Stranger Things 5 is one of Netflix's biggest releases of 2025 and the series has a sizeable cast list to match.
The sci-fi series follows a group of kids who discover a door to a sinister parallel dimension in their small town.
The fifth season of the Netflix epic is shaping up to be the largest one yet which is evident in the 650 hours of Stranger Things footage captured for the final season.
Stranger Things 5 Confirms Its Main Cast Members
A Netflix press release has confirmed the 21 main actors who will be starring in Stranger Things 5:
Winona Ryder - Joyce Byers
The caring and determined single mother of Jonathan and Will, Joyce has been one of the major heroes throughout Stranger Things. Starting in Season 1, Joyce never gave up on Will being alive and continued to protect him and his friends whenever the creatures of the Upside Down came calling.
Joyce has also maintained a will-they-won't-they relationship with Hopper and in Season 4 travelled to Russia to help break him out of prison.
Winona Ryder plays Joyce in Stranger Things which marks another spooky role for the actress who is known for her parts in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Black Swan.
David Harbour - Jim Hopper
The Chief of the Hawkins Police Department, fans first meet Jim Hopper as a grieving alcoholic cop. However, he soon finds a new purpose when the young girl, Eleven, comes into his life and he eventually adopts her as his daughter.
Stranger Things fans were left on a cliffhanger in Season 3 after Hopper sacrificed himself to close the gate, but he returned alive in Season 4, ending up in a secretive Russian prison, which he fought to escape from along with Joyce and Murray.
Hopper is played by David Harbour who will next be seen in Marvel's Thunderbolts* and also had roles in Gran Turismo, Hellboy, and Violent Night.
Millie Bobby Brown - Eleven/Jane Hopper
Netflix's favorite movie star Millie Bobby Brown (Damsel, Enola Holmes) returns to the role that started it all in Stranger Things 5.
Bobby Brown was only 12 when she first appeared in Stranger Things as Eleven, the lost young girl with telekinetic powers who was inextricably tied to the Upside Down.
Eleven was eventually adopted by Hopper and then subsequently moved to California with the Byers. In Season 4, Eleven learned more about her past with Dr. Brenner and her ties to the Upside Down villain Vecna.
Finn Wolfhard - Mike Wheeler
Ghostbusters: Afterlife and IT star Finn Wolfhard is no stranger (pun intended) to supernatural horrors, but it all started for the young actor with his role as Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things.
Mike emerged as the leader of his group of friends, the Dungeon Master, who led them on multiple rescue missions and adventures to thwart the Upside Down. He also formed a relationship with Eleven, until the two were separated when the Byers moved from Hawkins to California.
After helping Eleven, Will, Jonathan, and Argyle in Season 4 to stop Vecna, Mike will face his biggest challenge yet in Season 5 as the Upside Down invades his home.
Gaten Matarazzo - Dustin Henderson
The goofy and loveable heart of the group, Dustin has become a fan-favorite Stranger Things character, ultimately befriending his older classmates Eddie and Steve, and finding love over the radio with his girlfriend Suzie.
Honor Society and Lego Star Wars star Gaten Matarazzo plays Dustin and the actor teased his character will be dealing with "intense grief" heading into Stranger Things 5.
Caleb McLaughlin - Lucas Sinclair
The final member of the core four, Lucas Sinclair is endearing and loyal. He becomes romantically involved with Max after her arrival in Season 2.
Heading into Season 5 of Stranger Things, Lucas has a lot on his shoulder with Max in crippling condition.
Caleb McLaughlin stars as Lucas who is also known for his roles in Concrete Cowboy and Deliverance.
Noah Schnapp - Will Byers
The Tutor and Hubie Halloween's Noah Schnapp portrays Will Byers in Stranger Things, the character whose disappearance changes everything.
When Will is eventually rescued from the Upside Down he finds himself still psychically tied to it which has been both a blessing and a curse over the four seasons so far.
Season 4 also saw Will confess his crush on Mike, which pushes their relationship into interesting territory for Season 5.
Sadie Sink - Max Mayfield
Sadie Sink (who may be set for a big Marvel role) plays Max in Stranger Things, a loner tomboy character who was introduced in Season 2.
Over the seasons Max was inducted into the group, began a relationship with Lucas, and became best friends with Eleven. She was hunted by Vecna in Stranger Things 4 which led to the series' iconic 'Running Up That Hill' scene.
In Season 5, Max's life will look completely different after she was saved from death by Eleven in Season 4 but was left in a coma.
Natalia Dyer - Nancy Wheeler
Mike's older sister, Nancy, is played by Natalia Dyer (Based on a True Story). Nancy starts the series as Steve's girlfriend, before eventually finding love with Jonathan Byers.
Her determination to uncover the truth leads to her job at the school newspaper in Season 4 (although she may have a new profession in Season 5), where she uncovers the truth about Vecna and the Creel family.
Charlie Heaton - Jonathan Byers
Nancy's partner-in-crime and Will's older brother Jonathan is known to be shy but dedicated to his family and friends. In Season 4 Jonathan made a new friend in California, Argyle, and the duo helped Will, and Mike to prepare Eleven for her fight against Vecna.
Charlie Heaton stars as Jonathan, who viewers may know from his role as Sam Guthrie in The New Mutants.
Joe Keery - Steve Harrington
Starting Stranger Things as the bad boy, Steve's character has seen a lot of growth over four seasons. He is a supportive friend to Dustin and Robin and a dedicated video store worker.
Free Guy and Fargo star Joe Keery stars as Steve in all five seasons of Stranger Things. Outside of film and TV, Keery is also known under his music moniker Djo.
Maya Hawke - Robin Buckley
Robin quickly earned her place among the best Stranger Things characters following her introduction in Season 3. After working two retail jobs with Steve, Robin became a part of the core group, helping them uncover a conspiracy beneath their mall and learn the truth about the Creel family.
After revealing to Steve she was queer in Season 3, Robin was seen eyeing up her band classmate Vickie in Season 4, which may lead to something in the final season.
Robin is portrayed by Maya Hawke who was most recently the voice of Anxiety in Inside Out 2.
Brett Gelman - Murray Bauman
Fleabag and Mr. Mercedes' Brett Gelman plays the private investigator and conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman in Stranger Things.
Most recently, Murray was involved in helping Joyce rescue Hopper from his incarceration in Russia in Season 4.
Priah Ferguson - Erica Sinclair
Stranger Things was one of the first major roles for actress Priah Ferguson, who stars as Lucas' younger sister, Erica.
While initially being ignored by her brother, Erica becomes a core part of the team in Season 3 when she helps Dustin, Robin, and Steve infiltrate the Starcourt Mall. She does not have as large a role in Season 4 but is established as a member of the Hellfire Club.
Jamie Campbell Bower - Henry Creel/Vecna
Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows and Mortal Instruments: City of Bones star Jamie Campbell Bower had his most transformative role yet in Stranger Things as Henry Creel (aka Vecna).
For much of Season 4, Creel was in disguise as the orderly, Peter Ballard, who oversaw Eleven and the other children in the lab for Dr. Brenner. Soon it was revealed that Peter was One, the first child that Brenner experimented on who gave the others powers.
However, Eleven's powers sent Henry into the Upside Down, where he was transformed into the evil Vecna, who desires revenge upon Eleven and her town of Hawkins.
Cara Buono - Karen Wheeler
Mike and Nancy's mother, Karen Wheeler, is played by Mad Men and The Sopranos star Cara Buono in Stranger Things.
Unlike Joyce, Karen has stayed out of the Upside Down action for most of Stranger Things, although she was inadvertently involved in Billy Mayfield's possession by the Mind Flayer. In Season 5, however, she will not be able to avoid it for much longer as the Upside Down invades Hawkins.
Amybeth McNulty - Vickie
Anne With An E actress Amybeth McNulty appeared briefly in Season 4 as Vickie, a Hawkins High student and marching band member.
While Vickie didn't have too much involvement in Season 4 of Stranger Things, she did catch the affections of Robin and her confirmation for Season 5 seems to indicate this storyline will be continued in the final season.
Nell Fisher
Nell Fisher is one of the new cast members joining Stranger Things 5, whose character is yet to be revealed.
Fisher is a 13-year-old actress who has had roles in Evil Dead Rise, My Life is Murder, and Bookworm.
Jake Connelly
Another young actor joining Stranger Things 5 for his first major screen role is Jake Connelly. His character also remains a mystery for now.
Alex Breaux
American Primeval star Alex Breaux will debut his new character in Stranger Things 5. Like the others, Breaux's character is being kept under wraps.
Linda Hamilton
Terminator's Sarah Connor herself, Linda Hamilton, will be joining Stranger Things 5, although her role is being kept a secret.
After her casting was announced at Netflix's Tudum event in 2023, Hamilton said she would have to learn "how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time," while working on Stranger Things 5.
Stranger Things 5 will be released in 2025 on Netflix.
