Earlier this year, Netflix finally put fans’ minds at ease by confirming the highly anticipated returns of two of its biggest series, Stranger Things and Wednesday.
After facing significant production setbacks throughout 2023 due to the industry-wide WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, audiences were left wondering when they’d get to see their favorite supernatural adventures continue. With Stranger Things set for its grand finale and Wednesday gearing up for its second season, many hoped at least one of these juggernauts would arrive in 2024.
However, as delays continued to stack up, it became increasingly clear that a 2024 premiere wasn’t in the cards. Netflix eventually confirmed that both the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things and Tim Burton’s Wednesday will make their long-awaited returns in 2025, giving fans something to look forward to next year.
To mark the occasion of November 6, 1983—better known as “Stranger Things Day”—Netflix dropped a special teaser revealing the episode titles for the final season. The teaser unveiled all eight episodes, offering a tantalizing glimpse at what’s in store for Hawkins’ last stand.
The final season will feature episodes titled “The Crawl” (previously announced), “The Vanishing of…,” “The Turnbow Trap,” “Sorcerer,” “Shock Jock,” “Escape From Camazotz,” “The Bridge,” and the epic series finale, “The Rightside Up.” The final title appears to be a clever nod to Season 1’s “The Upside Down,” suggesting a full-circle moment for Eleven and the gang.
Stranger Things Season 5 will see the return of Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair) as they face their greatest threat yet—Henry Creel/One/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) and the ever-looming Upside Down. Season 4 ended on a chilling note, with Hawkins on the brink of destruction.
Fan favorites Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), and Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) will also reprise their roles, ensuring an emotional and action-packed farewell to the beloved series.
In its recent Q3 earnings report, Netflix teased an exciting lineup for next year:
“So looking into 2025, you’ve got new seasons of our biggest shows: Wednesday, Squid Game, Stranger Things,” Netflix shared. “On top of that, new shows from Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, a Knives Out sequel from Rian Johnson, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, even the return of Happy Gilmore. We couldn’t be more excited about where we’re heading.”
Despite these promising updates, Stranger Things fans were left frustrated when Netflix’s recent 2025 preview trailer failed to include any new footage from the series. Instead, the trailer recycled old clips, leading to widespread disappointment online. While an official teaser remains elusive, many hope that Netflix will unveil more in the coming months.
In the meantime, one determined fan took matters into their own hands to uncover a potential release date for Stranger Things 5. Posting to X, Stranger Things News (@UpsideDownScoop) wrote:
“Did we just uncover the possible release date for Stranger Things 5?
By examining Netflix’s website code, we discovered that the internal release date for #StrangerThings5 is listed as: Thursday, November 27, 2025
What are your thoughts on this potential date?”
An attached image revealed Netflix’s website code showing a November 27, 2025, date listed under the series premiere. Given previous teasers confirming a 2025 release, a late-year debut—just after the spooky season—makes sense. However, Netflix has yet to officially confirm the date.
Meanwhile, Wednesday is also set to return in 2025, with Jenna Ortega reprising her role in the gothic horror-comedy that took the world by storm. The show shattered records upon its 2022 debut, even surpassing Stranger Things as Netflix’s most-watched English-language series in a single week.
With Tim Burton’s unmistakable vision and Ortega’s captivating performance, Wednesday has firmly established itself as a core part of Netflix’s catalog. Season 2 promises to explore more of Nevermore Academy with new characters played by Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Lloyd, Thandiwe Newton, and even Lady Gaga.
Much like Stranger Things, Wednesday‘s second season will feature longer, movie-like episodes, something Ortega previously mentioned would enhance the storytelling.
With over 280 million subscribers, Netflix continues to dominate the streaming landscape, staying ahead of competitors like Disney+, Max, and Hulu. With major franchises such as Stranger Things, Wednesday, and Squid Game leading its 2025 slate, the future of the platform looks brighter than ever.
What do you think about the lack of Stranger Things content leading up to its 2025 release? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
