Stranger Things creator Matt Duffer regrets interviews after finale due to illness

Matt Duffer apologizes for his post-Stranger Things finale interviews, citing illness and fatigue during press rounds

The Stranger Things series finale sparked divided reactions among fans, earning praise for its emotional payoff while also drawing criticism for unresolved storylines and lingering plot questions.

In the days following the finale’s release on Netflix, creators Matt and Ross Duffer addressed many of those concerns through a series of post-finale interviews—an approach Matt Duffer has since said he regrets.

In a later statement, Matt Duffer revealed that he was not in the right condition to participate in extensive media interviews so soon after the finale aired. The co-creator explained that he was recovering from the flu at the time and felt mentally and physically exhausted during the press rounds.

“I am not in a good place. Like, why the hell did we do any of them yesterday is beyond me. I’m like fried. I was getting over the flu,” Duffer said in a video shared online. He added, “So, anyone mad at any answers we gave you yesterday, just cut me some slack.”

Matt Duffer says he regrets answering questions right after the ‘Stranger Things’ finale as he was sick:

“I am not in a good place. Like, why the hell did we do any of them yesterday is beyond me. I'm like fried. I was getting over the flu. So, anyone mad at any answers we gave… pic.twitter.com/b1NjMeliEk

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 5, 2026

Several of Duffer’s post-finale explanations drew criticism online. Fans questioned the absence of creatures such as demogorgons and demobats during the final confrontation in the Abyss, to which Duffer responded that Vecna did not anticipate the attack and relied solely on the Mind Flayer. Other answers left key story outcomes deliberately ambiguous, including whether Robin and Vickie remain together and what actions the U.S. military took after the finale’s events.

Perhaps most debated was Duffer’s stance on leaving certain conclusions open to interpretation, including the fate of Eleven, despite suggesting that a definitive answer exists and was shared privately with actress Millie Bobby Brown.

Some viewers argued that a nearly decade-long series with a reported budget of around $400 million warranted clearer resolutions rather than open-ended explanations. Duffer’s comments have since highlighted the intense pressure surrounding high-profile finales and the challenges creators face during immediate post-release promotion.

While debate continues over whether Stranger Things struck the right balance between mystery and closure, the series remains one of Netflix’s most successful and culturally influential shows.