Excitement is building for the final season of Stranger Things, but one rumor we can finally put to bed is the return of fan-favorite Eddie Munson. Despite some playful teasing from actor Joseph Quinn, the showrunners have confirmed that Eddie is, unfortunately, truly gone for good.
Co-showrunner Matt Duffer recently shared with Empire magazine, “I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he’s dead.” He humorously added, “Joe is so busy anyway, that everyone should know he’s not coming back. He’s shot like five movies since! When the hell has he got time to come and shoot Stranger Things? No, sadly, RIP. He’s fully under that ground.”
Quinn had indeed been coy on red carpets, hinting at potential return possibilities, even at an event for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He told Extra TV, “Oh my god, yeah, I mean, it’s going to be out soon, isn’t it? Who knows? There’s always a chance for anything, isn’t there, really? Nothing’s impossible.”
With Eddie Munson’s fate now sealed, fans can shift their focus to what’s truly in store for the epic conclusion of the series. While plot details remain tightly under wraps, it’s clear the Duffer Brothers are meticulously tying up all loose ends.
Ross Duffer revealed at a recent Netflix sneak peek event in Los Angeles, “We spent a full year filming this season. By the end, we had captured over 650 hours of footage. So, needless to say, this is our biggest and most ambitious season yet. It’s like eight blockbuster movies. It’s pretty, pretty insane.”
Matt Duffer further emphasized the emotional investment: “At the same [time], we think it’s — or hope it’s — our most personal story. It was super intense and emotional to film — for us and for our actors we’ve been with for so long. And we’ve been making it together for almost 10 years now. There was a lot of crying. There was so much crying. The show means so much to all of us, and everyone put their hearts and souls into it. And we hope — and believe — that passion is going to translate to the screen.”
The Empire interview also shed light on Linda Hamilton’s new character, Dr. Kay, described by Matt Duffer as a “hyper-intelligent and intimidating” government agent pursuing Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven.
The highly anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things will be released on Netflix in three parts. The first four episodes will drop for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26th, followed by three more episodes on Christmas, and the grand finale of the series will arrive on New Year’s Day.
Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer.