Are ‘Stranger Things’ stars too grown up for last season? Fans think so

Netflix’s Stranger Things is once again dominating headlines, but not for supernatural twists or Upside Down drama. Ahead of its long-awaited final season, the beloved cast is facing backlash online, with many fans claiming the actors now look far too old to convincingly play teenagers.

The hit series, which began in 2016, follows a group of kids in Hawkins, Indiana, as they battle creatures from the Upside Down. However, as the show prepares to wrap up nearly a decade later, time has inevitably caught up with its stars. Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Gaten Matarazzo were all children when Stranger Things began. Now, in their early twenties, they are stepping back into roles written as high-schoolers, and viewers are divided over how this will affect the show’s believability.

Social media reactions have been swift and unforgiving. On X, formerly Twitter, fans posted side-by-side images of the cast’s first season compared to recent photos from set, with one user writing that they “look more like teachers than students.” Others, however, have defended the cast, noting that filming delays caused by the pandemic and Hollywood strikes stretched the timeline far beyond what was originally intended.

Industry insiders have also pointed out that de-ageing technology or subtle camera work could help ease the visual gap. Still, the backlash continues to trend, showing just how invested audiences remain in the series and its characters. Some longtime viewers say the criticism misses the point entirely, arguing that the emotional depth and chemistry between the actors matter far more than their appearance.

The final season of Stranger Things is expected to premiere on Netflix in 2026, marking the end of an era for one of the streaming giant’s biggest cultural phenomena. Despite the online backlash, the anticipation remains high, with fans eager to see how Eleven and her friends will face their last battle in the Upside Down, even if they look a little older doing it.