Why The Stranger Things Season 5 Trailer Song Could Mean More Than You Think
"Stranger Things" doesn't shy away from killing off characters, and more will likely bite the dust in the final season. In fact, some fans are convinced that Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven will meet her maker before it's all said and done, and the song selection in the "Stranger Things" season 5 trailer is bound to add more weight to all of the macabre speculation.
The song featured in the teaser is none other than Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever," which features on the soundtrack for "Highlander," the beloved '80s fantasy movie about a battle between immortal warriors. Thematically, the track is all about waiting for the end to come, which begs the question: Is the "Stranger Things" season 5 trailer sneakily telegraphing the demise of such a beloved character? Given that many viewers already believe that Eleven will croak in her final battle with Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower and Raphael Luce), the theory isn't exactly far-fetched.
That said, Netflix might just be trolling us, or perhaps the streamer is giving shoutouts to other media for fun. After all, Henry Cavill — Brown's co-star in Netflix's "Enola Holmes" franchise — is set to star in the long-gestating "Highlander" reboot, so maybe the decision to feature this particular Queen song in the trailer is a cheeky nod to that? Plus, let's not forget that "Stranger Things" is one big love letter to '80s nostalgia, meaning that the song could be a simple tribute to the decade in which the show is set. For fun, though, let's roll with the theory that Eleven's days will be numbered in "Stranger Things" season 5. After all, Brown has given us enough clues to suggest that her character's story will end in disaster.
How Millie Bobby Brown responded to the grim Eleven fan theory
The first four seasons of "Stranger Things" feature enough tragic moments to justify the theory that no character is safe. Killing off Eleven would be a bold move for sure, but it actually makes sense in a show that boasts themes like self-sacrifice and contains several nods to religion. (Some commentators have compared Eleven to Jesus Christ, and "El" means "god" in Hebrew.) With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising if she loses her life to save the world, no matter how much it'd break the hearts of fans.
What's more, during an interview on "The Jonathan Ross Show" (via NME), Millie Bobby Brown teased Eleven's demise thanks to an unexpected slip of the tongue, which sent the show's base into a speculative frenzy. Here's what she had to say in response to the theory that the young hero's days are numbered:
"I know how my character ... like, what happens to my character."
Brown refused to elaborate when prompted on the "how" comment, revealing that her bosses at Netflix wouldn't be happy with her if she let slip any plot details. Still, the actor's words were more than enough to suggest that Eleven may not get her happily ever after, and this notion has only been enhanced by the musical number in the aforementioned trailer.
"Stranger Things" season 5 will premiere its first four episodes on Netflix on November 26, 2025, with the next three arriving on December 25 and the series finale debuting (both in theaters and on streaming) December 31.