Stranger Things season 5 is nearly here. After what has felt like an eternity, the final season is fast approaching, with just a few weeks to go before the release of the first batch of episodes.
The final season promises to be one of the biggest television events of all time, with fans across the world eagerly waiting to find out how the show will end. There are a lot of questions about the final season, including how the show will come to an end and just what surprises the show has in store.
There are countless theories about what the final episodes will bring, but it seems there is one theory that the Duffer brothers are officially putting to bed.
Joseph Quinn will not be returning as Eddie in Stranger Things season 5
One of the biggest fan theories heading into the final season is that season 4 breakout Joseph Quinn will be returning for the final season of Stranger Things. There are all sorts of theories about how the show will bring Quinn’s character Eddie Munson back for the final season, despite his character dying in the season 4 finale.
Some fans have speculated that Eddie will return via flashbacks or dream sequences, while others have cooked up theories about him becoming a member of Vecna’s army as an undead vampire-like figure. Even Quinn has hinted that he could be coming back for the final season; however, that does not seem to be the case.
“I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he’s dead,” Matt Duffer told Empire in a new interview. “Joe is so busy anyway, 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.”
So there you have it from the Duffers directly; Joseph Quinn will not be coming back for Stranger Things season 5… or at least, that’s what they want fans to believe.
We’re not sold Eddie won’t be back for Stranger Things season 5
Although the Duffers are adamant that Joseph Quinn will not be returning for season 5, we’re not sold that we should believe what they’re selling. This isn’t because we don’t trust them, but rather because it’s far from uncommon for creators to try to throw audiences off to keep moments such as an actor’s return a surprise.
We’ve seen this many times in the past, including on Stranger Things when the writers made us believe a character’s time on the show had come to an end only for them to return for a future season. This is even more common within the MCU when directors and stars often are forced to lie about the status of a actor in connection to a project. Just look at how many times Andrew Garfield denied being in Spider-Man: No Way Home only to return for the film in the end.
Getting Quinn back as Eddie for the final season would be a major event, and there is no way the Duffers would want to ruin his return. What better way to keep it under wraps than by going on the record to deny his involvement to try to throw fans off their scent?
While it is entirely possible that Eddie will not appear in the final season, we’re not ready to fully rule out a potential cameo from Quinn in Stranger Things season 5, even if the Duffer brothers are going on the record as saying he won’t be in the season.