In the words of Vecna: “It’s time.” Or at least it’s almost time for the upcoming Stranger Things Season 5 to start filming. With the historic SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes finally over, series creators the Duffer Brothers and the rest of the creative team behind the hit Netflix show have been working hard to prepare for the start of production. Ross Duffer and the official ST Writers Twitter account have been sharing images of all the prep work going on in Atlanta. Now, another tease has been shared, and I have thoughts.
The teases from the Twitter account have been great, including a video of the massive wardrobe collection that's been utilized for the show over the years. They've been keeping fans satiated ahead of the new season. According to Variety, the series will start filming in early January. That fact was confirmed by Ross Duffer himself when he shared an image of the cast list for the first episode, “The Crawl,” on Instagram with the caption. He simply included the caption “See you after the holidays.” This alone is enough to send fans into a frenzy, but it was the crossed-out name in the image that seemingly has everyone going wild across social media. Take a look:
This isn’t the first time one of the Duffer Brothers have teased fans about the upcoming season. A few months ago, they shared a video of them using Funko Pops to figure out shots, which left many wondering what they might be planning. It now seems like they’re up to their mysterious ways again, and I have some theories as to whose name is hidden behind the scribble.
Theory 1: Max Mayfield Is Still Hanging On
The most obvious answer to who could be hidden under the crossed-out line is Max Mayfield. Fans will recall that the final episode of Volume 2 finds Max facing off against Vecna. Unfortunately, it's a losing battle until Eleven swoops in. Stranger Things Season 4 then ends with Max lying in a hospital bed in a coma after being brought back to life by Eleven in the Void. While her physical state was left in question, I can’t image the Duffer Brothers would kill her between seasons, which means she’s most likely slated to make some kind of appearance in Season 5.
This also isn’t the first time fans have seen a cast list like this attached to a script. During the show's Emmy campaign last year, a Season 4 script was released to the public with a similar breakdown. In that one, Max’s name is sandwiched between Steve Harrington’s and Robin Buckley’s just like where the scratched-out name is in the shared image. Given that Max is the only notable character whose name isn’t on the sheet, it’s pretty safe to assume that it's hers the creative trying to conceal.
There’s not a doubt in my mind that Max is going to make an appearance, what remains to be seen is if she’s going to be conscious or not. Fingers crossed that her name possibly being there means we will get to see her and hear all of her snarky comebacks rat some point in the final season.
Theory 2: Eddie Munson’s Returning
While Max’s appearance makes the most sense, the Eddie Munson fan in me can’t help but hope that it's his name the Duffers have obscured. Despite seeing him get mauled by demo bats in the Upside Down, there’s a large portion of fans who don’t believe Eddie’s really dead. And yes, I’m one of them.
Munson's return would be a massive win for fans who have been speculating about his it ever since Volume 2 dropped last year. If it were him, it would make sense that the Duffers would want to keep his appearance a secret, but still tease it.
Now, some of you might be shaking your heads and shouting, “he’s dead, give it up,” but it wouldn’t be the first time a dead character resurfaced. Just look at Hopper! He somehow survived the explosion in Starcourt Mall. Anything is possible.
There’s also the added fact that in addition to the cast list image, Ross Duffer also shared a photo of one of the production location signs labeled “Hellfire Way.” Like the other production signs, it included a Spotify QR code that fans immediately scanned. Of course, it took them to “Master of Puppets” from the official Stranger Things Season 4 soundtrack. That can’t be a coincidence!
Theory 3: A New Cast Member Is Joining Hawkins
Fans seem to be in agreeance that the scribbled-out name belongs to a character we already know and love, but what if it’s someone new? While the Duffer Brothers have said countless times that they don’t plan to add too many new characters into the final season, there are a few slated to visit Hawkins.
This summer, at Netflix's TUDUM event, it was revealed that Terminator actress Linda Hamilton would be joining the hit series. No info was shared about her character, so it could be that she’s the one they’re trying to hide.
Theory 4: Someone Can No Longer Make It
Another possibility, though unlikely, is that the name could belong to a character that was previously slated to appear in Season 5, but no longer can. Given that the scripts were originally written all the way back in November 2022, there is a chance the Duffers had a great cameo lined up that has fallen through. After all, tons of actors are having to make hard decisions now that the SAG-AFTRA strike is over and production is ramping up on multiple projects.
Honestly, though, if that were the case, I think they would have just printed a new cast list instead of teasing us with a scribbled-out name. Then again, these are the same people who created the sinister monster that is Vecna (who we know a lot about) so maybe they just like playing mind games with us!
The bottom line is that fans of Stranger Things are going to be doing a lot of speculating over the next few months as filming begins. However, if the Duffer Brothers and the writers continue to tease fans with images of the first scene and scribbled-out names, they’re in for a fun couple of months! Until then, fans can revisit one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch by streaming the first four seasons of the series with an active Netflix subscription.
