Stranger Things Season 5 is officially filming, and although it will likely be months before fans get any official first looks, one of the stars recently commented on one aspect of the show that should be changed.
Appearing at Mega Con Orlando, Gaten Matarazzo who plays the loveable Dustin in the Netflix hit got candid when a fan asked him about any changes he’d make to the show. “It might sound messed up but we should kill more people,” the actor said, according to CBR. “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.”
And the star has a point. Despite killing off Barb (Shannon Purser) and Benny (Chris Sullivan) in Season 1, every other character that has died since has been among the newer additions. Whether it’s Sean Astin’s Season 2 favorite Bob or Season 4’s Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), if you’re a newer character not part of the original cast, you’re seemingly in danger. Does that mean we should be keeping a close eye on Season 5’s newest cast member Linda Hamilton?
Only time will tell. But when it comes to the roster of Stranger Things characters there are a few different avenues the show could follow to use a death in the story. Below, we’re breaking down three possible options for characters the show could kill off to serve the story (and no, we’re not even entertaining the idea of killing Joe Keery‘s Steve Harrington).
Max Mayfield
(Credit: Netflix)
While it would give us no joy to see Max (Sadie Sink) lose her fight to stay alive, she ended Season 4 in a very precarious position as she was left comatose after being hurt by the Upside Down’s Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). With her bones broken, her vision blinded, and her heart stopped, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) helped to revive, her, but could it have been too late? Killing off Max may be painful, but it would motivate the rest of the characters in their quest to shut down the Upside Down for good.
Will Byers
(Credit: Netflix)
It all began with Will (Noah Schnapp). After he was kidnapped to the Upside Down in Season 1, Will has been changed, suffering trauma and possession among other horrors. While you could make a case that he deserves to have a better life moving forward, you also can’t help but imagine that it would be hard to escape his past, making him a potentially fitting candidate. At the end of the day, he’s the person that brought all of his friends together following his disappearance in Season 1. His potential death could do the same.
Jim Hopper
(Credit: Netflix)
Hawkins’ Police Chief, Jim Hopper (David Harbour) established himself as a hero figure early on in the series, and there was a big death fakeout as he seemingly sacrificed himself at the end of Season 3, but Season 4 revealed he had been transported to a Russian prison. If viewers imagine the sadness they experienced when they thought he might be dead, imagine how they’d feel if it was true? While the idea is certainly unappealing, there aren’t many characters we’d be so shocked to lose as Hopper, which makes him a perfect candidate.
Stranger Things, Season 5 Premiere, TBA, Netflix