Stranger Things is coming back one last time with Season 5 and yes, this will be the final chapter. Netflix will be releasing it in three parts, not all at once.
The first set of episodes is coming out on November 26, 2025, followed by more on December 25, and then right before the year ends — the final episode drops December 31.
A lot is happening this season. The cast is back, the story is moving into new territory, and behind the scenes, some pretty interesting stuff went down
Story of Stranger Things Season 5
The story picks up in 1987, about a year after the chaos of Season 4. Vecna is still out there, and the gang is ready to track him down but things do not go as planned.
The military shows up in Hawkins, and suddenly Eleven is their target.
It is almost the anniversary of when Will went missing, and somehow, that brings the whole group back together again. But things are not the same now. What are they facing this time? It is not just another creature — it is something worse. And honestly, they might not be prepared for what is coming.
Cast of Stranger Things 5
The main cast returns, including:
- Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
- David Harbour as Hopper
- Winona Ryder as Joyce
- Finn Wolfhard as Mike
- Noah Schnapp as Will
- Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas
- Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin
- Sadie Sink as Max
- Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Charlie Heaton, and others.
Also returning are:
- Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna
- Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
- Priah Ferguson as Erica
- Amybeth McNulty (now in a main role)
- Linda Hamilton joins as a new character named Dr. Kay
- Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux also join the cast.
Behind the Scenes of Stranger Things Season 5
The Duffer Brothers were already thinking ahead to Season 5 before Season 4 even came out. And with all the COVID delays, they ended up having more time than usual to map things out and tweak the story.
Some unused ideas from Season 2 were brought back for the final season. The writers described the tone as:
“If Season 1 and Season 4 had a baby — on steroids.”
Writing began in August 2022 but paused due to the WGA strike in 2023. It resumed in September 2023, and by October, over half of the writing was done.
Filming of Stranger Things
They finally kicked off filming on January 8, 2024 after things got pushed back because of the Hollywood strikes.
Some key facts:
Millie Bobby Brown confirmed she had read six of the eight scripts by March 2024.
Maya Hawke described each episode as being like a “full movie” — very long and detailed.
So by July 2024, Ross Duffer said they were halfway through shooting. Took a bit longer than expected, but they finally wrapped things up on December 20.
Official Teasers and Marketing of Stranger Things
In January 2025, Netflix shared a missing poster of Eleven (Jane Hopper).
Fans got a sneak peek of new footage during the TUDUM event on May 31, 2025. Then on July 15, the first official poster dropped — followed by the teaser trailer just a day later, on July 16.
Stranger Things Season 5 Release Schedule
Netflix will release the season in three volumes:
| Volume | Release Date | Episodes |
| 1 | November 26, 2025 | 4 episodes |
| 2 | December 25, 2025 | 3 episodes |
| Finale | December 31, 2025 | Final episode |
Directors and Production Team of Stranger Things
Shawn Levy will return to direct at least one episode.
Frank Darabont — the guy behind The Shawshank Redemption — came out of retirement just to direct two episodes. Dan Trachtenberg, who did 10 Cloverfield Lane, is also on board to direct one.
Season 5 is shaping up to be the most intense and emotional one yet. With the cast all in, huge production value, and a massive fanbase backing it, this final chapter could seriously go down as one of Netflix’s biggest ever.
