Every streaming service has its own set of megahits, and Stranger Things is definitely one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch. Those with a Netflix subscription were treated to its series finale back on New Year's Day, where The Party's battle against Vecna reached its conclusion. Actor Jamie Campbell Bower brought that villain to life, and he revealed the final words that he originally wanted to say in the antagonist's final scene.
Stranger Things' series finale saw Vecna finally defeated, with Winona Ryder's Joyce chopping off his head with an axe. During a conversation with Collider, Bower revealed that he was inspired by Joyce's relationship with Henry in the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow when he pitched a final line of dialogue for Vecna. As he put it:
When Joyce steps up, and I'm gargling away, I had that same experience where I was like, ‘Alright, can I just try and maybe add in the middle of the coughing a ‘please’ or a ‘please don’t’?' And ultimately, it didn't work. I had lucked out. I'd had my first and only lucky moment. But that feeling was there for me 100%. Just like, ‘Remember me.’
Honestly, this would have been awesome. Vecna looked pretty pitiful when he was impaled by a large spike by Eleven during the final battle of Stranger Things 5. And the audience might have actually felt bad for him if he managed to beg Joyce for his life. Ultimately, this didn't make it into the beloved show's final episode, and instead, the audience was shown flashes of how Jamie Campbell Bower's villain hurt each of the main characters as Joyce hacked away at his neck.
Bower's comments show how methodically he approached his work as the antagonist of Stranger Things. In addition to playing both Henry Creel and Vecna to perfection, he also saw The First Shadow and took inspiration from the stage play when filming his last batch of episodes. He even made a cameo as Henry in the Broadway production, with fans expecting him to pop up in a pro shot of the show. We'll just have to see if/when it happens.
Despite how many months have passed since Stranger Things ended, the discourse around the beloved TV series is ongoing. Specifically, the question of Eleven's fate. While some fans think that Millie Bobby Brown's hero survived and is finally living in peace, others think she died to save her loved ones. For his part, David Harbour personally thinks she died.
Stranger Things is streaming in its entirety on Netflix. The animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from '85 is also airing now as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Hopefully, we get to see a filmed version of The First Shadow sooner rather than later.
