Stranger Things characters are “as central as spectacle” in final season

Earlier this year, the fifth and final season of Stranger Things started filming. Season 5 is poised to be the most epic yet, with the Upside Down spilling into the real-world and Vecna still looming large. But don't let any of that make you think that we'll spend any less time with the main cast; according to director and producer Shawn Levy, our beloved characters remain at the heart and soul of the show.

Stranger Things would look very different without Shawn Levy on board. He's been involved as a producer (and occasional director) since day one. He's directed the third and fourth episodes of each of the four seasons of Stranger Things — including "The Monster and the Superhero" and "Dear Billy" — and he will return for the final season.

Speaking of the final season, Levy explained that fans can expect a lot of character-focused storylines. “If I was a fan who had nothing to do withStranger Things, I would presume that the final season was going to be big in scale,” he told PEOPLE. “But I'd also want to note that the heart and soul of that show, which is its characters, are intact and are as central as spectacle.”

Levy also said that, although it's set in the 1980s, Stranger Things does not count as a period piece, at least in his mind. “I've never done a straight-up drama,” he said. “I've never done a period piece other than Stranger Things— but that doesn't really count because I was alive in the '80s.” Instead, he gives the honor of his first period series to the Netflix show All The Light We Cannot See, which is set during World War II.

Stranger Things season 4 ended on a huge cliffhanger. Just when the group thought they'd done enough to defeat Vecna and put an end to the terrors of the Upside Down, the hellish landscape erupted into the quaint town of Hawkins, Indiana. Yikes.

What happens next is anyone's guess, but don't expect all-out-war in every episode. The personal struggles of the main cast will remain a central priority.

Stranger Things season 5 does not have a release date yet. Given that production only begun in January following myriad delays, we should expect it to premiere sometime in 2025, or even 2026.

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