The Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 3 series finale is shaping up to be a historic moment for television, with its theatrical footprint expanding rapidly. What began as a limited fan event has now grown to more than 620 theaters across the US and Canada. The show creators, Duffer Brothers revealed in an online post that over 1.1 million fans have already RSVPed for the free screenings taking place on December 31, 2025, and January 1, 2026. The Stranger Things finale will screen across major chains and independent theaters alike, turning the show’s conclusion into a communal big-screen celebration rather than a traditional box-office release.
Netflix streaming time and date in India and the US The final episode, titled Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up, will premiere simultaneously worldwide on Netflix. In the United States, the finale drops on December 31 at 5 PM PT (8 PM ET), perfectly timed for New Year’s Eve viewing. Indian audiences can stream the episode on January 1, 2026, at 6:30 AM IST. With a massive runtime of 125 minutes, the feature-length episode is expected to dominate global conversations as soon as it lands on the platform.
What to expect from Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 3 The finale promises a high-stakes, emotionally charged showdown as the Hawkins gang prepares for one last battle against Vecna. The newly released trailer hints at intense action, haunting visuals, and deeply personal moments, particularly between Eleven and Hopper. According to the Duffer Brothers, the final episode dives straight into the action without pause, featuring a complex plan that involves merging worlds, confronting the Abyss, and risking everything to save Hawkins. A lingering sense of uncertainty surrounds Eleven’s fate, adding emotional weight to the climax. Fans can also expect long-awaited emotional payoffs, character reunions, and callbacks to earlier seasons that bring the story full circle.
The Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 3 brings back the core ensemble that defined the series. Millie Bobby Brown returns as Eleven, joined by David Harbour (Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will), Sadie Sink (Max), and Winona Ryder (Joyce). Jamie Campbell Bower reprises his chilling role as Vecna, ensuring a formidable final antagonist. As the Duffer Brothers have noted, the finale is designed to be experienced together at home and in theaters as a fitting send-off to a decade-long journey.
There are a lot of fashion choices on Stranger Things that fans love. Whether it be a Hellfire Club shirt, an 80s hair style, or a sweatshirt for a fictional radio station, fans want to dress like their favorite characters. Maybe don’t wear a wet suit around town though.
In season 5 of the hit Netflix series, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is wearing a wet suit to use her powers to try to connect with Will (Noah Schnapp). And when she realizes that Vecna is trying to come for Max (Sadie Sink), she jumps out of her tank to find a revived Will and on a new mission: Get to the hospital to save Max.
Now, I recognize that they were all in a rush to get out of there but El was aware enough to throw on sweatpants and shoes so I have to ask: Could she not grab a sweatshirt? For the rest of the season, she is wearing a wet suit in every scene. Sure, her attire is not the focus of their issues but they’re in a radio station that has branded sweatshirts. She couldn’t use one so she wasn’t sitting in a wet piece of clothing during all of their meetings.
Honestly, watching Will’s coming out scene and cutting to Eleven in a wet suit truly did make me laugh because I know that if she got that wet suit from Murray, he has to have some kind of shirt in the van that she can wear!
But I do think it is a hilarious choice. At this point, is she going to be wearing that wet suit for the final battle between Hawkins and Vecna? What if she has to swim somewhere? At least she’s prepared! I do love that she is rocking a wet suit though.
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is the Editor in Chief of the Mary Sue. She’s been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff’s biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she’s your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell’s dog, Brisket.
Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.
The wait is finally over, and Stranger Things is back on our screens this holiday weekend.
The epic final season of the Duffer Brothers’ smash supernatural retro series rips open the Upside Down to see how the threat arrived in Hawkins. Between Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) taking more kids and the government seeking out Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Stranger Things‘ gang of heroes must gather the troops and be ready for anything.
Nancy (Natalia Dyer) leads the charge alongside Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) in planning to kill Vecna—while also skirting government surveillance to find out what the military is doing in the Upside Down since the ground ripped open in their town.
Eleven hones her powers for a final showdown against Vecna, who is recruiting Hawkins youth while disguised as Henry and calling himself Mr. Whatsit; his targets include Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher). With both Vecna and the government causing chaos, Steve (Joe Keery), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Robin (Maya Hawke), and Erica (Priah Ferguson) all step up to be Hawkins’ saviors.
But it’s Will (Noah Schnapp) and Max (Sadie Sink), whose connections to the Upside Down may come in handy to back up Eleven, that really have us so hyped for the rest of the season.
Here are the things we liked about season five, volume one—and some of the things we didn’t like as much.
Will getting the “goosies” is how he taps into the hive mind, and that makes him this season’s secret weapon. His ability to access the shared consciousness that powers Vecna finally comes in handy, giving Hawkins’ heroes a man on the inside who can spot incoming threats.
Liked: The radio station
Robin works as Hawkins’ radio DJ and is the voice of the station she, Steve, and Nancy run. It’s a way to send covert messages to their team, including Murray (Brett Gelman) and Hopper, about the government’s moves—if you pay attention to her yapping in between the choice music played. Loved the Diana Ross “Upside Down” needle drop. The home base change is welcome and adds a new layer of nostalgia for the days before music streaming and the heyday of radio personalities.
Plus, it feels very Star Wars to jack into the radio signals to track the bad guys and figure out how to smuggle weapons and goods in and out of Hawkins. Steve gives us Han Solo vibes to the max when he drives the mobile station, intercepting radio signals of the Upside Down while Hopper is in there doing more spy business. Dustin, as his co-pilot and tech genius, wins our hearts.
Didn’t like: Jonathan’s obsession with Steve
Ever since his return from California, Jonathan has been focusing on Steve being better than him to a weird degree. Their competition for Nancy’s attention is tiring, and even Steve is sick of it. He rightfully calls out Jonathan for focusing more on him than Nancy because he just sucks as a boyfriend. Steve has demonstrated he has been in the trenches with the kids protecting them and has matured since his high school jerk days. It’s emotional growth Jonathan lacks and won’t be fixed by proposing to Nancy, which gave us the ick when we saw the ring Murray smuggled for him. I dread the moment he’ll pop the question.
Didn’t Like: Not enough Henry Creel origin explanation
Fans lucky enough to attend the Stranger Things: The First Shadow play (or, barring an actual theater visit, who scoured TikTok for recaps of it) will be more in the know about Henry Creel’s past than folks who just watch the series. We get a little glimpse of his younger years in the show, but not enough to really understand what his going to school with Joyce, Hopper, Bob Newby, and a random Harrington means. In the play, as he’s learning about his powers with Brenner, he’s fighting the mind flayer’s control with the help of Patty Newby, Bob’s sister.
Liked: Vecna as Mr. Whatsit
In the awesome Frank Darabont-directed third episode, we see Henry return to an idyllic version of his home, frozen in time within the period he was last there. His new plan is so creepy because while he is actually Freddy Krueger-like and stalks kids, he’s luring them as a friendly man in his Henry form who wants to save them from the monsters. It’s so eerie, and the Americana version of his mansion’s wonderland, where he acts like Mister Rogers around Holly Wheeler and others, is chillingly perfect.
Nancy becoming the de facto leader is giving Sarah Connor vibes—in a season where Linda Hamilton shows up to boot. Vecna taking Holly after attacking the Wheeler parents really changes her and makes her more interested in destroying Vecna than boys (thank god). She’s the brains behind the operation, guiding every player on the table to use their skills to defeat Vecna. Under her leadership, they figure out that Vecna is targeting kids and hatch a plan to protect them.
Didn’t Like: Not enough Dr. Kay
Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay is such an iconic choice, and her introduction was one we were anticipating as soon as we learned about her casting. Season five is juggling a lot of characters, so maybe it’s to be expected that we haven’t gotten much Kay so far. But knowing that she’s basically the new Brenner-esque big bad in the lab working for the government gives us the heebie jeebies. We want to know more about why she wants Eleven and whether or not she really intends to find a way to control Vecna.
Liked: Robin and Will’s connection
Will coming into his own with Robin’s help is such a sweet subplot. Will and Robin recognize one another in ways the others can’t, and it rings so true. Robin being a mentor to Will to help him embrace who he is, melding with his acceptance of his connection to the Upside Down, really builds to the best payoff in volume one.
Eleven’s training montage was sick, and seeing her really lean into her powers finally in the Upside Down was so cool. She’s grown up, and Hopper did good with his ward in helping her be empowered by those she loves. Whether or not she’s the one to deal the final blow (we presume) to Vecna, we can’t wait to see it.
Steve and Dustin still have our whole hearts; this show better not touch one hair or curl on their heads. (We know it will.) And that’s what’s so great about the show: every friendship dynamic, not just theirs, and even the new ones like Will and Robin, really feel relatable and that much more critical when they’re in danger. Plus, all the new kids, including Holly, get great moments to shine in their kidnapping plot, which feels very Amblin-meets-Wes Craven-by-way-of-Goonies. So many funny moments within the breakneck action!
Liked: Max lives (sort of)!
Max is alive, in a way; she’s living in Henry’s head and can see his memories as well as his plans. Seeing Sadie Sink’s return as a hero in the “dreamworld” realm of the Upside Down is freaking epic as she guides Holly away from Henry’s deceptions. She’s also a way in to seek out Vecna’s weaknesses and has survived long enough to outsmart him in his own mind by hiding in a cave.
Didn’t Like: The mysterious cave
Okay, so I found the introduction of the cave annoying because I know it’s where Henry first encountered the entity that powers the Upside Down, which is explained in the Stranger Things play. I know it’s still just volume one, but doling out incremental information doesn’t help viewers really understand why this setting matters and why Vecna gets super scared of the cave.
Eight is back! Turns out she’s who Kay has been using to seek out Vecna in the Upside Down base, much like how Brenner was trying to use Eleven to do the same in earlier seasons. Seeing her return is exciting and finally connects her missing thread to the action. It gives Eleven her sister back, which we love.
Will and Vecna meet face-to-face in the middle of the action, where the Demogorgons are snatching kids left and right. It’s terrifying and pulled off in a way where you think Hawkins’ heroes are taking another L, especially when Vecna says he picked Will because he was weak, just like the others he needs to take back with him. And just as you think the Demogorgons are about to kill Mike, Joyce, Lucas, and Robin—Will taps into the hive to take control of the Demogorgons, then destroys them with newfound psychic powers in the same way Vecna killed Chrissy. He successfully turns the tables on Vecna, and it’s such a great payoff to see him reclaim his agency against his kidnapper.
More Stranger Things season five episodes arrive December 25, with the grand finale dropping December 31 on Netflix.
The conclusion to Netflix and the Duffer Brothers’ pop culture phenomenon Stranger Things begins with an epic first volume that’s now streaming for your binging pleasure.
Action and horror propel the return to Hawkins in volume one as our heroes race to find Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), hoping to vanquish him once and for all. In the time since the Upside Down ripped open in season four, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has been training with Hopper (David Harbour) to strengthen her powers. Seeing Eleven’s growth into a strong as hell young woman from her early days throwing bullies off her friends is such a joy. Clearly, that’s thanks to Eggo waffles.
Meanwhile, the non-superpowered, led by Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Joyce (Winona Ryder), unite in pursuit of Vecna. This time around their HQ moves out of the Wheeler basement and into the town radio station operated by Robin (Maya Hawke) and Steve (Joe Keery), who use their show, “The Squawk,” to relay secret messages through the station’s needle drops and otherwise government-sanctioned yapping.
It’s a delight to see Hawkins’ heroes use the resources available to them to not just prepare for battle against the Upside Down but also to evade the martial law stronghold on their town. Everyone in the cast shines with their skills we’ve seen develop over the past few seasons, and everyone gets a standout moment as the anti-Vecna campaign builds.
Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) uses radio signals to hack into the lines being used by the government base in the Upside Down, guiding Hopper’s clandestine search for Vecna with the help of Steve’s van, which has been transformed into a mobile radio station. Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Erica (Priah Ferguson), and Will (Noah Schapp) also support using the web of tools from the station; it’s almost as if the town has become a real D&D table to play on, which is a really clever payoff to how it all began with the kids in the basement. All of this moves the action at a breakneck pace and is matched by the horrors of the Upside Down that are intent on preying on Hawkins.
The Demogorgons are back, and Vecna’s foot soldiers begin to collect children for his mysterious new plan by ripping through anything and anyone that stands in their way. The threat gets too real when Holly Wheeler (now played by Nell Fisher) is lured by Vecna, appearing with his normal Henry face to warn her the monsters are coming, and it’s so creepy to see Bower play up his charms, which are very Mister Rogers meets Freddy Krueger. It’s an awesome concept that really digs into that Amblin kid adventure feel but also dips into an ’80s horror tone, harkening back to early Wes Craven and John Carpenter.
The frights feel real, and the situations are horrific with no holds barred. When the Demogorgons come to collect Holly at the Wheeler house, it’s a bloodbath and a declaration of war against Nancy and the gang’s efforts to catch Vecna.
And that’s just the Upside Down threat; the government is also there to make things difficult for everyone. It’s still after Eleven, who’s being painted as the fall guy for the horrors. She can’t show her face in Hawkins; officials are combing the town for her to take her to the base now run by Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton). The iconic ’80s action heroine is a stone-cold baddie, and frankly we’d be okay with her taking us captive any day.
Kidding—sort of—but her presence here is very welcome. The Duffer Brothers enlisting Hamilton as their final season antagonist is so inspired, and while she’s not in volume one as much as we’d hoped, Dr. Kay really gets established as the main obstacle to finding Vecna first. The government seems to be picking up where Dr. Brenner left off, and the motivations behind the search for Eleven suddenly become clearer. It’s such a powerful message that really speaks to the overarching themes of how we only have our communities to count on for our protection, because, well, those in power might just be seeking more dangerous ways to try and further their control.
The Duffers and producer Shawn Levy have enlisted some great filmmakers for this season to really capture the cinematic scope of Stranger Things for its final outing. Frank Darabont’s work on the show this season is primed to be some all-time great television, and the Duffers’ feature-length closer to the first drop of episodes really raises the stakes.
But it’s really the relationships that solidify Stranger Things as a true pop culture beast. The younger cast has grown up before our eyes, and the power of their love for one another has helped make the show one of the most compelling sagas of this generation. We want to see everyone Eleven cares about be okay, but we also know things can’t be wrapped up neatly if Vecna has his way. Imagining the horrors that could potentially befall Steve’s pretty head (not to mention his co-pilot, Dustin) feels just as stressful as ever. But the core friendship between Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin is what really ties Stranger Things together, and we can’t wait to see how their campaign against the Upside Down ends.
Stranger Things 5 Volume One is now streaming on Netflix. The remaining episodes arrive December 25 and 31.
Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17,” a new batch of “Stranger Things’” final season and Kevin Hart debuting a new comedy special on Netflix are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.
Also among the streaming offerings worth your time this week, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: “Everybody Loves Raymond” gets a 30th anniversary special on CBS, the Hallmark’s special “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” with Brad Paisley and Mickey Guyton, and a new Beatles documentary series hits Disney+.
New movies to stream from Nov. 24-30
—Taiwanese filmmaker Shih-Ching Tsou, known for collaborating with and producing several Sean Baker films including “Tangerine” and “The Florida Project,” makes her solo directorial debut with “Left-Handed Girl,” about a single mother and her two daughters who return to Taipei to open a stand at a night market. Netflix acquired the film after it was warmly received during the Cannes Film Festival and Taiwan has already selected the film as its Oscar submission. It begins streaming on Netflix on Nov. 28.
—Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17” arrives on Prime Video on Thursday, Nov. 26, for some dystopian holiday viewing. In her review for The Associated Press, Jocelyn Noveck praised Robert Pattinson’s performance (or, rather, performances) as an expendable who is constantly being reprinted anew. She writes, “It’s his movie, and he saves it from Bong’s tendencies to overstuff the proceedings. In an extremely physical, committed, even exhausting performance, Pattinson takes what could have been an unwieldy mess and makes it much less, well, expendable.”
—OK, “The Last Duel,” streaming on Hulu on Sunday, Nov. 30 might be four years old but it’s a far better option than, say, “Flight Risk” (on HBO Max on Wednesday). Ridley Scott’s medieval tale, written by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener, is a brilliant spin on the historical epic told from three different perspectives, Damon’s Jean de Carrouges, Adam Driver’s Jacques Le Gris and Jodie Comer’s Marguerite. In his review for the AP, film writer Jake Coyle wrote that it “is more like a medieval tale deconstructed, piece by piece, until its heavily armored male characters and the genre’s mythologized nobility are unmasked.”
— In 2021, over Thanksgiving, Disney+ released Peter Jackson’s six-hour “The Beatles: Get Back” to its streaming platform. The gargantuan project provided fans with a deep-dive into the band’s “Let It Be” sessions – including footage of their entire rooftop concert, shared in full for the first time. It was an ideal release date, to say the least. After all that delicious food, who doesn’t want to settle in for a lengthy journey into one of the greatest musical acts of all time? Well, in 2025, there’s yet another reason to be grateful: Starting Wednesday, “The Beatles Anthology” documentary series hits Disney+. That’s nine episodes tracing their journey. Lock in.
— ’Tis the season for Hallmark holiday films. And for the country music fanatic, that means “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas.” The film follows a woman forced to confront her musical past and heritage in the esteemed venue – and there may or may not be some time travel and Christmas magic involved. Stay tuned for the all-star cameos: Brad Paisley, Megan Moroney, Mickey Guyton, Rhett Akins, Tigirlily Gold and more make an appearance. It starts streaming on Hallmark+ Sunday.
— It’s hard to believe that “Everybody Loves Raymond” has been off the air for two decades. The multicamera sitcom starred Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton as Ray and Debra Barone, a young married couple whose daily lives are interrupted regularly by Ray’s meddling parents, played by Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, who live across the street. CBS recently taped a 30th anniversary special to air Monday which will also stream on Paramount+. Hosted by Romano and creator, Phil Rosenthal, it recreates the set of the Barone living room and features interviews with cast members including Romano, Heaton, Brad Garrett and Monica Horan. There will also be a tribute to Boyle and Roberts who died in 2006 and 2016, respectively. It’s fitting for the special to come out around the holidays because its Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes were top-notch. All nine seasons stream on both Paramount+ and Peacock.
— ” Stranger Things” is finally back with its fifth and final season. Netflix is releasing the sci-fi series in three parts and the first four episodes drop Wednesday. Millie Bobby Brown says fans will “lose their damn minds” with how it ends.
— Also Monday, Kevin Hart debuts a new comedy special on Netflix. It’s called “Kevin Hart: Acting My Age.” The jokes center around, you guessed it, aging.
— A new “Family Guy” special on Hulu pokes fun at those holiday movies we all know, love and watch. It’s called “Disney’s Hulu’s Family Guy’s Hallmark Channel’s Lifetime’s Familiar Holiday Movie” and pokes fun at the commonly-used trope of a big city gal who ends up in a small town at Christmas and falls in love. It drops Friday, Nov. 28 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
— Artificial intelligence: friend to all humanity or existential threat to the planet? In A.I.L.A, Brazilian studio Pulsatrix leans toward the latter. You play as a game tester who’s asked to try out an AI-created horror story. But while you’re busy fighting off ghosts, zombies and ax murderers, the AI may be up to something more nefarious in the background — which could be bad news if you own a smart refrigerator. It all has the potential to be very meta, whether or not you welcome our new robot overlords. It arrives Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
When Netflix drops the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things,” the audience will be bracing for emotional fallout, Hawkins-level chaos, and the show’s trademark blend of ’80s nostalgia and supernatural mayhem. But few people have as unique a view of the endgame as Sherman Augustus — the man behind Colonel Jack Sherman, the hard-charging military figure who stepped into the story in Season 4 and returns for the climactic final chapter.
Augustus, a former NFL player and martial-arts champion turned actor, spoke with me about practical effects vs. CGI, Colonel Sherman’s internal “come to Jesus” moment, and why he refuses to fully read ahead in the scripts. And right at the end, he drops what might be the most intriguing hint yet about where Eleven stands going into the series’ conclusion.
This is the kind of insider look Stranger Things fans will want before Volume 1 drops.
The Practical Effects of Stranger Things: “It’s Gnarly. Absolutely Gnarly.”
For a series that has spawned some of Netflix’s most iconic CGI creatures — the Mind Flayer, Vecna’s tendrils, the Demogorgon — Sherman Augustus surprised even longtime fans when he revealed just how much of it is done practically on set.
“The majority of the show is practical,” he said. “There’s a lot of CGI, of course, but if they can do it practical, they will.”
His major action sequence, known on set as “Max Z,” is described by Augustus as intense bordering on chaotic — the good kind of chaotic.
“It’s gnarly,” he repeated more than once. “You’ve got to pretend that plates are flying in the air, Demogorgons are coming through, things are blowing apart. But a lot of it is real. You’ve got people in suits portraying the Demogorgons. You’ve got stunt performers being thrown through the air by rigs, flipping between us. I had guys flying just inches from my face.”
Stranger Things has always taken pride in blending old-school filmmaking with modern visual effects, but hearing him describe stunt performers in full creature suits, flung across the room on Hong Kong harnesses, firing in every direction — it reinforces how much of the show’s visceral energy is built in-camera.
This show isn’t just pixels. It’s muscle, grit, and stunt teams earning every bruise.
Colonel Jack Sherman’s “Come to Jesus” Moment
At a previous press event, Augustus had teased three words that set off massive speculation in the fandom:
In our conversation, he leaned into that tease — but carefully, given the real-world presence of what he jokingly called “the Netflix ninjas.”
“We were talking about the character with Frank [director Shawn Levy], and Frank goes, ‘Yeah, you’re right — the Colonel has a come to Jesus moment.’”
Augustus lights up talking about it, because for a character who could easily be a one-note government bulldozer, the writers gave him a very real arc.
This isn’t a caricature of a military antagonist. It’s a man pushed to extremes who will confront something — or someone — that breaks him open.
The exact circumstances are under lock and key. But Augustus’ excitement says everything. There is a moment coming for Colonel Sherman that is human, not just tactical. The kind of moment Stranger Things uses to elevate supporting characters into fan favorites.
From NFL Locker Rooms to Hawkins: How Sherman Built the Colonel
Augustus is no stranger to physical roles, having starred in “Into the Badlands,” where he showcased martial arts skills and high-impact action. But the emotional architecture of Colonel Sherman came from an unexpected place — isolation.
“We were coming off the pandemic. I felt isolated. I felt like an outcast,” he said. “So I wanted to use that. When you get on set, everyone’s running here and there, and that feeling really helped me find the character.”
This personal approach gave his performance a grounded heaviness — the sense of a man who has spent too long carrying too much.
And unlike some method-driven actors, Augustus doesn’t stay locked in his character between takes.
“I don’t hold onto too many things,” he explained. “I want to be loose. Every take is different. I want to surprise myself. And once I have the behavior nailed down, the most important thing is having real moments with the other actors.”
He plays a rigid military commander, but he acts with fluidity, openness, and responsiveness.
The Final Season: “I Can’t. I Can’t Finish Reading This.”
Sherman Augustus didn’t watch Stranger Things religiously until he was cast. Then he binged it, and while prepping for Season 5, something unexpected happened: he had to stop himself from reading too far into the scripts.
“I would read some of it and go, ‘I can’t. I can’t finish it,’” he said. “Let me just get familiar enough for what I’m doing, and then I’m out. I don’t want to cheat it anymore.”
That’s not something actors often admit. But it tells you what level of storytelling the Duffer Brothers are bringing to the table.
“It’s so flush,” he emphasized. “They didn’t skimp on anything. Every character has their moment. Everyone. And there’s a lot of personal things happening outside the group, outside what’s going on.”
This complements everything we’ve heard from cast and crew: Season 5 is big, emotional, and intimate all at once.
On Great Finales — And How Stranger Things Ends
When asked where Stranger Things ranks among great TV endings — he referenced shows like “Justified” and “Ted Lasso” — Augustus didn’t hesitate.
“I think everyone’s going to really talk about this. They’re not going to be disappointed at all.”
That’s a confident statement from a man who admits he avoided reading too far ahead in the scripts. He felt the emotional weight of his scenes, the interconnectedness of the characters, and the meticulous care put into the journey’s end.
He didn’t spoil anything… at first.
But then he said something casual. Something that Stranger Things fans will latch onto.
The Eleven Hint: “Millie Now Is a Superhero… She Gets to Do It for Herself.”
There it was — a subtle but revealing clue.
Courtesy of Netflix
Eleven captured by the men in suits, but is her look one of fright or fight?
Talking about the evolution of Eleven’s powers and her role in Season 5, Augustus said:
“Millie now is a superhero, basically. She’s got these superpowers which Brenner and Owens were trying to cultivate and use. But again, she gets to do it for herself now — and for her folks that she loves and for the people of Hawkins.”
He didn’t say what she’s doing.
He didn’t say how far her powers evolve.
He didn’t say who she saves — or who she loses.
But he did say this: Season 5 is the first time Eleven’s power is fully hers. Not controlled. Not weaponized. Not manipulated. Hers.
For fans who have watched Eleven struggle with identity, autonomy, and trauma from the lab, this is more than character growth. It’s a thematic endpoint.
Eleven finally becomes the hero she chooses to be.
Volume Release Dates
Netflix is staggering the end of Stranger Things across three drops:
Volume 1: November 26 (4 episodes)
Volume 2: Christmas Day (3 episodes)
Volume 3: New Year’s Eve (final episode and limited theatrical release)
It’s the most ambitious scheduling the show has ever attempted — and it reinforces just how big this conclusion is expected to be.
The Last Word: Sherman Augustus, a Motor City Favorite
Before wrapping, Augustus answered the one question that proves he’s a real football guy: the Thanksgiving side-item draft.
“Pecan pie,” he said without hesitation. “You know it’ll hang around for a while, and you’re like… yeah, I’ll get on the bike today, but I’m going back for the rest of that pie.”
Sherman Augustus brings that same mix of discipline, humor, and grounded intensity to Colonel Jack Sherman. A role that could have been forgettable becomes lived-in, surprising, and essential.
He is one of the most intriguing pieces of Stranger Things’ final season — and based on this conversation, he knows a lot more than he’s allowed to say.
Millie Bobby Brown donned two sexy looks at the “Stranger Things” Season 5 premiere.
Brown, 21, wore a sheer, strapless brown dress as her first look. The dress had lace detailing and black feathers. The actress wore her hair up in a bun and accessorized with dangly earrings.
She posed on the red carpet with her husband, Jake Bongiovi.
Millie Bobby Brown wore two looks at the “Stranger Things” premiere with husband Jake Bongiovi.(Getty Images)
After the premiere in Hollywood, Brown slipped into a red mini corset dress. This look featured cream lace detailing on the top and bottom of the corset. Bongiovi wore a red, velvet suit with a skinny black tie to the premiere and the after-party.
After announcing their engagement in April 2023, Brown and Bongiovi tied the knot in May 2024. Brown was 20 at the time, and Bongiovi was 22, which sparked some online controversy.
Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown attended the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”(Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
The young couple welcomed their daughter via adoption this summer. During an appearance on the “Smartless” podcast, Brown revealed it’s been a “thing” for her to be a young mother.
“My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19,” she said. “This has been my thing since before I met Jake. I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.”
“Jake knows how important it is to me. Of course, I want to focus on really establishing myself as an actor and as a producer, but I also find it’s so important to start a family for me personally.”
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi at the “Stranger Things” premiere after party.(Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix)
On the red carpet, Brown discussed her first few months of motherhood and revealed the identity of her baby’s godfather.
“They say you lose sleep. … You do,” Brown told Entertainment Tonight on the carpet.
“There is nothing like losing sleep. I mean, it’s truly you wake up, and you’re like, ‘What time is it?’ But anything she needs, I’m there for.”
“There is nothing like losing sleep. I mean, it’s truly you wake up, and you’re like, ‘What time is it?’ But anything she needs, I’m there for.”
When the outlet asked the actress who from the “Stranger Things” cast is allowed to babysit, she revealed that Noah Schnapp, who stars as Will Byers, is her daughter’s godfather.
However, Sadie Sink, Max Mayfield in the show, has also been given a pass to babysit.
“Sadie is very maternal,” Brown said. “I trust all of them, to be honest. They all turn into the most gooey soft versions of themselves when their baby voice comes out when they’re around her.”
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in “Stranger Things.”(Courtesy of Netflix)
“Stranger Things” fans have been waiting for the fifth and final season since the fourth season debuted in 2022.
The Netflix sci-fi show will be releasing the final season in three parts. The first installment of episodes will be released later this month on Nov. 26. The second installment will be released on Dec. 25, and the final episode premieres on Dec. 31.
Trigger Warning: The Following content contains mention of bullying, which may be triggering for some readers
Co-stars Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour stepped out together for the first time in front of the press and public since reports about possible discord between the two hit the internet the previous week. The two actors showed no signs of problems between them at the much-awaited Stranger Things Season 5 premiere in Los Angeles.
Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour put possible grievances behind them to show a united front at the LA gig
Things took a rather strange turn for the fans of the show when last week reports emerged claiming that Millie Bobby Brown had complained about bullying at the hands of her on-screen father, actor David Harbour. Neither star responded to the reports, neither confirming nor denying it. Since then, fans of the show have been waiting to see if anything had changed between the two and their appearance at the LA premiere of their show’s last season. Taking to the red carpet with big smiles on their faces, the duo posed for the cameras while poking fun at each other.
While no signs of awkwardness were visible, they also side-hugged each other and kept it comfortable overall. The creators of the show, the Duffer Brothers, did not slip much to The Hollywood Reporter on November 6, saying instead, “Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal onset matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them. So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy.”
However, Stranger Things director and executive producer Shawn Levy was very firm on how seriously they take any potential complaints, vowing to ‘create a respectful workplace where everyone feels comfortable and safe’, saying he was proud to have also done so on the Stranger Things sets.
The reported pages and pages of allegations, seemingly done before starting season 5 shoot, have not been addressed by Netflix or either of the actors, and this press run seems to have decided not to touch the topic at all.
Disclaimer: This content discusses sensitive topics that may be distressing or triggering for some readers. Reader discretion is advised. If you find this content upsetting or need support, please consider reaching out to a qualified professional or a support helpline.
Millie Bobby Brown is standing up for herself against headlines commenting on her appearance.
The 21-year-old “Stranger Things” actress spoke out about the criticism she began receiving earlier this year about her appearance and her decision to address her critics head-on in a video she shared to Instagram in March.
“‘Oh my God, what has she done with her face? Why has she gone blonde? She looks 60 years old!’” she told British Vogue, recalling some of the comments she received. “I respect journalism. I love reading articles on my favourite people and hearing what they’re up to. I understand that there’s paparazzi, even though it’s invasive, even though it feels like s— to me – I know that’s your job.”
She continued, “But don’t, in your headline, slam me at the get-go. It is so wrong and it is bullying, especially to young girls who are new to this industry and are already questioning everything about it.”
Brown called out the media for commenting negatively on her appearance.(MEGA/GC Images)
She went on to say that she wanted to address the criticism, “not just for myself, but for every other girl who wants to try a new hairstyle or wear a red lip.”
“It’s, like, get off my f—ing case, you know?” she added. “I am 21. I am going to have fun and play and be myself.”
Brown’s video received over 7.5 million likes, and three weeks later, she saw a more positive headline. “They were like, ‘Millie stuns in this dress,’” she said, before questioning, “How do you change your mind that quickly?”
The negative headlines came during her press tour for the Netflix movie, “The Electric State.” To pay homage to the 1990s theme of the film, Brown bleached her hair blonde and borrowed clothes from Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson.
The critiques about her appearance came during her press tour for “The Electric State.”(Taylor Hill/WireImage)
She explained being excited about her new look, but was then “depressed for three, four days,” adding, “I was crying every single day.” Singer Sabrina Carpenter then gave her some words of encouragement when they saw each other backstage at the Brit Awards.
“Truly, always, her mentality is very much like ‘F— ’em’, which I knew inside of me, but when you hear someone else say it, you’re like, ‘Yes! That’s it!’” Brown said.
She acknowledged that she “can’t silence the 500 million people behind their phones,” but that didn’t stop her from finding a “realistic route” to change the narrative.
“I think it’s just uplift and empower young people. Can we fight back harder? Can we instill self-love and confidence into girls to be able to believe in themselves no matter what anyone says? That I can do. That I will do.”
Brown said she called out the media to help other young girls.(Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
In her original Instagram video, Brown called out the negative headlines and questioned why people “act like I’m supposed to stay frozen in time,” and always look like she did on season one of “Stranger Things.”
Later in the post, she claimed that society has gotten to a point “where it’s so much easier to criticize than it is to pay a compliment,” and urged everyone to “do better,” not only for herself, but also for “every young girl who deserves to grow up without fear of being torn apart for simply existing.”
“We always talk about supporting and uplifting young women, but when the time comes, it seems easier to tear them down for clicks. Disillusioned people can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman on her terms, not theirs,” she said. “I refuse to apologize for growing up. I refuse to make myself smaller to fit the unrealistic expectations of people who can’t handle seeing a girl become a woman.”
Brown married Jon Bon Jovi’s son, Jake Bongiovi, in May 2024, and the couple announced they had adopted a baby girl in August.
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi adopted a baby girl in August.(Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)
All is allegedly not well in Hawkins, Indiana. According to the Daily Mail,Millie Bobby Brown reportedly filed a lengthy complaint about David Harbour before they began filming the final season of Stranger Things.
A source told the outlet that Brown, who plays psychic test subject Eleven on the hit Netflix series, filed a harassment and bullying claim against Harbour—who plays Eleven’s adoptive father, ex-police chief Jim Hopper—before season five began shooting in January of last year. “There were pages and pages of accusations,” the source told the Daily Mail. “The investigation went on for months.”
The outcome of the investigation and the details surrounding the claims are currently unknown. According to the Daily Mail, Brown’s allegations against Harbour “did not include claims of sexual impropriety.” Brown was reportedly accompanied by a personal legal representative on set at all times while filming the show’s final season. Harbour’s Jim Hopper adopts Brown’s Eleven, and their rocky father-daughter relationship is a central theme of the show—which means they share significant screen time.
This is not the first time such allegations have plagued the Stranger Things set. A grip claimed in 2018 that two members of the Stranger Things team were creating a toxic work environment, with some believing that series creators Matt and Ross Duffer—a.k.a. the Duffer brothers—were responsible. According to CBS News, Netflix conducted an investigation and found no wrongdoing.
Outside of Stranger Things drama, Harbour is in the midst of a public split from singer-songwriter Lily Allen. Allen recently dropped her first album in seven years, West End Girl,inspired by their messy separation. On the album, Allen graphically details alleged intimate aspects of their relationship, including various alleged betrayals committed by Harbour. Per the Daily Mail’s source, the Stranger Things workplace complaints were completely unrelated to Allen’s grievances with Harbour. “Lily supported him throughout it all,” the Mail’s source said. “It was a brutal time.”
The 21-year-old Brown recently married actor Jake Bongiovi, son of rocker Jon Bon Jovi, and adopted a baby girl.
Stranger Things’ final season will be released in three parts, with the first four episodes dropping on Netflix on November 26. Three more episodes will debut on Christmas, with a two-hour finale episode released in select cinemas and on Netflix on New Year’s Eve.
Vanity Fair has reached out to Brown, Harbour, and Netflix for comment.
If you haven’t yet, you can also refresh your memory on seasons one and two!
The Battle of Starcourt is the all-time event in the series so far as a red threat rises in the sleepy town of Hawkins. The Duffer Brothers’ show really fires on all cylinders in season three, which, in our opinion, is the best season of the Netflix franchise so far. It’s a true television epic with engaging character dynamics and the Upside Down lore growing more mysteriously intriguing.
Here’s what you need to remember from the season where the kids started to come of age—and faced both teen horrors and real-life ones.
After El (Millie Bobby Brown) sealed the rift to the Upside Down in season two, the bit of the Mind Flayer that left Will (Noah Schnapp) survived. To get back to its full powers in the real world, it picks Billy (Dacre Montgomery) as a host and sets about trying to absorb new lives. The more people it claims, the bigger it grows, harnessing the sliver of energy emanating from the healing rift—which might not be able to fully close now thanks to some new suspicious activity.
There’s a new threat in town
After a blackout, Joyce (Winona Ryder) notices that suddenly all the town’s magnets no longer work. Sure, it’s a small thing but call it mother’s intuition and PTSD from everything that went down in Hawkins National Laboratory; it is enough for her to tell Hopper that something is amiss. Initially she thinks it’s HNL but Hopper (David Harbour) swears he ran them out of town.
Steve and the Scoops Troop
Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) is still hanging around Steve (Joe Keery) while he works at the new Starcourt Mall Scoops Ahoy location. While there, Steve parents the rest of the gang from behind the counter with the help of free ice cream. When Dustin uses his radio to communicate with his long-distance camp sweetheart, he discovers a series of suspicious Russian calls and records them. He enlists Steve and his co-worker Robin (Maya Hawke) to translate, which leads to the discovery that the Russians have infiltrated their town.
When a series of rat infestations draw enough suspicion, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) investigate the mysterious disease that they’re carrying. The rats are drawn to eating chemicals, including fertilizer, and after eating enough of it, the critters burst into sentient goo, which also infects the living. As Nance and Jonathan follow an old lady, who becomes part of the Mind Flayer hive horde, they discover that more and more people are going missing after feasting on household chemicals.
Starcourt Mall secrets
Hopper beats the truth out of Mayor Kline (Cary Elwes), who confesses that he helped broker the sale of land to the Russians that Starcourt Mall was built on as well as land around the lake next to HNL. After investigating the abandoned lab, he and Joyce kidnap Dr. Alexei (Alec Utgoff) and take him to an off-the-grid Murray (Bret Gelman), who happens to know Russian, in order to find out just what the Russians want with Hawkins.
Meanwhile, Dustin, with the help of Steve, Robin, and Lucas’ little sister Erica (Priah Ferguson), breaks into the high-security base beneath the mall. They find that the Russians are powering an energy beam to rip the rift to the Upside Down open again but before they can escape, they’re caught.
The Mindflayer feasts on Hawkins
Billy lures more and more people to melt into the sentient goo that helps the Mind Flayer be reborn. It’s a hive mind that Will begins to sense through the part of him that still has a connection to it. He lets the gang know that “he” is back once enough people have been taken over.
This season’s personal drama between every character really heightens the tension of the imminent danger. The season starts out with El and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) being teens in love, much to the consternation of Hop, who is an overprotective dad. Joyce tries to help Hopper establish boundaries out of the love he has for his daughter but it kind of blows up before he can, and Hopper threatens Mike into cooling his relationship with El. In response, El knows something is up and breaks up with Mike but gets to find her agency through her friendship with Max (Sadie Sink).
Hopper’s anger issues give his character a weird vibe this season. For one thing, he’s really bent on getting Joyce to go to dinner with him soon after Bob’s death and gets really drunk when she stands him up. Then for the rest of the season, he is inexplicably jealous when she talks to any other guy. It’s mostly played for laughs since Joyce and Hopper are a very obvious endgame. Joyce redirects his frustrations by getting him to help with the Russians, namely by beating up the Russian Temu Terminator, who’s on their trail.
Jonathan and Nancy also get their own relationship drama to work through. When they’re both interning at the Hawkins Post, Jonathan gets a taste of male privilege as he immediately gets work as a photographer, while Nancy gets stuck on coffee duty. Likewise, Max and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) are also sort of going through it too as they help El and Mike by picking sides.
The Russians do a Red Dawn
All the pieces come together when it becomes clear that the Russians want to use their key to gain access to the Upside Down, while not knowing they’re aiding the Mind Flayer’s growth as it tries to wipe out the town. Joyce and Hopper join forces with Alexei to help stop it and when they team up with the kids, they get guided into the base below Starcourt.
Meanwhile, the Mind Flayer starts to target El to destroy her and absorb her powers. It remembers what she did and, through Billy, tells her it wants to destroy everything she loves and then kill her. She uses so much of her powers when it attacks them that it zaps her. The Mind Flayer cannot be destroyed as long as the rift isn’t fully sealed so her friends team up for a last stand at Starcourt, which involves fireworks and El tapping into her empathy to get Billy on their side. After seeing his memories, she reminds him of his love for his mother and not the darkness that made him vulnerable to the Mind Flayer, which seems to target the weak and fearful for power. Billy protects El as Joyce and Hopper stop the Russians’ key.
Hopper’s sacrifice
The Temu Terminator shows up as Joyce and Hopper try to stop the key. He and Hopper face off right by the beam, which goes haywire when it’s struck in the fistfight. Hopper looks at Joyce to let her know to let him sacrifice himself in order to save the town.
Three months later Joyce and the kids, including El, are preparing to move away and break up the Hawkins gang. Eleven finds Hopper’s letter he meant to read to her and Mike as a sendoff to the character. But it’s not much of one, as the end credits scene introduces us to another base in Russia where prisoners are being pitted against Demogorgons and “the American” isn’t chosen… yet.
Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, 23, announced they had welcomed their first child together in a joint Instagram post on August 21, 2025. “This summer we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,” the post read. “And then there were 3.”
After the announcement, a source told Star magazine that Bon Jovi—who shares his son with his wife Dorothea Hurley—that the singer was in “heaven” over the baby news. “Jon has always been a hands-on dad so it’s no surprise that he’s completely embracing this new grandpa role,” the insider said. “He and Dorthea are both in heaven. They love babies.”
The insider revealed that Brown and Bongiovi are currently “holed up in East Hampton” with his family, “bonding and soaking up this very special time” with their newborn. The source also added that Bon Jovi can’t help but “brag to everyone about what natural parents Jake and Millie are.”
“He’s so proud of them and says he’s blown away by how mature they both are,” the insider continued. “Having a baby around again is bringing so much joy. They’re in this beautiful bubble right now.”
The source also revealed that Brown and Bongiovi don’t “plan to stop at just one” child. “They want at least four kids, but it won’t surprise anyone if they have more because they’re both so family-focused,” the insider said. “They’re young but they’re both way more mature than the average 20-something, so this just feels right for them.”
Brown and Bongiovi married in May 2024 after three years of dating. In an interview on the “Smartless” podcast in 2025, Brown revealed that she always wanted to be a young mom because of the age her parents were when they had her. “My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19,” she said. “You know, it’s been my thing since before I met Jake.”
Along with Jake, Bon Jovi also shares three other kids with Dorothea: sons Romeo and Jesse and daughter Stephanie.
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and husband Jake Bongiovi were spotted with their newly adopted baby girl just one day after announcing the joyful news on Instagram.
Couple step out as a family of three
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi appeared relaxed and content during a peaceful stroll in the Hamptons, with Millie wearing a pastel-pink “Mother” pullover sweater featuring bold lilac letters across the chest, paired with white jeans, sneakers, and a bright pink Louis Vuitton bag, as reported by the Daily Mail. Jake kept it casual in a black T-shirt, khaki pants, and a baseball cap while pushing the stroller. Millie even carried a phone case monogrammed “RWB,” possibly hinting at the baby’s initials.
Here’s the Instagram statement that revealed their new parenthood: “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy. And then there were 3.” They requested discretion and disabled comments on the post.
Why adoption was important to them
Millie has long shared her dream of becoming a mother at a young age; her own parents had her and her siblings early in life: “My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19. This has been my thing since before I met Jake,” she said on the Smartless podcast.
She added, “I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me.” Jake supported that vision, and Millie stated: “For me, I don’t see having your own child as really any different as adopting.… The energy in our house is the door is always open.” Jon Bon Jovi, Jake’s father, is officially a first-time grandparent. He has voiced his support, saying that age doesn’t matter as long as the partners grow together.
Millie and Jake were first linked in 2021, got engaged in April 2023, and tied the knot in a private ceremony in May 2024, followed by a lavish celebration in Italy months later.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi adopted a daughter, the first child for the married couple, this summer, they announced Thursday.
“We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,” the couple wrote in a social media statement. No further details were released.
Brown, 21, and Bongiovi, 23, were married in a private ceremony in May 2024. Representatives for Brown and Bongiovi did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
Brown gained recognition for her starring role as Eleven in the Duffer brothers’ sci-fi series “Stranger Things.” The fifth and final season will air this November and December, a culmination of nine years of the show’s production. The British actor has pursued other acting and business ventures in that time, including the Netflix original “Enola Holmes” films and a “Godzilla” film. She even released a romance book in 2023.
Bongiovi is the son of Jon Bon Jovi, founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi. Bongiovi debuted his own acting career as the star in “Rockbottom,” which released last year.
“I’m just so lucky that they’re here tonight and it just means so much to me,” Brown told The Associated Press then. “Family is everything and just to have my second family here means everything.”
In a March appearance on the Smartless podcast, Brown said she was looking forward to becoming a mother one day.
“My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19. And it’s been my thing since before I met Jake … since I was a baby, I told my mom, like, baby dolls. I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me,” she said.
“And my nan, my grandmother, was a huge part of my life… Jake knows how important it is to me and, of course, I want to focus on really establishing myself as an actor and as a producer, but I also find it’s so important to start a family for me personally.
“It’s a huge thing. Jake was like, ‘We cannot do that until we get married.’ So that was his thing.”
She hinted that adoption was in the cards and having a large family was important to her and her husband.
“I really want a big family. I’m one of four. He’s one of four. So, it is definitely in our future, but, for me, I don’t see having your own child as really any different as in adopting,” she said.
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi are parents! The couple just announced that they welcomed their first child and are settling into life as a family of three — a journey they hope to take on in “peace and privacy.”
The new parents shared the news with a joint statement on Instagram posted on Thursday, August 21. “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption,” the couple wrote in their statement. “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy,” the statement continued.
Honouring the sentiment of the statement, the couple did not announce the name of their child, nor her date of birth. “And then there were 3,” the couple wrote, signing their names at the bottom of the picture.
After dating for a few years, the couple got engaged in 2023; Jake Bongiovi proposed to Millie Bobby Brown while the two were out for an underwater diving exploration, and after a little bit of a mishap with the ring, the Enola Holmes actress happily accepted.
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The two tied the knot in May 2024, with Brown wearing a custom white lace Galia Lahav gown and Bongiovi in Tom Ford. Brown’s Stranger Things costar Matthew Modine served as officiant for the ceremony at the Villa Cetinale in Italy.
Earlier this spring, Brown spoke about her hopes of building a family with her husband while as a guest on the Smartless podcast.
“My mom actually had her first child at 21, and my dad was 19. And you know, it’s been my thing since before I met Jake. Since I was a baby, I told my mom… I wanted to be a mom just like the way my mom was to me,” said Brown. “Jake knows how important it is to me and, of course, I want to focus on really establishing myself as an actor and as a producer, but I also find it’s so important to start a family for me personally… It’s a huge thing. Jake was like, we cannot do that until we get married.”
“I really want a family. I really want a big family,” Brown continued, even sharing her thoughts on adoption. “I’m one of four. He’s one of four. So, it is definitely in our future, but, for me, I don’t see having your own child, you know, as really any different as in adopting.”
Congratulations to the new parents! As they stated in their Instagram post, they’ve asked for privacy, so while we’re thrilled for the couple, it’s best not to speculate and to wait until they share more information about their new baby.
Now, in a new Instagram video where she is sat on the sofa wearing a relaxed gym set, she’s unveiled her latest transformation. The beauty entrepreneur swapped her brunette waves for a sleek, collarbone-grazing chop in a soft blonde hue. It’s a chic, autumn-ready haircut that’s already taking over salons. Enter: the lob.
The British actress showed off her brand new look for autumn
We know what you’re thinking – what exactly is a lob? The lob-otherwise known as the “long bob”- has long been heralded as one of the most universally flattering cuts, thanks to its effortless versatility.
Sitting somewhere between the chin and the shoulders, it strikes the perfect balance between short and long, giving you enough length to style but is also short enough to feel like a bold statement.
The beauty founder’s new haircut is the perfect look for the transitional weather
The lob has also clearly become the cut to the stars; from Selena Gomez’s curved lob to Jenna Ortega’s shaggy lob, this cut has definitely got the A-list seal of approval.
Why is the lob a popular autumn 2025 hair style?
The appeal of the lob is in its adaptability. Whether styled poker-straight, tousled with beachy waves, or tucked behind one ear for that model-off-duty vibe, the cut works with all hair textures and face shapes. The length naturally frames the face, softening features without the commitment of a dramatic short bob.
The Stranger Things actresses fresh blonde shade adds another layer of cool-girl energy to the look. Creamy and effortless, it’s a reminder that autumn hair doesn’t have to mean going darker – bright, luminous blondes are so in for every season.
There are also three ways you can style this cool-girl cut:
Glossy & sleek: Use a straightener to create a smooth finish, adding shine spray for a glass-hair effect.
Soft waves: Wrap random sections around a tong, then brush through for classic Sam McKnight undone look.
The tuck: Part hair down the middle and tuck behind the ears for an instant chic vibe.
Millie Bobby Brown has officially entered her lob era, and it’s everything.
When it comes to comfy clothes that look chicer than chic, Millie Bobby Brown’s wardrobe is filled to the brim.
When she’s not donning designer at lavish events, more often than not, the 21-year-old actress and entrepreneur can be found sporting cosy combos from her namesake fashion label, Florence by Mills.
However, her most recent look combines both of the above.
Sharing a three-image carousel post to her Instagram on Monday night, the Stranger Things star schooled us in how to elevate comfortable basics.
Millie captioned the post “Making cozy iconic” and we can’t help but agree
Donning a purple-toned tank top with a khaki green ruffle bubble hem from fan favourite fashion brand PH5 and a set of soft and sporty lilac trackpants from her own brand, Millie proved enviable ensembles needn’t be luxe and lavish.
If you’re a fan of Millie, you’ll know that when she does get glam, she goes all out. For makeup, she opted for a glowing skin base, a touch of rosy pink blush on the apples of her cheeks, a bold brow and a lick of dewy lipstick.
Millie added a pair of drop pearl earrings to complete the look
For hair, she wore her brunette bob out in a middle part with loose curls.
To complete the ultimate weekend look, Millie styled her purple combo with a pair of socks in the same dusty lavender shade and a pair of the new Crocs Cozzzy clogs. The fuzzy slippers also feature a selection of crystal and pearl embellishments on the heel piece, elevating them to be a cultivated fashion statement.
If you’re a fan of Millie and her endeavours, you’ll likely already know that last week she was announced as the official face of the new Crocs range, spotted styling an array of products in the brand’s official promotional snaps.
Though we’re sad to be saying adieu to the summer season, Autumn couldn’t come soon enough for those ready to style cosy comforts like Millie.
We bid farewell to Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn) in episode 9, as he died a hero to save his friends and protect his town. The Duffer Brothers confirmed this character’s death while appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast following the finale — yet, there’s two other character demises from Volume 2 that may not actually have a nail in their coffins.
Max’s fate is unclear
Max became a victim of Vecna’s curse in the two-part finale, and was technically dead for a full minute before Eleven restarted her heart with her powers. The last we see of Max, she’s hospitalised and in a coma. Eleven tries to communicate with her by searching for her mind, but there is, tragically, no response.
When asked about Max’s fate while speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Sink was quick to point out that Max has a pulse and is technically still alive and present in the show. “I’m not sure where we’re going and what Max’s state is. It’s definitely all up in the air right now,” said Sink. “I’m just as excited as everyone else to find out where Max is and how she’s doing.”
Vecna’s fate is also up in the air
Jamie Campbell Bower, who portrayed this season’s villain Vecna/Henry/One, also hinted at a S5 return to EW, noting the scene where Vecna should be dead, but suddenly disappears. On August 29, JCB opened up further to NME, teasing that Vecna will most likely be back for season five, and he’ll be back with a hell of a vengeance. “He’s pissed, he’s properly vexed,” said Campbell Bower. “I don’t think he’s slunk off licking his wounds in misery. He’s rebuilding, and he’s out for blood. It’s like, you’ve really f*cking pushed the buttons now, that classic Jason Voorhees [the iconic killer in Friday the 13th] thing — you’ve made a big mistake.”
Though Campbell Bower still hasn’t confirmed whether he’s signed on for multiple seasons, Will’s mention to Mike that he could still feel Vecna’s presence during the finale is almost confirmation enough. “I think Vecna and Will have a connection that’s yet to be explored,” continued JCB. “As a fan, I’d be interested to see more of that.”
Will new characters be introduced inStranger Thingsseason 5?
Terminator star Linda Hamilton confirmed back in 2023 that she’d be joining the cast – no word yet on who her character will be yet, though.
“I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time,” she said during her announcement for Netflix’s TUDUM. “I’m gonna work on that.”
While speaking to IndieWire in August 2022, the Duffer Brothers broke down their rationale behind bringing new characters on the show and praised the adaptability and performances of actors brought on the series after season 1, like Joseph Quinn, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, and Dacre Montgomery. Though they avoid introducing multiple new core characters in a given season, the Duffer Brothers admitted that new characters can bring fresh ideas, just like new plot devices or new creatures to battle.
“I just like shaking it up, so we shake it up by changing the plot or adding in a new monster,” said Matt. “We’re doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5. We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.” With such a finite amount of time left with the OG Hawkins gang, it makes sense that the Stranger Things writers want to make sure that fans aren’t left feeling shorted by the series finale. This means there might be a new face around town in Stranger Things 5, but don’t count on it too much.
Millie Bobby Brown, best known for her role in Stranger Things, opened up about her love for Taylor Swift during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. The young actress revealed the extent of her fandom, saying, “I am like hardcore. Like, I know exactly where she is at all times kind of thing.”
This statement was made in response to host Kelly Clarkson’s playful remark that “some might call that a stalker,” to which Brown joked, “It’s like loosely based.”
Brown’s feelings for Taylor Swift go beyond casual admiration. She described her experience on Swift’s Eras Tour as “the most amazing experience.” Brown shared her connection with other Swift fans, saying, “The fans there are the same as me. We love her that much.”
Brown’s love for Taylor Swift is meticulous. She and her sister keep a detailed list of every surprise song Swift performs during her tour dates as per PEOPLE. She said they have a board, she and her sister like to cross out the songs that Swift has done so they know which songs are left. This system allows them to anticipate what she’s going to do next.
Brown stated her own experience on the Eras Tour, saying that when she went to her show in Ohio, she flew there solely for Taylor, and when she played Evermore, Brown collapsed on the ground. She added that it was quite crazy, but it was an incredible experience.
Taylor Swift’s influence on Brown extends into her personal life as well. Brown, who turned 20 in February, referred to this milestone as the beginning of a “new era,” which was inspired by Swift. This sentiment reflects the profound impact Swift’s music and persona have had on Brown’s perspective and personal growth.
Brown’s admiration for Swift is also evident in pivotal moments in her life. When she announced her engagement to Jake Bongiovi on Instagram in April 2023, she used lyrics from Swift’s song Lover as a caption. “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey. I want ’em all 🤍,” she wrote, alongside a photo of her and Bongiovi on the beach. Swift’s approval was clear; she liked the post.
Months later, Brown continued to express her love for Swift in a lighthearted way. She posted selfies wearing a T-shirt saying, “I’m in love with a married woman…My wife!” The photos also included a phone case with lyrics from Swift’s song Anti-Hero that read, “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.”
Millie Bobby Brown, best known for her role as Eleven in Stranger Things, has made significant progress in her acting career. She made her TV debut in Once Upon a Time in Wonderland in 2013 and later appeared in Intruders in 2014. Brown’s acclaimed performance in Stranger Things earned her many award nominations and wins.
She appeared in the films Godzilla: King of the Monsters and its sequel, as well as Enola Holmes and its sequel, which she also produced. Brown also launched her beauty line, Florence by Mills, and released her debut novel, Nineteen Steps, in 2023. She expanded her repertoire with new projects such as Damsel and The Electric State.
