The Stranger Things 5 finale trailer is officially here. It's not a long one, but it's a good one. As always, there are some really important quick moments in the new trailer that I want to make sure fans do not miss. So, let's talk about them!
Ultimately, my favorite thing about the Stranger Things final trailer is how much it doesn't give away. We're all going to watch anyway. Why risk spoilers? It's the perfect tease of what's to come, and it looks like it's going to be amazing!
Without further ado, let's talk about the things you probably missed in the trailer.
1. Military dudes visiting the Hawkins Lab and possibly blowing up
The trailer opens with the military's hummers rolling up on the Hawkins Lab. I believe that's where Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Hopper (David Harbour) are headed to use the sensory deprivation tank to bring the battle to Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in his mind.
It's a short clip, but it's confirmed that Eleven and the gang will be up against the military as well as Vecna in what I'm calling the Battle for the Upside Down.
Later in the trailer, we see a huge explosion outside Hawkins Lab, and I have to believe that Hopper, Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), and Murray (Brett Gelman) have a few tricks up their sleeves for the military members.
2. The characters split up into two groups
Speaking of Murray and the gang, it looks like we have two distinct groups working together in the Upside Down. We have a brief clip of Eleven, Kali, Murray, and Hopper at the Hawkins Lab. They're going to bring the fight to Vecna in his mindscape and hopefully save Holly (Nell Fisher), Derek (Jake Connelly), and the rest of the kids.
Then, we have the other group who have climbed the radio tower at The Squawk. That group includes Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Will (Noah Schnapp), Steve (Joe Keery), Joyce (Winona Ryder), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Robin (Maya Hawke). I think that's everyone!
3. Dustin screams like someone, possibly Steve, has just died
One of the most heartbreaking moments of the trailer is when Dustin is screaming in slow motion like someone just died. We obviously don't know what this is in reference to, but I think the audience is fearing the worst for one character — Steve Harrington.
Personally, I don't think that's necessarily the case. I'm on record as confirming that I think Steve is in danger, but there's been so much chatter about Steve dying that I don't think it's actually going to happen. This feels like the perfect set-up to get Steve fans a little more worked up heading into the finale.
4. Vecna lurks behind Hopper
Whatever happens with the worlds colliding, it looks like we're about to see the Hopper and Vecna showdown that we've been waiting for all this time. In the short clip, we see Hopper, gun-drawn, looking around in a haze of some kind. Then, we see Vecna step behind him before it cuts to a different clip.
I'm very curious about this because it doesn't appear to be taking place in the Upside Down. It's possible that it could be taking place in the Hawkins Lab with the lights on, but I'm curious if Hopper actually makes his way into the mindscape, or possibly even into the cave. That's what it looks like to me!
5. Max is walking between Kali and Eleven
In one of the more surprising moments of the trailer, we see Max walking between Eleven and Kali. It stood out to me because Max stayed behind with Erica. Then, I remembered that Max is going to guide Eleven and Kali through Vecna's memories in a sneak attack on the villain.
So, that appears to be what's happening here. Eleven, Kali, and Max are bringing the fight to Vecna in his mind while the others are fighting off the horrors of the Abyss as the worlds crash together.
6. No, that's not the Mind Flayer
I've seen a few takes and theories that the Mind Flayer is bursting through the sky into the Upside Down in the latest trailer, but that's not the Mind Flayer. It's one of the floating rocks from the in-between that Holly falls through in "The Bridge." That appears to be the gap between the worlds, so it makes sense that as Vecna draws the Abyss closer through the wormhole, the other in-between area comes through first.
Watch the Stranger Things 5 finale on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. EST only on Netflix!