FAN-FAVOURITE Netflix series Stranger Things has dropped a first look at its fifth and final season, which gives away a huge spoiler about the fate of a beloved character.
A behind-the-scenes photo released by Netflix confirming that production has officially begun on Stranger Things 5 includes Sadie Sink, who plays Max Mayfield, implying that she’ll be a part of the upcoming final season.
The black and white snap shows the main cast and crew of Stranger Things sitting together with their scripts, in front of a red neon sign displaying the number 5.
This all but confirms Max will be alive and well in season 5.
When we last saw Max, she was lying in a hospital bed with significant injuries after going head to head with Jamie Campbell Bower’s baddie Vecna. In the series finale, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) revealed to the gang that the doctors weren’t sure if she would ever wake up from her coma, leaving her fate hanging in the balance.
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Sadie, 21, was also left in the dark about the fate of her character at the time, but is now set to return for the upcoming season.
Max joined the cast of Stranger Things at the beginning of season 2. She has been through a lot since then, notably embarking on an on-off relationship with Lucas and developing a deep friendship with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
However, series 4 gave Sadie her most challenging storyline yet. As Vecna set his sights on Max, she did her best to fight him off with her friends and Kate Bush by her side, right up until the final episode.
Sadie previously told The Hollywood Reporter that she was excited for viewers to see the “fiercer” side of her character as she’s “braver than she’s ever been” in Volume 2 of Stranger Things 4.
At the end of the finale, Vecna momentarily kills her, but El won't let her friend go and uses her powers to bring Max back, but the events leave her in a coma.
After seeing Sadie in the production announcement for Stranger Things 5, Netflix fans quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their excitement.
“So that means... Max is still alive?” one fan said hopefully.
“Sadie is in the photo for Stranger Things production starting PLS SAY MAX WILL WAKE UP,” said another.
A third gushed: “Max will be back! I’m so happy!”
While a fourth excited fan said: “They are finally back and Max is back too! Can’t wait for Stranger Things 5!”
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Keeping viewers in suspense about a character's life is par for the course for Stranger Things. After all, Eleven’s fate was left up in the air at the end of series 1 and David Harbour’s character Jim Hopper was believed to be dead at the end of season before Stranger Things 4 revealed he was alive but locked in a Russian prison.
Very few details about what else Stranger Things 5 might entail have been released, but since it has been confirmed that the upcoming season will be the sci-fi series’ last and Vecna is still out there, viewers can expect the Hawkins gang to be gearing up for an epic final showdown.
Stranger Things fans shouldn’t despair about the end of the series too much as there are additional projects in the universe in the works including Stranger Things: The First Shadow live on stage in London’s West End and an untitled animated spinoff series.
Stranger Things 5 will premiere in 2025. Season 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix now.
