Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 release date, time, schedule, cast, trailer, and what to expect

The wait for Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 is almost over! After waiting about a month between Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, fans are obviously very ready for the next batch of episodes.

As you know, Stranger Things 5 premiered on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Netflix announced the news during its TUDUM event in May 2025. The next round of episodes, which make up Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2, will be released on Thursday, Dec. 25, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m PT.

Stranger Things 5 release schedule

For the first time, Netflix is rolling out a three-part release for Stranger Things 5. We've seen many Netflix shows split into two parts, but never three parts. Not until now.

We're right in the middle of that release rollout for Stranger Things 5, and it seems to be going well. I was not a fan of the big gap between episodes, but it seems like fans are still catching up, rewatching, and enjoying the final season.

On Wednesday, Nov. 26, Netflix released Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1, which consists of the first four episodes of the season, at 8 p.m. ET. Then, on Christmas Day (Thursday, Dec. 25), Netflix will release Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2, which consists of the next three episodes, at 8 p.m. ET. Then, Netflix has a very special release plan for the Stranger Things 5 finale. That will also be available to stream at 8 pm. ET on New Year's Eve (Wednesday, Dec. 31).

The Stranger Things 5 finale is also getting a limited theatrical release for two days in the United States on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Here's the full release schedule for Stranger Things 5:

• Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 (Episodes 1-4): Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET
• Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 (Episodes 5-7): Thursday, Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. ET
• Stranger Things 5 finale (Episode 8): Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET

Who's in the Stranger Things 5 cast?

Stranger Things 5 has one of the biggest casts of a Netflix show that I can remember. Obviously, we know Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Maya Hawke, Brett Gelman, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, and Jamie Campbell Bower are returning.

For a while, it looked like the Duffer brothers wouldn't be adding to the Stranger Things 5 cast, but as production started, we learned that there will be a few new faces joining all the main actors in the cast. We also know Nell Fisher, Linda Hamilton, Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and a few other new actors have joined.

We shared the full list of Stranger Things 5 cast and their characters:

• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper
• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna/Henry Creel
• Joe Chrest as Ted Wheeler
• Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
• Sherman Augustus as Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan
• Clayton Royal Johnson as Andy
• Hunter Romanillos as Chance
• Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
• Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow
• Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay
• Alex Breaux as Lt. Robert Akers
• Linnea Berthelsen as Kali/Eight

While we might see some other characters from previous seasons pop up in Stranger Things 5, like Dr. Sam Owens, played by Paul Reiser, we likely will not see Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, who was killed at the end of Stranger Things 4.

Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 ending, explained

Stranger Things 5 Vol. 1 ended on a very interesting note! At the end of episode 4, "Sorcerer," Will Byers embraced who he is and tapped into powers he didn't know that he even had. While Vecna succeeds in the demogorgons dragging off the other kids to wherever he's holding Holly Wheeler, Will saved all of his friends and killed the demogorgons using epic Vecna-like powers.

In the Upside Down base, Eleven and Hopper discovered that Dr. Kay was not keeping Vecna trapped. Instead, they find Kali/Eight being held captive. We don't know why, but Eleven and Hopper rescue her and flee the base looking for Dustin, Nancy, Steve, and Jonathan who crashed their car into the wall of the Upside Down.

Even with the small victories, there are some other big things still facing these characters. Holly and Max are still trapped in Camazots looking for the way back. Max is using Holly in some sort of plan to escape, but we still don't know exactly what that means.

We also still don't know what Vecna is planning, but it sure seems like he's planning to use these kids to reshape the world as he sees fit, and he's going to use them in a similar way as he used Will. Only time will tell what that really means.

Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 trailer

Netflix shared the trailer for Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 about a week before the new season drops, and it's a banger! There are so many good clips in that trailer.

What to expect in Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2

Well, looking at that trailer, I have some big questions, but we know a few things are going to happen in Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2. We know that there's some kind of energy ball that could be like the Mind Flayer's true form or something like that in or around Hawkins. It looks like Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Dustin find that, based on the trailer, and from there, I have a feeling that they'll have to find a way to destroy it.

We also know that Max and Holly are going to try to escape from Vecna's mindscape and Camazots in the sixth episode. That's a huge part of Vol. 2, so I have to imagine that we'll learn more about that.

It also looks like the Hawkins Heroes are going to go toe-to-toe with the military in Hawkins. There's some epic shootouts in the trailer, and I have imagine that has something to do with Nancy and Hopper being heavily armed.

We also learned that we're going to learn more about the origins of the Upside Down, what it really is, and why Will was taken as it relates to Vecna's big plan. The Duffers confirmed that right after Vol. 1 dropped!

Based on the trailer, it's hard to know if we're going to see another showdown with Vecna, but it looks like he's sending the demogorgons back to Hawkins. We have yet to see Lucas carrying Max at the hospital with demogorgons giving chase.

Stranger Things 5 synopsis

Here's the official synopsis for Stranger Things 5:

"The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."

To recap, the heroes are coming together to try and stop Vecna and his monsters of the Upside Down before it's too late, but there are some big problems, too. The town is under quarantine, which is sure to complicate matters, too, and they still have no idea where Vecna is or what he's up to.

And, the Party is still missing one important member: Max.

You'll also note that's a significant time jump from the last season, which took place in the spring of 1986.

Episode titles

While we just learned the release schedule for the new season back in May, we have know the Stranger Things 5 episode titles for a long time!

Netflix announced the Stranger Things 5 episode titles way back on Stranger Things Day 2024 (Nov. 6). We shared all eight episode titles for the new season:

• Episode 1: "The Crawl"
• Episode 2: "The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler"
• Episode 3: "The Turnbow Trap"
• Episode 4: "Sorcerer"
• Episode 5: "Shock Jock"
• Episode 6: "Escape from Camazots"
• Episode 7: "The Bridge"
• Episode 8: "The Rightside Up"

Remember to watch Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2 starting on Dec. 25!