Stranger Things 5 has finally arrived, and that means it’s officially open season on dreaming up our theories for part 2 and the series finale. Now armed with more information and new details than ever, the path to the endgame seems clear, but looks can be deceiving.
Even before part 1 dropped, fans have been weaving tangled webs of theories based on the past four seasons, The First Shadow, leaks, and rumors. Well, the Duffer Brothers just debunked some of the biggest theories, proving yet again that it’s near impossible to predict what they have planned.
During an interview with Junkee, the Stranger Things creators took it upon themselves to bring attention to a number of fan theories they have been hearing about over the years and confirming that they aren’t true. Some of us will be relieved that these theories have been debunked, but others might be a bit disappointed.
Eddie Munson isn’t a vampire
Sorry if you’re an “Eddie is a vampire” truther, but the Duffer Brothers flat-out said that Joseph Quinn’s beloved but gone-too-soon character won’t be making a comeback as a member of the undead. Ross Duffer said, “There’s some wild [theories], even for season 5. Eddie is not a vampire. I will say that much.”
As much as we all wanted to see Quinn reprise his breakout role, it’s not going to happen with him returning to Hawkins or the Upside Down as a vampire. The theory originates from the D&D character Kas the Bloody-Handed, who was resurrected by Vecna as a vampire. Seeing as Eddie died by being swarmed by tons of demobats, the vampire concept soon followed.
That’s a very interesting theory and one that doesn’t totally make sense for Stranger Things, but that would make for a great spinoff comic, to be honest. If the Duffers did pull off the ultimate final season suspense and get Quinn back for a cameo, it won’t be as a vampire. Maybe Dustin would see his ghost, which is much more plausible.
Mike isn't playing a game of D&D after Will "died"
Ross continued by deflating a theory that has especially gained momentum after the release of Stranger Things 5 part 1. “The other one I will say is it’s not just a make believe D&D game that Mike’s running in his basement. That’s not a real one.”
It’s cause for celebration that we can take a potential series finale reveal that everything we haven’t watched didn’t actually happen off the table. That has increasingly become a popular fear among fans that the ending would take the easy way out and negate the past five seasons of storytelling. No one likes that kind of bait and switch, especially not the Duffer Brothers.
The full explanation of the D&D theory was that Will wasn’t actually found and didn’t survive season 1 and everything that’s happening is an elaborate game of D&D that Mike’s playing to deal with his grief. Matt and Ross agreed that while it’s not a bad theory or twist, it’s not accurate and they know fans would have been mad. Matt doubled down and admitted that he gets “frustrated” when movies and shows take the “it’s not real” route.
Will didn’t see Vecna in season 1
Finally, Matt Duffer cleared the air about a third fan theory in the creators’ interview with Junkee, and this goes way back to the first season. In preparation for season 5, fans have been rewatching from the beginning, naturally leading to the assumption that Will saw Vecna way back in season 1. Well, that’s not quite the truth.
“We have recently cleared this one up that in episode 1 when Will sees the silhouette on his bike that that’s not Vecna,” Matt explained.
It’s understandable that fans are trying to connect all the dots and put all the pieces of the puzzle together, but remember, we don’t even have all the dots or pieces available halfway through season 5. No, Will didn’t see Vecna because the character didn’t officially emerge until season 4.
Stranger Things 5 continues with part 2 on Christmas Day and the series finale on New Year’s Eve on Netflix.