Will Byers could play a crucial role.
The writers behind Stranger Things have shared a glimpse at the opening scene of season 5, which is set to bring the global phenomenon to a dramatic end.
The fourth instalment dominated the summer of 2022, causing the resurgence of a certain Kate Bush tune and shocking fans with the origin of a barbaric new foe known as Vecna.
When we left the Hawkins gang, the nightmarish Upside Down was converging with the real world, meaning a fight for the future of humanity seems all but inevitable.
It now appears that battle will take us back to the very beginning.
The opening scene of Stranger Things season 5 is seemingly set in the Upside Down, with a script excerpt describing “darkness” and “the sound of cold wind, groaning trees and… a child’s voice… singing a familiar song”.
The short extract seems to suggest a flashback to the initial disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) to the Upside Down, where he comforted himself by softly singing The Clash’s 1982 song Should I Stay or Should I Go.
Season 5. Chapter 1. Scene 1. pic.twitter.com/TIkf1DNipu
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) November 7, 2023
It’s unclear whether this scene will be created using archive footage from the filming of season 1 or if a de-aged version of Will Byers will be created, by imposing Schnapp’s face on a younger child.
This technique was implemented in season 5, when Millie Bobby Brown’s face was merged with that of child actor Martie Blair in order to revisit the younger years of Eleven.
Of course, there’s also a chance this scene could be entirely unrelated and that a different child simply finds themself in a similar predicament to Will in season 1, which would be another way of bringing things full circle.
Whichever the case, fans are excited to find out how Stranger Things will end, but the climactic chapter remains far away due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes that brought much of Hollywood to a standstill.
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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