than ever, and the stakes have never been higher. Whether your bets are on character fates, Vecna’s ultimate scheme, or who ends up with whom, the speculation is part of the collective experience that has made this show a cultural phenomenon. Soon, we’ll have our answers.