The final season of Stranger Things is in the works, and the last season will aim to avoid one considerable criticism that has plagued prior seasons.
The series has been known to introduce a wealth of new characters each season, and in many cases, it takes away from the characters we started the journey with.
Thankfully, Ross and Matt Duffer are being vocal about the focus being on the original characters.
In a new interview with Indiewire, they confirmed as much.
“We’re doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5,” Matt said.
“We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.”
Ross shared that bringing new characters into the story has to “give it the engine that is needed.”
“Whenever we introduce a new character, we want to make sure that they’re going to be an integral part of the narrative,” he said.
“We’ve got a great cast of characters here, and actors, and any moment we’re spending with a new character, we’re taking time away from one of the other actors,” Ross added.
The series has introduced many supporting players throughout its run, and if we look at Season 2-4, they introduced beloved characters and went on to kill them off.
Many have theorized that the reason behind this is to avoid killing off the longer-serving characters, and honestly, it makes sense.
But, heading into the final season, no character should be off the table.
Netflix renewed Stranger Things for a fifth — and final — season earlier this year.
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement at the time.
“At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you’ll soon see for yourselves — we are not hurling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; Season 5 will be the last.”
The series is not expected to return until 2024.
What are your thoughts on the show scaling back on new characters?
Hit the comments.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.