Did Sadie Sink Just Reveal Max’s Fate in Stranger Things Season 5?
As Season 5 looms, Stranger Things fans are bracing for heartbreak after Sadie Sink’s Variety interview stoked fears that Max—and others—may not make it to the end.
Stranger Things is heading into its final season, and you can feel the collective anxiety rising. Top of mind: does Max make it to the end? Sadie Sink has been careful with her words, but between past scripts, behind-the-scenes calls, and a few carefully phrased interviews, there are some real clues to sift through.
So... is Max in trouble?
Sank into your couch for this one: Sadie Sink recently talked about Season 5 delivering the kind of ending the cast wanted and the show deserved. That sounds like closure, not chaos. But when you look at how close Max already came to dying, it gets a lot murkier.
What Sadie actually said (and what it means)
About the finale, Sink basically said everyone got the ending they wanted and the series got the sendoff it deserves. That is classic vague, optimistic actor-speak and not a spoiler. The more telling bit is what she has said about Season 4’s original plan for Max.
"In the script it literally says that Max dies."
Sink told Deadline the Duffers actually called her before she read the Season 4 finale to warn her that line was in there, so she would not be blindsided. She also said the Duffers have been extra secretive about Season 5, and that Max’s status is up in the air because she is in a coma and Eleven could not find her in the void. Translation: no guarantees.
Where Season 4 left Max
Max survived by the narrowest of margins after a late change, but she is not OK: she is comatose, her body is wrecked, and Vecna’s shadow is still hanging over everything. Matt Duffer has said Max will matter in Season 5, but the how and why are locked up tight.
Does Max make it out? The case for yes... and no
On the hopeful side, the Duffers have a strong track record of treating their characters with care, not shock-for-shock’s-sake. Sink’s comments about proper closure could bode well.
On the darker side, the show already wrote Max’s death once. If Vecna still has any hold on her, she could be a target after she serves a key story purpose. And even if the big bad loses, Max’s physical state could do the grim work anyway. There is always room for a miracle in this show; it is just not the safest bet.
The bigger pressure: stick the landing
This final season is the show’s legacy test. Sink has talked about getting a real ending, and Joe Keery has said Steve is getting a proper, satisfying sendoff. That lines up with what the Duffers do best: character-first storytelling that pays off long arcs. Still, closing out a decade-long phenomenon is brutal. One bad call can sour a lot of goodwill; nail it, and the whole run looks even better in retrospect.
Quick catch-up
- Series: Stranger Things
- Creators: The Duffer Brothers
- Seasons out: 4 (Season 5 on the way)
- Main cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown
- Current IMDb score: 8.6/10
- Season 5 rollout: a report doing the rounds says it will drop in three parts — first four episodes on November 26, the next three on December 25, and the finale on December 31
However it shakes out, Max’s arc is going to be one of the big swing moments in the endgame. Ready to say goodbye to Hawkins?