‘It’s Not As Dramatic As People Think.’ Stranger Things’ The Duffer Brothers On Getting Flak From Fans Over The Young Cast Aging

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Fans are eagerly awaiting the return of Stranger Things, which is set to premiere sometime in 2025. It’s been over three years since the last season, and production was delayed by scheduling conflicts and the 2023 writers’ strike. While excitement is building, some viewers have expressed concern about how much the young actors have grown up since we last saw them. However, the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, aren’t worried about this.

The creators of Stranger Things recently discussed the criticism they’ve received about how much the young cast has visibly aged between seasons. Because of the time between filming, the actors naturally look older, even though only a few years have passed for their characters within the show’s story. This break between seasons is the longest yet, but the Duffer Brothers believe the aging isn’t as noticeable as some people claim. Matt Duffer explained that…

You know, it’s actually a really subtle detail, but I love how they pulled it off! There’s a moment in Season 4, Episode 4 – the ‘Dear Billy’ episode – where Sadie Sink’s character is writing letters in the basement. Then, she simply walks outside, and a whole year has passed for her character! They filmed those scenes at the very beginning and end of shooting, and it’s so seamless – honestly, no one seems to have ever picked up on it. It’s a full year represented in just that transition, and I think it’s brilliant.

It’s definitely noticeable that some characters are aging differently. Ross Duffer also pointed this out.

If you’re paying attention, you can notice it.

Production on Season 4 was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown, forcing filming to occur over a year-long period. This presented a challenge with the young cast, as voices change and actors grow quickly during their teenage years. Fortunately, Sadie Sink was nearing adulthood, minimizing noticeable differences. The fact that viewers didn’t detect changes is a good sign for the upcoming season, as the cast is now past the most rapid growth phase of puberty, making aging less noticeable. As Matt Duffer explained,

The thing is, no one seems to have picked up on this change. As the characters have aged, the difference isn’t as noticeable. When we started filming Season 3, Ross and I were really surprised by how much they’d changed, and we quickly realized we’d been writing them as if they were younger than they actually were.

One of the biggest challenges when filming shows with young actors is how quickly they grow up during puberty. The creators of the show have even mentioned having to adjust to an actor’s voice changing mid-filming using technology. Now that the main actors are past the peak of their growth spurts, the noticeable changes between seasons shouldn’t be as dramatic as what viewers saw between seasons 2 and 3.

Fans don’t need to worry about the actors aging out of their roles. It’s common for actors in their early 20s to play teenagers, and that’s where the cast is now. As the actors have matured, the show has naturally explored more complex and mature storylines, like we saw in Season 4. It sounds like Season 5 of Stranger Things will continue that trend. While details are still secret, I’m really looking forward to it!

The first part of Stranger Things Season 5 will be available on Netflix November 26th for subscribers. The season will be released in three volumes, with the second arriving on December 25th and the third on December 31st. You can find details about other upcoming Netflix shows in the 2025 release schedule.

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2025-11-23 20:38