Netflix just dropped the official Stranger Things Season 5 trailer, and yeah, they are not easing us in. The big takeaway: Will Byers looks like he is back in the middle of the storm — and Vecna knows exactly how to use him.
So... is Will helping Vecna?
The trailer closes on a nasty image: Vecna standing in what looks like a ravaged military base, bodies everywhere, while Will hangs in the air like a puppet. Then this:
"William, you are going to help me, one last time."
That pretty much confirms Will is getting pulled back into Vecna's orbit — not willingly, but controlled, manipulated, whatever word you prefer when pure evil is doing the driving. The footage leans hard into the idea that Will's connection to the Upside Down runs deeper than anyone else. If you have been on the 'Will is the endgame' train since Season 1, the trailer basically pats you on the back. Whether he becomes Vecna's trump card or the key to taking him down is the terrifying question.
Eleven is more powerful than ever — and paying for it
Eleven is in full superhero mode here. We see her launch herself over a high fence like it is nothing, then unleash massive energy blasts that rip across the sky. She is not just the battering ram anymore; she feels like the last line of defense for Hawkins. She is also on her own mission inside the Upside Down with Hopper, which is not exactly a spa weekend. The trailer makes it clear that every time she levels up, there is a cost — and with Will on the line, she may have to face her friend to save him.
What the trailer shows (and what it is hinting at)
- It opens with Vecna in the Upside Down declaring, "At long last, we can begin."
- At one point, Vecna speaks to an unseen figure, teasing that we might not know everything about the true scope of the villainy at play.
- The Upside Down's invasion has wrecked Hawkins. The military has pulled out, and Demogorgons have broken through the perimeter, attacking anything that moves.
- Dustin, Mike, and Nancy are gearing up for a final push. Mike rallies the gang with: "Find Vecna and end this once and for all."
- Lucas is cradling an unconscious Max and trying to fend off a Demo-dog. Not okay.
- There is a glimpse of the group in a hospital, crying — heavy implication that someone does not make it. If they take out Max or Steve, we riot.
- Dustin, as usual, is the heart, insisting everyone stick together as they head into the fight.
- All of it rides on Queen's 'Who Wants to Live Forever,' which is a pretty blunt emotional choice and, honestly, it works.
The tone: bigger, darker, and going for the throat
The whole thing plays like the beginning of the end, with an extra sting in the tail thanks to that final Will/Vecna beat. The battle for Hawkins has never looked this dire, and Season 5 is clearly swinging for a genuinely final-feeling finale.
Cast, creators, and the road so far
Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, and Joe Keery.
The series stands at five seasons total. Episode counts so far: Season 1 has 8, Season 2 has 9, Season 3 has 8, Season 4 has 9, and Season 5 comes in at 8 episodes. For Season 5 specifically, Netflix is splitting it as Part 1 with 4 episodes, Part 2 with 3 episodes, and a standalone finale to close it all out.
If you are keeping score, the show sits at an IMDb 8.6/10 and 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Release plan
Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1 premieres November 26, 2025, Vol. 2 lands December 25, 2025, and the finale arrives December 31, 2025 — all on Netflix in the US.
Your move
Do you think Will is the key to ending Vecna or the weapon that breaks the party? Drop your theories — and who you are most worried about losing — in the comments.