Stranger Things 5: David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp and Shawn Levy
Reflections from the cast as they look back on ten years of friendship, fear, and the world that grew around them
Stranger Things has always been a show about growing up, even when monsters and alternate dimensions stole the spotlight. When it premiered in 2016, it felt like a lightning bolt—an 80s throwback that wasn’t just referencing nostalgia, but living inside it.
Across five seasons, we’ve watched this story evolve from a small‑town mystery into something much bigger and more ambitious, all while holding tight to what made it so iconic. What started with a group of kids on bikes became a decade‑long journey about friendship, fear, loss, and finding yourself in the shadow of unimaginable darkness.
That journey is finally coming to an end. The cast and creative team have grown up alongside the audience, and you can feel that weight in every answer they give. Ten years is a long time in anyone’s life—but for these actors, many of whom began as children, it’s practically a lifetime. There’s a sense of farewell woven through the final season, a mixture of pride and melancholy that mirrors the story’s own themes of change.
This article—the first of three—is based on the hybrid press conferences I attended on November 8, 2025, where Executive Producer Shawn Levy, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, and Noah Schnapp gathered to talk about closing out the series.
The Scale of a Finale
When the cast was asked what it felt like to step onto the Season 5 sets, Millie Bobby Brown didn’t hesitate to describe her reaction. “Our sets this year have felt insane… there’s one specific set that I just was kind of in shock that it was even built,” she said. She talked about the joy of working in a world that feels real instead of relying entirely on imagination. “Not having to imagine absolutely everything… is a joy.”
That contrast between practical sets and massive visual effects isn’t new for Stranger Things, but the sense of scale feels different this time. David Harbour compared acting on such sets to playing in a band: “It doesn’t matter if there’s a huge green screen or a huge set… I’m playing guitar, what I love to do.”
He repeated his preference for the quieter, character-driven moments. “I much prefer the intimate… those rich three-to-four-page scenes with two people really going at it.” Noah cut in with a grin: “You are the best at them.” David tried to wave it off, but Shawn backed him up: “You are really, really good.” Noah piled on again: “No one takes a monologue better than David Harbour.”
Chemistry After a Decade
Chemistry has always been the show’s heartbeat. Noah Schnapp said it plainly: “It’s so crucial to have good chemistry… it reads on screen.” He talked about how their comfort with each other allows improvisation to shine. Millie took it a step further, describing the cast as a ragtag family: “We’re all, in our own way, outcasts… you’ll know how strange we are in our own way.” That vulnerability, she explained, is part of the show’s DNA: “I don’t feel like there’s any perfect person… and that’s what’s exciting.”
Shawn Levy added that everyone knew they were walking into the final season, and real emotions flowed into the performances. “Knowing this was a farewell… the emotions were very, very honest and authentic,” he said.
Brave Faces
One of the most emotional exchanges came when Millie was asked whether Eleven’s bravery over the years had influenced her in real life. Millie said, “If you would’ve met me at 10… I’ve always been quite outspoken and brave in my own way.” She explained how the final season changed her perspective: “You question everything you’ve ever done with your character… this is my last shot at playing this superhero.” That pressure forced her to dive deeper: “You have to leave your humility at the door… pretending to fly when you’re not.”
David Harbour described the dread of reading new scripts: “The first 15 pages are usually just full of anxiety.” He talked about emailing the Duffers after each season with thoughts—unsure if they were read—but always trusting the writers to “land the plane.”
The Heart of Hopper and Eleven
When asked about Hopper and Eleven’s bond, David began with a grin: “I think there are a lot of emotional centers. I mean, my ego appreciates you saying that, right? That like we’re the center.”
Then he shifted into something far more personal. He talked about their connection as “two people that are both lost, that are both heroic… that both have such big, broad, deep hearts and are both deeply flawed.” After years of playing that dynamic, he said, “I love human beings like that. I love humanity.” He added that reuniting with Millie this season carried enormous weight: “They do something so extraordinary this season… and the payoff is really deep and rich.”
Millie echoed that sentiment, reminiscing about how bizarre it seemed in Season 1 that Hopper would become Eleven’s father figure. “Such a weird pair,” she laughed. But the foundation built in earlier seasons carried them through, making their dynamic in Season 5 feel effortless. “They have this shorthand… a really deep connection,” she said. “People talk about Eleven, and in the same sentence they talk about Hopper and El.”
Growing Up on Set
Millie, now a mother and married, reflected directly on what the series gave her. “I started out when I was 10… it’s given me a lot more than probably the average person because it’s like school. It’s all I’ve ever known.” She talked about learning the craft piece by piece: “It taught me about being a professional person… about how to hit your mark… what racking focus means… speaking to a director… taking a note.”
She didn’t stop there. “I graduated on the show. I learned how to be a friend,” she said, describing the experience of working inside an ensemble of forty main characters. The responsibility of being in the spotlight shaped her early: “Naturally you are in the light… there’s a lot of young people watching you… it makes you want to make good decisions.”
She also spoke about finding balance as she grew up: “This has been my anchor… and it’s also made me realize how much it’s okay to have other anchors… you can have your own personal life and private life.”
Fear and Resolve
Asked about balancing Hopper’s hardened exterior with fear, David Harbour went full Shakespeare—a moment both funny and unexpectedly moving. He referenced Hamlet and the Bhagavad Gita to explain Hopper’s evolution.
Hopper, he said, confronts a pivotal shift this season: a warrior reawakened, but also a man learning to accept what he cannot control. “The readiness is all,” he quoted. Beneath the monster-fighting and chaos, he hopes audiences see that vulnerability: “You’re not in control of this universe… you can only play your role.”
The Moment It Hit Them
One of the most emotional rounds of answers came when the cast was asked when it truly hit them that this was the end.
Noah described sitting down to write goodbye letters and suddenly realizing how much of his childhood had been shaped on set. “These are my family members… a day I will never forget.”
David admitted he hadn’t planned to attend the final day of shooting, then found himself driving over anyway. “I sat in the back and watched them play this scene… just crying.” For him, it was a cathartic moment of watching the kids he’d worked with for a decade become adults.
Shawn Levy reflected on the challenge of closing the series while still honoring its mystery. He said the show has always lived in the balance between scale and intimacy: “It can’t just be great character scenes… and it can’t just be cool monsters. It’s both.” He praised the Duffers’ work on the finale as “masterfully done… full-throated storytelling.”
Later, he spoke about the difference between the moments fans now own and the moments that still belong only to the people who made the show. “So many of the moments in this show now… they belong to the world. These characters belong to the world forever.” But the memories of creation he holds close. “I remember those season two scenes in that cabin… seeing these actors make something magic come alive.” He summed it up simply: “The moments belong to the world, but the moments where we got to make it… those belong to us.”
A Decade of Storytelling
The press conference wrapped with a mix of humor and weight. David leaned forward with a mock-warning: “So let me tell you what happens on page one—” before Shawn shot him down with a quick, “No, please don’t.”
Shawn’s tone softened as he reflected on closing out the series: “I’m very proud to be a part of this show… very excited for the world to experience such moving, full-throated storytelling.”
David added his own moment of clarity, recalling the final shoot day: “I had this incredibly cathartic moment of watching these young actors… become men and women.” It was pride, yes—but also the recognition of how deeply this decade had shaped them all.
Ten years is a long time to hold onto a story. For the Stranger Things team, it wasn’t just a job, but a place to grow up, to find family, and to discover themselves inside a supernatural epic.
And for the audience who’ve been there since the first Demogorgon, Season 5 looks ready to deliver what Stranger Things has always done best: the epic and the intimate, side by side.
Thanks for writting this, it clarifies a lot. Your point about Stranger Things always being about growing up, even with all the Upside Down stuff, is spot on. Do you think the creators can truly stick the landing on that for the finale?