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

Stranger Things 5 is finally here! Fans have been waiting for more than three years since Stranger Things 4 was released in the summer of 2022, but that wait is finally over.

Stranger Things 5 premieres on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Netflix announced the news during its TUDUM event in May 2025, but this season is not going to be like any other season of a Netflix show ever!

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.

On Wednesday, Nov. 26, Netflix will release 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: Wednesday, Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET
• Stranger Things 5 Vol. 2: Thursday, Dec. 25 at 8 p.m. ET
• Stranger Things 5 finale: 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

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 4 ending, explained

It's been so long since Stranger Things 4 was released and I'm sure there are plenty of fans who aren't exactly sure what to expect in the new season. We shared a few things that fans need to remember from the Stranger Things 4 finale.

Ultimately, Vecna was successful in his plan. He "killed" Max, which was the fourth killing needed to rip a gigantic hole between Hawkins and the Upside Down. But, our heroes, including a combination of Eleven in Max's mind, Hopper in Russia, and Nancy in the Upside Down, were also successful in defeating Vecna... for now.

They also paid a heavy price to make that happen. Eddie was killed at the end of the season by Vecna's bats as Dustin arrived too late to help him.

At the end of the season, Max remains in a coma, but she is not dead. Eleven and Lucas did something that brought Mac back to life. We don't know exactly what happened, but she's still out there somwhere.

Then, everyone reunited in Hawkins. Eleven, Will, Mike, Argyle, and Jonathan made the drive from Arizona after picking up Eleven while Hopper and Joyce flew in from Russia. Will suffered a chill at the end of the season that let him know that Vecna was not actually dead, just biding his time.

So, that's where things ended, and a lot has changed heading into season 5.

What will Stranger Things 5 be about?

While we don't know exactly what to expect this season, the mission is quite simple: "find and kill Vecna." That's literally what Netflix released in the official synopsis for Stranger Things 5.

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.

So far, we've seen two trailers for Stranger Things 5. The first one, Netflix shared earlier this summer, and it's incredible. You can watch it above.

The other trailer was just rolled out at the end of October, and it's probably the best Netflix trailer I've ever seen. I've been covering Netflix shows for more than a decade. This is, seriously, the biggest thing Netflix has ever done.

You can already watch Stranger Things 5's first five minutes

Netflix shared the first five minutes of Stranger Things 5 at the special premiere event in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, 2025, which was Stranger Things Day.

In the first five minutes, we see a flashback of sorts to season 1. Remember when Will was hiding in Castle Byers and the Demogorgon attacked and it cut to black? Well, we get to see what happened next.

Will scampered away after shooting the Demogorgon and climbed a tree, but he Demogorgon finds him again. Will falls out of the tree and gets dragged all the way to Creel House where Vecna shoves one of those Upside Down tentacles into Will's house, which I believe is what leads to Will becoming possessed in Stranger Things 2, a year later.

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 ...."
• 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"

I don't know about you, but I'm worried about a lot after seeing those episode titles! Remember, the first episode is called "The Vanishing of Will Byers." I don't know what a "crawl" is, but I recognize a few other things that do not make me feel at peace.

We'll share more news about Stranger Things 5 as we get closer to the premiere! Stay tuned!

Remember to watch Stranger Things 5 starting on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 8 p.m. ET!