It feels like just yesterday that Stranger Things made its debut on Netflix, gradually finding a large audience and becoming a bonafide pop culture sensation. At that time, the public at large was introduced to its young stars, including Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin and of course, Millie Bobby Brown. The actors have since grown up before our eyes and are continuing to do just that. Keeping that information in mind, some may wonder how their natural aging could impact the delayed fifth and final season, which has already been delayed. Series director Shawn Levy addressed the matter, and he provided an interestingly honest take.
At this point, the youngest cast members on the show are in their late-teens or early twenties. So they’re already older than the characters they portray on the series Netflix subscribers have been enjoying since 2016. And with the final episodes not arriving until at least 2025, it’ll be a bit longer before the stars jump back into production. Shawn Levy isn’t worried about them aging out of their roles, though. He believes the behind-the-scenes crew can more than help with that:
We’ve already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly. This passage of time is definitely not helping. That being said, our hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup. The ’80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters. So we’re going to use all the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us.
The director of the also-delayed Deadpool 3 made a fair point while speaking about the upcoming season and more with Variety. As mentioned, the kids have already been growing up, and the makeup and hair teams have done a fine job with ensuring that they appear as young teenagers. And of course, let’s not forget that Millie Bobby Brown and co. aren’t that old. It’s not as though they’re in their late-twenties or early thirties and are still playing high-schoolers.
It still can’t be denied, however, that the performers who play the core kids on the show are still growing like weeds. Just this month, Will Byers actor Noah Schnapp celebrated his 19th birthday (and did so by dropping some sweet throwback photos). Should Shawn Levy, series creators the Duffer Brothers and their colleagues get concerned though, there is something they could do to help contend with the matter.
From a narrative perspective, the writers could push the timeline of the show. The producers have been mum regarding just how big a time jump there’ll be between Seasons 4 and 5. Most of the younger teens from Hawkins, Indiana – like Mike, El and Dustin etc. – were all in the midst of their first year of high school during the fourth season. Maybe the fifth could possibly coincide with their senior year. The only issue might be that the threat of Vecna, who we know a bit about, seemed imminent, so a years-long gap may not make sense.
There are still a number of unknowns about the final episodes, but what we do know about Stranger Things Season 5 is that the characters will face off with Vecna one more time, and Will Byers has a big story ahead. As is usually the case with a new season, the kids will surely look older as well. Shawn Levy’s comments, however, suggest the BTS crew will work to make them look age appropriate.
The first four seasons of Stranger Things are now streaming on Netflix, and you can also learn about currently airing shows by looking at the 2023 TV schedule.
