After it premiered nearly 10 years ago in 2016, Stranger Things quickly became a cultural phenomenon.
The Netflix series follows a group of middle school friends who find themselves in a battle with otherworldly forces, all with the help of a mysterious, telekinetic girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). The show has been hailed for its loving nods to life in the 1980s, including a synth soundtrack and a heavy dose of inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons.
Now, its fifth and final season will (potentially) conclude the Stranger Things saga.
“For the younger cast, the kids who are no longer kids, it’s been 10 years, it’s half their lives,” co-creator Matt Duffer told PEOPLE at the season 5 premiere in November 2025. “They’re all very, very close. And I think the real-life bond that they have translates into the show.”
While some of the cast members, like Winona Ryder, were stars before the series even started, others have grown into their careers during the show’s nine years. From Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Finn Wolfhard and more, here’s a side-by-side look at the Stranger Things cast in season 1 and season 5.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
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Stranger Things was Brown’s first major role, and she was only 11 years old when the show first began filming back in 2015. She leads the series as Eleven, a telekinetic girl who befriends a group of Dungeons & Dragons-playing middle schoolers.
Since the premiere of Stranger Things, Brown has reprised her role in every season and has landed other major parts in films like Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2020) and the Enola Holmes series.
Off-screen, Brown married Jake Bongiovi, son of legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi, in May 2024.
“When you meet that person, you know it,” she told British Vogue in November 2025.
In summer 2025, the couple welcomed a baby girl via adoption.
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
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Wolfhard stars as Mike Wheeler, the younger brother of Nancy (Natalia Dyer). In the season 1, he not only deals with the strange disappearance of his friend Will (Noah Schnapp), but he’s also the first to befriend Eleven.
In addition to reprising his role each season, Wolfhard has also starred in some major films throughout the years, including the remake of Stephen King’s It (2017) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).
On top of his work as an actor, Wolfhard also entered the music scene, debuting his first album, Happy Birthday, in June 2025.
In April 2025, Wolfhard told PEOPLE that filming the show’s final season was bittersweet.
“I was so happy with my character’s ending,” the actor said, sharing that saying goodbye to the show was emotional. “I just couldn’t believe it at all. It didn’t really start to go into focus until the next day. It was like an emotional hangover.”
Next up, Wolfhard will be lending his voice to the animated reboot series New-Gen alongside Henry Rollins, Luke Wilson and Lena Headey.
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
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Gaten Matarazzo stars as Dustin Henderson, one of Mike’s pals. But Matarazzo really became a fan favorite in season 2, when he formed an unlikely friendship with Steve Harrington (Keery).
On top of returning for every season of Stranger Things, Matarazzo is an accomplished stage actor. He’s performed in numerous Broadway productions, including Dear Evan Hansen (2022) and Sweeney Todd (2023).
Like many of his costars, Matarazzo will miss his Stranger Things family.
“At this point, I’ve almost been doing Stranger Things longer than I haven’t,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2024 while filming the final season. “It’s taken about a decade of my life and it’s the most formative decade of my life.”
Off-screen, Mattarazo is in a relationship with Elizabeth Yu. Next up, he’ll be joining the comedy duo BriTANicK for an untitled stoner comedy for Hulu alongside Caleb Hearon and Sarah Sherman, among others, per Variety.
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
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Before joining Stranger Things, Caleb McLaughlin had his first major role on Broadway, starring as Young Simba in The Lion King from 2012 to 2014.
During his time on the show, McLaughlin has also landed roles in films like Shooting Stars (2023) and The Deliverance (2024).
Next up, he’s set to star in the animated basketball film Goat, where he’ll be joined by a massive ensemble voice cast including Gabrielle Union, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, Patton Oswalt and even his Stranger Things costar David Harbour.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
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Schnapp has had one of the biggest character arcs in Stranger Things, initially starting off as a supporting character trapped in the Upside Down before becoming a lead in season 2 and onward.
Outside of Stranger Things, Schnapp is best known for voicing Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie (2015) and for starring alongside Garrett Hedlund in The Tutor (2023).
Off-screen, he came out as gay in January 2023. Later that year, he told Variety how having his Stranger Things character be gay helped him come out.
“Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself,” he said. “I would be in a completely different place if I didn’t have Will to portray, and to embrace and help me accept myself. I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted.”
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
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Before joining Stranger Things, Ryder was already a massive star and Oscar-nominated actress thanks to her roles in movies like Beetlejuice (1988) and Little Women (1994).
But Stranger Things was one of the first major projects of her career renaissance after she spent several years out of the spotlight. “There was a period when I was not in season,” Ryder told Esquire in August 2024. “It was like 10, 12, 15 years.”
Ryder has continued starring in hit projects, like The Plot Against America (2020) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). Off-screen, Ryder has been in a relationship with fashion designer Scott Mackinlay Hahn since 2011.
At the Stranger Things season 5 premiere in November 2025, Ryder got emotional when speaking with Netflix’s Tudum about the connection she has developed with the young cast over the last decade.
“I feel like this season I got to spend time with all of them, which was incredibly special,” she said. “I will always love them forever.”
David Harbour as Jim Hopper
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Harbour plays Jim Hopper, who becomes a father figure to Eleven.
Amid his time on Stranger Things, Harbour has also starred in big movies, including joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as Alexi Shostakov in Black Widow (2021) and Thunderbolts (2025), as well as portraying Santa in the hit action holiday film Violent Night (2022).
In a November 2025 interview with Esquire, Harbour said he’ll miss his time on Stranger Things, but is excited for what’s next.
“Stranger Things is its own thing, it will always be a certain tone,” he said. “I think we’ve done it for 10 years, it’s a really good chunk of time, but I think I need to find new ways to tell some stories as we move forward, because the world is moving so fast.”
Harbour married Lily Allen in September 2020. In February 2025, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that they had separated after four years of marriage.
After the conclusion of Stranger Things, Harbour will return to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday and will also reprise his role as Santa in Violent Night 2. Both films are premiering in 2026.
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
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Keery plays Steve Harrington, who was originally Nancy’s boyfriend. In fact, the Duffer Brothers told Netflix in June 2022 that Steve was initially supposed to die in season 1, but they liked Keery so much that they completely rewrote the character.
While Stranger Things was Keery’s first major role, he’s since scored other roles in movies like Free Guy (2021) and the anthology series Fargo (2023).
He’s also known for his booming music career as Djo. In 2024, he earned his first hit with 2022’s “End of Beginning,” and in April 2025, his album The Crux debuted at No. 50 on the Billboard 200.
But despite his music success, Keery will still miss his time on Stranger Things. In January 2025, he appeared on The Tonight Show and told host Jimmy Fallon that wrapping up the final season “was emotional” and his costars “are family for life for me.”
Keery has a lot in the works, including the upcoming horror comedy Cold Storage, where he’ll star alongside Liam Neeson.
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
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Dyer plays Nancy, the older sister of Mike and original girlfriend of Steve. But as the series goes on, she starts to fall for Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton).
In real life, she’s been dating Heaton after meeting and falling in love while filming the first season.
“It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with,” Dyer told Refinery29 in July 2019. “It’s always really fun. We’re really comfortable with each other, so we can play and feel more free, and we can talk about it before.”
During her time on Stranger Things, Dyer has also landed other roles, like the 2019 Sundance hit Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) and the Peacock series Based on a True Story (2022).
Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
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Heaton plays Jonathan Byers, Will’s older brother. While he’s seen as somewhat shy and misunderstood in season 1, he’s grown to become a core part of the group.
In November 2025, Heaton told Variety that he thinks Stranger Things “ended so perfectly,” and that he “wouldn’t change anything about how it ended.”
Throughout his run on the show, not only did he fall in love with Dyer, but he also landed other starring roles, most notably portraying Cannonball in The New Mutants (2020).
Next up, he’s set to star alongside Al Pacino and Patrick Schwarzenegger in the dramedy Billy Knight (2026).
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
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Joining the show during its second season, Sadie Sink played Max, who ends up joining the team to fight off the mysteries of the Upside Down.
Before joining Stranger Things, Sink was portraying Annie on Broadway. During her time on the show, she’s continued landing lead roles, including in Netflix’s Fear Street film series (2021) and the Hulu rock musical O’Dessa (2025). In 2025, Sink also returned to Broadway for the play John Proctor is the Villain.
In March 2025, Sink told Teen Vogue how special the connection has become between her and her Stranger Things costars, saying, “We speak the same language.”
Sink’s next project will be starring alongside Tom Holland and Zendaya in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is set for a summer 2026 release.
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
Netflix (2)
Hawke joined the cast in season 3 as Robin, who worked with Steve at the mall before getting sucked into the group’s adventure.
Since joining Stranger Things in 2019, Hawke (who is the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman) has also starred in movies like Do Revenge (2022) and Inside Out 2 (2024).
During a cast interview with Variety, Hawke hinted that her final scene in the show is a big one, saying that she was directed to “throw a grenade at the monster again.”
Off-screen, Hawke is dating musician Christian Lee Hutson.
Hawke might be leaving Stranger Things behind, but she’s also joining another massive franchise, playing Wiress in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (2026).
