*Warning: spoilers for Stranger Things 4: Volume 1*
The writers behind Stranger Things have cleared up a point of confusion around the real name of terrifying villain Vecna, who stalked the small town of Hawkins, Indiana throughout the show’s fourth season.
The hideous creature’s identity is a mystery to begin with, but over the course of the first volume we learn that he is none other than Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower), son of wrongfully convicted murderer Victor and first test subject of Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine).
However, some fans had speculated that a further twist could be on the way, observing that when Bower’s casting was initially announced in the press, his character was referred to as Peter Ballard.
Getting wind of this conversation, the Stranger Things writers took to Twitter to clarify that Peter Ballard was merely a pseudonym used to keep the plot of season 4 under wraps and that it has no relevance to the plot of Volume 2 or beyond.
Their tweet, embedded below, reads: “Peter Ballard was a fake name for casting. His name is Henry Creel and you should not call him Peter. You can, but it’s weird.”
PSA #1: “Enzo’s” name is actually Dmitri but it’s okay if you want to call him Enzo.
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) June 15, 2022
PSA #2: Peter Ballard was a fake name for casting. His name is Henry Creel and you should not call him Peter. You can, but it’s weird.
The shock twist in episode 7 of Stranger Things 4 revealed that Eleven and Vecna (aka Henry Creel or ‘One’) have a long history with each other, which could well come to a head in the plus-sized final episodes next month.
Netflix’s flagship show has made waves since its long-awaited return to screens by breaking viewership records, catapulting Kate Bush back into the charts and launching new stars in the likes of Joseph Quinn and Eduardo Franco.
The show is moving ahead with its fifth – and final – season, with the endgame plan from the Duffer Brothers said to have made Netflix executives teary-eyed (and not just because this cash cow is being put out to pasture).
Stranger Things 1-4 is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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