Stranger Things season 5 is almost here, and it is raining spoilers. Hawkins' grim streets are replete with a haunting silence now as the world holds its breath for the climactic return of Netflix's blockbuster for its fifth and last season. The neon light of nostalgia burns alongside the dark dread of what is to come. With each teaser, each mysterious picture, the payoff draws closer and closer to the end. Fuelling the anticipation further, the Duffer Brothers have now hinted at the fate of a much-loved character, no one is ready for. 

Hearts pound in eager anticipation of one final ride down memory lane and into the unknown of who remains and who does not, as the clock ticks relentlessly towards Hawkins's last chapter.

Stranger Things makers Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer have confirmed that the instant fan-favorite character Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn), who died in Season 4, will not be back in Season 5. According to Empire Magazine, Matt Duffer stated, "I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he's dead." Praising Joseph Quinn's meteoric rise in Hollywood since breaking out as last season's star, Duffer playfully stressed how Quinn's dates anyway would have been impossible to arrange owing to his busy schedule.

The line is clearly drawn, and the hair-metal-loving D&D fan Eddie Munson's fate is sealed. Although the fandom held out hope that a twist could bring him back, the showrunners have closed the door, as Matt Duffer told the outlet, "He's completely under that ground." The Duffers, who are "very careful who [they] kill," had already confirmed that significant character deaths in previous seasons were intended to surprise and add to the weight of the story, per Time. Prominently featuring Eddie Munson as one of the characters whose sacrifice propels the rest of the story, the Duffers stay on brand about making the threats feel real as new characters enter the scene. 

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Now that Eddie Munson has left, Season 5 threatens emotional blowback, raw anguish, and the ripple-consequences of loss, as new faces unite with the old.

The threats that lie ahead have the potential to endanger any of the cherished characters; however, who would not want The Terminator's iconic hero, Sarah Connor, to boost the adrenaline on-screen? Joining the cast of Stranger Things Season 5, Linda Hamilton plays the hyper-intelligent and fierce Dr Kay, who is on the hunt for Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. Alongside Hamilton, other new faces include Jake Connelly as Derek, Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, and Alex Breaux as Lieutenant Akers.

Season 5 welcomes back the core of the Hawkins squad and recurring cast, including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke. While not many new characters were brought into the fold, so as not to be distracting from the main gang, these new additions foreshadow wider lore and greater stakes.

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