Over the past decade, the show's child stars have found success with a wide range of film, TV, theater, and hosting projects. Stranger Things cast, then and now: See how the kids have grown since first entering the Upside Down Over the past decade, the show's child stars have found success with a wide range of film, TV, theater, and hosting projects. By Sezin Devi Koehler November 26, 2025 11:32 a.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/StrangerThingsseasononeseason51125255cf716edda1445379723be3bde9d3b38.jpg) The cast of 'Stranger Things' in season 1 and season 5.

Over the past decade, the show's child stars have found success with a wide range of film, TV, theater, and hosting projects.

Stranger Things cast, then and now: See how the kids have grown since first entering the Upside Down

Over the past decade, the show's child stars have found success with a wide range of film, TV, theater, and hosting projects.

By Sezin Devi Koehler

November 26, 2025 11:32 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

The cast of 'Stranger Things' in season 1 and season 5. Credit:

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

They grow up so fast, don't they?

It was less than a decade ago that *Stranger Things* premiered on Netflix, introducing an adorkable ensemble of pre-teen *Dungeons & Dragon* players that stumble into an inter-dimensional conspiracy bubbling over with covert military experiments and geopolitical implications.

Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, *Stranger Things'* scope grew alongside its popularity, with each season growing more ambitious (and more difficult to produce). As years passed in between seasons, its core cast blew past puberty and grew into distinctive artists, branching off into directing, awards fare, music, reality TV, and Broadway, among other pursuits.

With the sci-fi saga's fifth and final season now unfolding, see how the *Stranger Things* cast has grown over the years — and how they've laid the groundwork for their post-Hawkins careers.

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Brown as Eleven in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven has been the cornerstone of *Stranger Things *since its first season. A gifted telekinetic whose powers are coveted by the U.S. government, Eleven has spent much of the series fleeing those who want to exploit her while trying to learn how to live, love, and learn like a normal teenager.

Brown, now 21, looks back fondly on the show's early seasons, especially the shaved head she rocked in season 1. "Honestly, I still to this day loved the experience and I would do it again," she said on the *Call Her Daddy* podcast. "I always tell [my husband], for my first baby, I want to shave my hair off. It was really liberating, I would suggest it for anyone — any girl."

The English actress parlayed her Emmy-nominated performance into starring roles in blockbusters like *Godzilla: King of the Monsters* (2019) and several Netflix projects, including the *Enola Holmes* franchise (2020–present), which she also produces, and *Damsel* (2024), on which she doubles as an executive producer.

Most recently, she led Netflix's *The Electric State *(2025), directed by *Avengers: Endgame* directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

Brown married Jake Bongiovi, the son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, in 2024. A year later, the couple adopted an infant daughter.

Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler

Finn Wolfhard as Mike in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Wolfhard as Mike in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Born in Vancouver, Finn Wolfhard appeared in a few music videos and TV shows (including *Supernatural*) before landing the role of Mike Wheeler, who often serves as Dungeon Master when role-playing with pals Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin).

Now, a 22-year-old Wolfhard is keenly aware of the pressure of sticking the landing.

"It felt really good to shoot [the finale], and that's such a rare thing," he recently told *GQ*. "It is true, though. People are always hyper-critical of [finales]. And I feel like, after seeing so many finales, I just do feel like we did a great job."

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Wolfhard didn't waste time pursuing a film career following the success of *Stranger Things*' first season. He joined another youthful ensemble in the horror blockbuster *IT* (2017) and helped lead a pair of *Ghostbusters* films (2021–2024). He also directed a short film, *Night Shifts*, in 2020, and wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the 2025 slasher *Hell of a Summer* alongside Billy Bryk.

A prolific musician, Wolfhard has released multiple singles with bands like Calpurnia and the Aubreys. In June 2025, he dropped his debut solo album, *Happy Birthday.*

"I definitely am excited to finish *Stranger Things* and see what's out there after," he told EW in 2023. "I've tried not to think about it or process how sad it's gonna be, obviously, but it's gonna be a graduation of sorts for all of us."

Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson

Gaten Mattarazzo as Dustin in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Mattarazzo as Dustin in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Gaten Matarazzo was already a Broadway veteran when he joined *Stranger Things* as the foul-mouthed, big-hearted Dustin, one of the more grounding presences in the show's core cast.

While Matarazzo remains a regular on the stage — in 2023, he starred in a Broadway revival of *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street *— he's proven himself to be a natural host and TV personality. He appeared on episodes of *Ridiculousness, Lip Sync Battle, *and* Drop the Mic, *and even hosted Netflix's hidden-camera prank show *Prank Encounters* (2019–2021).

He's also embraced voice work, with leading roles on *Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy* (2024–2025) and Andy Serkis' upcoming adaptation of George Orwell's *Animal Farm*.

The 23-year-old actor, who was born with cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD), is also an active philanthropist, having worked with organizations that provide corrective oral surgeries for those in need.

As for what Matarazzo hopes is in store for *Stranger Things*' final run? "It might sound messed up, but we should kill more people," he said in 2024. "This show would be so much better if the stakes were much higher, like at any moment any of these kids can kick it. I feel like we're all too safe."

Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair

Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas in 'Stranger Things' season 1; McLaughlin as Lucas in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Caleb McLaughlin's Lucas is as loyal as he is hot-headed, even as he's drifted away from his old pals (and their *D&D* enthusiasm) to embrace his athletic talents. He also struck up a romance with Max (Sadie Sink), whose troubled family uprooted to the show's setting of Hawkins, Ind., in season 2.**

The 24-year-old New York native started his career on stage, playing a young Simba in *The Lion King *on Broadway (2012–2014). He went on to star alongside Idris Elba in Netflix's *Concrete Cowboy *(2020).

His other notable film credits include Steven Soderbergh's *High Flying Bird *(2019) and Lee Daniels' *The Deliverance *(2024), as well as *Shooting Stars* (2023), a LeBron James biopic in which he costars as basketball player-turned-coach Dru Joyce III.

Season 5 will be a big one for Lucas, who watched Max die at the hands of Vecna (and get resurrected at the hands of Eleven) at the end of season 4.

"It affects Lucas a lot this season," McLaughlin said in a November 2025 interview. "In season 4, when all that stuff happened to Max, he thinks it's his fault because he could have helped her. I mean, he helped her — he saved her, in a way — but I feel like he has some internal guilt that he could have stopped it, or he could have helped her more."

Noah Schnapp as Will Byers

Noah Schnapp as Will in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Schnapp as Will in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Poor Will. Aside from Eleven, the bowl-cutted, would-be wizard played by Noah Schnapp has been the series' most put-upon character, from the prolonged trauma of his encounter with the Mind Flayer to his strained relationship with Mike, Dustin, and Lucas.

But he'll be key to season 5, according to co-creator Matt Duffer. "Because the story really began with Will and his disappearance, it felt, in order to go full circle, it needed to really end with him in so many ways," Matt told EW. "In the last couple seasons, we hadn't really centered much of the show on Will. So there was so much to explore with him from a character perspective and plot perspective."

A year before his career took off in Hawkins, Schnapp enjoyed an early dose of stardom when he played the son of Tom Hanks' character in Steven Spielberg's *Bridge of Spies *(2015). That same year, he voiced none other than Charlie Brown in *The Peanuts Movie*.

Though *Stranger Things *and education — namely at UPenn's Wharton School of Business — have been his full-time gigs, the 21-year-old actor has since landed roles in Adam Sandler's *Hubie Halloween* (2020) and indie thriller *The Tutor* (2023).

*Stranger Things*, however,* *was life-changing for Schnapp on both professional and personal levels, as Will's struggles with his sexuality helped Schnapp come to terms with his own.

"Once I did fully embrace that Will was gay, it was just an exponential speed towards accepting it for myself," he said in 2023 after officially coming out via TikTok. "I think if I never played that character, I probably would still be closeted."

Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler

Natalia Dyer as Nancy in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Dyer as Nancy in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Curtis Baker/Netflix; Courtesy of Netflix

Kudos to Natalia Dyer's Nancy Wheeler for having one of the more enjoyable arcs throughout *Stranger Things*' four seasons. She debuted as something of a goody two-shoes, but has since established herself as a relentlessly curious journalist with a surprising knack for firearms.

The end of season 4 saw her tapping into her inner Ripley, shotgun and all, as she squared off against Vecna.

Ahead of season 5, the 30-year-old Dyer recently reflected on her inextricable link with the character that has come to define her.

"Over time you do feel closer and closer to this character, and you're like, 'Is it coming towards me, or am I going towards it?'" she said in conversation with costar Maya Hawke in *Hero*. "Obviously this character does not encompass all of you, and it's not exactly you, but… you also get a sense of growing up during this whole process, and it feels very beautiful in a smudgy way, all those things are a little blurred, lived together and interacted with."

This was just the second screen role for the Nashville native, but it launched a film career that's included genre curiosities like *Velvet Buzzsaw* (2019) and leading roles in the indie dramas *Yes, God, Yes* (2019) and *Tuscaloosa *(2019). She also starred on Peacock's *Based on a True Story* in 2023.

Dyer has been in a relationship with Charlie Heaton, who plays Nancy's boyfriend Jonathan Byers, since 2016.

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers

Charlie Heaton as Jonathan in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Heaton as Jonathan in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Charlie Heaton's Jonathan Byers, the older brother of Will, began the show as an outcast with an interest in photography. His journey has seen several highs and lows, with season 4 finding him adrift (and mostly stoned).

But you can expect big things from Heaton in season 5. "There are some scenes in this finale, especially towards the end, where it might be the most honest work I've ever had the opportunity to do," he told *Wonderland*. "I was just looking at [each cast member] being like, 'I love you. You are here in this one moment. I don't think I'll ever have that experience again.'"**

Within a few months of the show's premiere, Heaton played Naomi Watts' troubled son in *Shut In *(2016). He went on to appear in *Marrowbone *(2017), Marvel's ill-fated *The New Mutants *(2020), and Joanna Hogg's acclaimed *The Souvenir Part II *(2021). In between, he gigged with a number of punk bands.

Next up for Heaton? A supporting role as a financial journalist in season 4 of HBO's *Industry, *as well as an upcoming, still-untitled Netflix series with Josh Hartnett.

The 31-year-old actor has been dating Dyer since 2016 and has a son, born in 2014, from a previous relationship.

"It's been a gift to work with my best friend," he told *Wonderland* about working alongside Dyer on the show. "To be able to have a shared experience with your partner about the anxiety when you don't get a job — I know what that feels like, she knows what that feels like. You can be there to talk about it, or when you have a s--- day at work, or come away from a scene and you didn't think it worked. To be able to both understand each other on that level is great."**

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield

Sadie Sink as Max in 'Stranger Things' season 2; Sink as Max in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Sadie Sink's Max was a latecomer to the gang, arriving in the show's second season alongside her stepbrother Billy (Dacre Montgomery) before linking up with the boys and helping Eleven develop in the real world.

Season 4 turned out to be a pivotal season for the character. After running up that hill, she ran afoul of Vecna, who killed her in the season's final episode. Eleven was able to resurrect her, but Max nevertheless remained unresponsive in a hospital bed by season's end.

Speaking with EW ahead of season 5, Sink reflected on feeling like "the new kid" for much of her run on the show. "Doing press for season 2, people knew who the boys were, but nobody knew who I was yet," she said. "That was kind of nice, to be sheltered by that for a little bit. It also carried on into the later seasons where I still very much felt like, 'I don't know if people like my character, if I'm a welcomed addition to the show.' Now it's season 5 and it's all I've known, so I don't really feel like the new kid anymore."

Prior to joining *Stranger Things*, Sink had a handful of movie and TV parts under her belt, not to mention a stage career that included stints in *Annie *and *The Audience *on Broadway.

After joining the show, Sink booked major roles in Netflix's *Fear Street *trilogy (2021) and Darren Aronofsky's Oscar-winning *The Whale *(2022). She became the envy of Swifties everywhere when she starred in the pop star's "All Too Well" short film. In 2025, she scored a Tony nomination for her leading turn in *John Proctor Is the Villain *on Broadway.

With Max Mayfield behind her, the 23-year-old Texan will next appear in a yet-to-be-announced role in *Spider-Man: Brand New Day.*

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington

Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in 'Stranger Things' season 1; Keery as Steve in 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Curtis Baker/Netflix; Courtesy of Netflix

Joe Keery's snobby, snarky Steve Harrington nearly bit the dust in *Stranger Things*' first season, but the creators were so charmed by the Chicago actor and musician's performance that they kept him around (and gave him a full-blown face turn).

Keery discussed Steve's "big brother role" in a November 2025 chat with *Hero*. "I think for me, it was learning about how the person who he has been up to this point deals with the maturing of the younger people around him," he said. "Having this big brother role was important for him and important for the show, and I think it's cool to see how that dynamic changes while the other characters are growing up."

Keery's breakthrough as Steve led to key supporting roles in *Free Guy *(2021) and the fifth season of FX's *Fargo* (2023–2024). The 33-year-old recently played himself — starring in a fictional biopic of the band Pavement — in Alex Ross Perry's 2024 experimental documentary *Pavements*.

A longtime musician, Keery is currently releasing music and touring with his solo outfit, Djo. He even wrote a song about his *Stranger Things *romantic rival Charlie Heaton for his most recent album, *The Crux*.

Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley

Maya Hawke as Robin in 'Stranger Things' season 3; Hawke as Robin 'Stranger Things' season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix (2)

Maya Hawke, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, joined *Stranger Things* in its third season as Robin, Steve's queer coworker at Scoops Ahoy.

"I was actually so happy, no spoilers, about some of the last scenes and what was happening," the actress told Collider about the series' conclusion. "I found myself extremely happy with where they took the characters at the end. It was everything I dreamed it would be."

Over the past few years, Hawke headlined 2022's *Do Revenge *and costarred in a pair of acclaimed 2023 films: Wes Anderson's *Asteroid City *and Bradley Cooper's *Maestro*. That same year, she portrayed the influential writer Flannery O'Connor in *Wildcat* (2023), which was directed by her father.

Next up for the 27-year-old actress is *Sunrise on the Reaping, *a prequel to the *Hunger Games *franchise*. *

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Original Article on Source

Source: "EW TV"

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Source: TV

Published: November 27, 2025 at 08:57AM on Source: RED MAG

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