Summary
One of theStranger Thingscast members understands how fans feel about the long wait for Season 5. Caleb McLaughlin shared a hilarious photo online that viewers found amusing.
McLaughlin plays Lucas on Netflix’s hit horror television series that premiered in 2016. Lucas is among the original four, alongside Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo). It has been two years since the penultimate season was released and many initially thought thatStranger ThingsSeason 5 would air this year. However, that wasn’t the case. McLaughlin seemingly poked fun at the delay of the final season by sharing a funny photo.
TheDora and the Lost City of Goldactor took toX, formerly Twitter, and shared a photo of him with his co-stars Sadie Sink (May Mayfield) and Maya Hawkeye (Robin Buckley). However, McLaughlin edited the picture to make them look significantly older.In the caption, he wrote, “Sneak peek of Season 5” with eyes emoji. The post received several responses from fans who found it funny and true. One commented, “But the funny part is this is so accurate.” Another wrote, “No, that’s actually what WE’LL look like watching S5,” suggesting they would be significantly older when the final season dropped due to delays. Meanwhile, some wondered if McLaughlin washinting about a time jump. One fan wrote, “Could this be hinting towards a time jump to their elderly years in season 5? — on a side note, love the sense of humor lol.” Another user said if it was indeed the case, it was “one heck of a time jump.”
Fans were expectingStranger ThingsSeason 5 to air this year. However, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos revealed in aQ2 2024 Earnings Interviewthat the final season would not be out until 2025, suggesting that fans had to wait longer. “Looking forward through 2025, you’ve got new seasons ofWednesday,Stranger Things, andThe Night Agent, and we’re in production onOne Piece, so there’s a ton of excitement there just in our series,” Sarandos said. Production for the anticipated fifth and final season began in January after a significant delay due to the 2023 Hollywood labor dispute involving actors and writers strike. Last month, Netflix dropped a behind-the-scene teaser and announced that the production was already halfway through filming.Schnapp made a bold claimabout Season 5, saying, “It’s just so exciting. I think this is gonna be the best season yet!”
Stranger ThingsSeason 5is expected to be out next year and considering its history, a 2025 release is actually not a very long wait. There was also a three-year gap between the third and fourth seasons.Stranger ThingsSeason 3 was released on June 19, 2025, while the fourth season premiered on June 10, 2025. However, it is understandable that fans are already very excited to see the gang’s final adventure. Also, it was promised that the wait for the fifth season wouldn’t take as long as Season 4.
The Duffo brothers previously said that the wait for the fifth season would be shorter than the time between seasons 3 and 4. The fourth season was delayed due to a six-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, in May 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on a strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) and it lasted for four months. Additionally, the SAG-AFTRA strike started on July 14 of the same year and ended on November 9. In January 2025, the production announced that filming had begun. On July 4, co-creator Ross Duffer announced thatthey had been filming for 24 weeksand were halfway through, suggesting that the schedule was mapped for 48 weeks. Thus, filming will likely wrap up later this year, in time for a 2025 release.
