Fans are anxiously awaiting Stranger Things Season 5, as they’re eager to know how things wrap up for their favorite residents of Hawkins, Indiana. Plenty of love has been extended to just about all of the hit Netflix show’s core characters, including the witty and charming Lucas Sinclair. A sum of his popularity can arguably be attributed to the excellent work done by actor Caleb McLaughlin. While there are obviously plenty of questions surrounding Lucas’ fate, McLaughlin himself doesn’t have the answers (and probably wouldn’t share any even if he did). Yet at the very least, the talented star knows, at this point, that he wouldn’t mind seeing more of one thing from his character during the last stretch of episodes.
It goes without saying that Lucas, like his best friends, has been through a lot during the course of the Duffer Bros.’ sci-fi horror show thus far. Season 4 arguably upped the ante for him, as he found himself in an interesting position amid his friends’ war with Vecna, who fans probably still have questions about. I had the opportunity to speak with Caleb McLaughlin during the press junket for his latest film, Shooting Stars, in which he plays Dru Joyce III. The movie required a considerable amount of basketball training on the 21-year-old actor’s part. With that, I asked just how open he’d be to performing more on-court stuff as Lucas in Season 5, and he shared his thoughts while reflecting on his character’s arc in the previous season:
Lucas had a, what do you call [it], a midlife crisis at such a young age. He's experienced so [many] Demogorgons, girlfriends and stuff. And he's like, ‘I guess I got to play basketball.’ I don't think that's something that he really wanted to do. But if he does play next season, we'll never know until the writers strike is over. So that would be cool to see him play, but I don't think he'll be as good as Dru. Never.
So the star is open to doing more basketball scenes though, at the same time, he doesn’t seem totally convinced that Sinclair’s hoop dreams will carry over into Season 5. As he explained, the young man was looking to b-ball as a change of pace to escape the pressures he’d experienced up to that point. His view of the sport and jock life may be somewhat tainted now as well. After all, Lucas did watch first hand as team captain Jason embarked on a violent crusade to find his Dungeons and Dragons-playing cohorts.
Caleb McLaughlin’s teenage lover boy did prove to have the on-court skills when it counted most, though. Still, when I asked the Concrete Cowboy alum if he could see Lucas playing college ball, he gave an emphatic, “Nah!” Yet he also noted that “a lot of strange things do happen” on this show, so it’s not totally out of the realm of possibility.
Based on how Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2 ended, Mr. Sinclair could end up having a lot on his plate. He’ll still have to contend with Vecna and those pesky Demogorgons (which we’ve detailed for you). There’s also the matter of his girlfriend, Max, who was left blind and comatose after nearly dying at the hands of the aforementioned villains. She also had a few broken bones. Chances are Lucas is going to be devoting a lot of time to her (potential) recovery when the show returns, so he may not even have time for basketball. Yet as a basketball fan myself, I wouldn’t mind seeing the teen hit another game-winning shot or two when he’s not facing down with the forces of the Upside Down.
As you wait for updates on Stranger Things Season 5 amid the ongoing WGA writers strike, stream the first four seasons using a Netflix subscription. You can also take a gander at Caleb McLaughlin’s basketball skills by grabbing a Peacock subscription and checking out Shooting Stars.
