Stranger Things was one of many shows hit with delays due to the actors' writers' strikes in 2023. Then, months after those ended, its fifth and final season officially went into production in January with the cast, crew, and fans like myself over the moon about it. Now, Joe Keery, who plays fan-favorite Hawkins resident Steve Harrington, gave a sweet Stranger Things 5 update, except his wording worries me.
Based on Joe Keery and Maya Hawke taking a sweet pic during production, it’s clear the cast is very excited to reunite and work on Stranger Things with each other one last time before it’s time to say goodbye. However, as we’re nearing the end of summer, fans of Netflix’s binge-watchable series like myself are itching to find out how filming is coming along and if we’re any closer to a premiere date. Keery spoke to TV Insider about this, and he provided a sweet update about the work they're doing, but his words honestly have me a bit worried:
We’re getting, we’re getting there. I honestly don’t even really know how far along we are. I’m kind of in the dark in my own way, but it’s been great.
But what does that mean if Joe Keery doesn’t know how far along filming is? Are there any scheduling issues or other obstacles getting in the way? Is he not in the loop about key plot points? Could he just be playing clueless to keep the show's secrets? The questions are endless...
While we’re hoping that Stranger Things 5 will premiere sometime next year, as they've been in production for months now, these comments concern me. It gives off the vibe that there's still a lot to do. So, the long-running time of filming could mean we have to wait even longer to say goodbye to Hawkins and the Upside Down.
Moving on to another question his comments gave me: With Keery saying he’s “in the dark in my own way,” is he saying he’s got less screen time than everyone? Is Steve going to make it or could he be playing “Mom Steve” and sacrifice himself for his young friends? It was already heart-wrenching enough to see Eddie sacrifice himself to protect Dustin and everyone else. If Steve is next, and he joins the list of major Stranger Things character deaths, fans will be shedding a lot of tears.
If you look back at Steve Harrington’s best moments on Stranger Things, it's clear that he’s one of the show’s most developed characters. He started off as a jerk, but eventually, he fought evil with Hawkins’ young residents and he's become everyone's favorite babysitter. But if a popular Stranger Things fan theory were to come true, I feel like he’d get a noble death that’ll prove to audiences what a hero he’s been in the series.
As filming is officially halfway through, that should mean it's closer to being over. Even though Joe Keery is keeping us in the dark about important details on the upcoming horror TV series, he did share something touching about filming proceeding:
We’re just cranking along. It’s been a long time since the show was out and I’m itching like everyone else to see this thing. But it’s been a really fun experience so far and, obviously great to see all my buddies down here. All my friends, all my ST castmates. I love all these guys.
It’s incredibly sweet that Joe Keery is cherishing the time he’s spending with his Stranger Things castmates as filming continues. Two years is absolutely a long time to wait for a series finale, but I’m confident it’ll be worth it. All we know so far about Stranger Things 5 is that it's expected to premiere in 2025. The main cast will all be returning and they've added ‘80s stars like Linda Hamilton.
In terms of the plot, we were told by The Duffer Brothers that everything would be “a lot larger in scale” with the closing of the show focusing on Will, who was one of the Upside Down’s first victims in Hawkins. I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of surprises in store for us that will make the final season all the more memorable.
Joe Keery gave a sweet message about the “fun experience” he’s had to film with his Stranger Things chums, but it has also me worried about how much longer filming will go and how much he’ll be in the series. As we sit and wait for the final season of the 2024 Netflix series, we can watch all four seasons with a Netflix subscription.
