*The following piece contains spoilers about Stranger Things season 4 volume 2*
We all had to wait pretty patiently for the fourth season of Stranger Things, and then had to do a little more waiting when it was announced that the fourth installment of the hit Netflix show would be released in two parts. However, it’s unlikely that our patience will be tested to the same degree again, although it’s unclear what sort of release schedule the mooted fifth season may take.
Due to the very real demands that the cast are aging fast and going through physical changes that are often out of step with their characters' supposed age (we’re looking at you Caleb McGloughlin), the Duffer Brothers will want to get any final season in production as quickly as possible.
Read more: How to watch Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2
Will Stranger Things be returning for a fifth season?
The good news is yes, Netflix confirmed in February that there would be a fifth season of the hit show to conclude the story arc of Eleven and her posse of brave friends. The Duffer Brothers said about the end of the show: "Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but – as you’ll soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.”
It’s unclear what the plot of the final season will be, but it is likely to try to answer many of the questions about the Upside Down that have been bugging fans of the show since its first season. The Duffer Brothers have teased that: "There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes.”
The cast of the final season of the show has not yet been confirmed, and the big question marks that are hanging over the fifth season surround Max (played by Sadie Sink) who ended the last episode unresponsive in the hospital in a coma, and Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower) but given that the creators brought back Jim Hopper from what looked like a near certain demise, the smart money is saying both will be back for the last season.
When will series five of Stranger Things be released?
Unfortunately there is no confirmed release date for the final season yet, but viewers are unlikely to have to wait as long as they did between the third and fourth seasons of the show. The Covid pandemic meant production had to halt for six straight months, and the restrictions on the filming industry in general has meant that many shows have been delayed over the last two years.
Because of this, and in part due to the fact that many of the cast who are supposed to be playing teenagers are in their mid-twenties now, it is likely that the final season will start with some sort of time jump so that it doesn’t begin to look too ridiculous. The Duffer Brothers have said: “I’m sure we will do a time jump. Ideally, we’d have shot [Seasons 4 and 5] back to back, but there was just no feasible way to do that.”
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