Why Stranger Things Tapped Another '80s Icon As The Netflix Show's Season 5 Villain

"Stranger Things" season 5 is shaping up to be a gargantuan release for Netflix, which only recently experienced similar success with "KPop Demon Hunters" (a likely replacement for "Stranger Things"-mania). Before the kids of Hawkins, Indiana bid us all farewell, however, they have to make it through the final season unscathed. That's sure to be a tricky feat, considering they'll be facing off against not only the most powerful figure in the Upside Down, but also '80s icon Linda Hamilton, who's joining the cast as, essentially, a replacement for Matthew Modine.

We already know the "Stranger Things" gang are set for a showdown with a newly empowered Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), who will be different and more deadly than ever in season 5. But in truth, there'll be plenty of villainy to go around in this final installment of the massively popular series. Not only is Vecna unleashing hordes of Upside Down horrors on Hawkins (as evidenced by the "Stranger Things" season 5 trailer), there's also a sinister new doctor on-hand. Modine's Dr. Brenner may've died in season 4, but it seems the kids won't be free of menacing medical types in season 5, with Hamilton stepping in to play a government scientist by the name of Dr. Kay.

As detailed in the December 2025 issue of SFX Magazine, Hamilton is the latest of several '80s icons to join the "Stranger Things" cast following Sean Astin and Cary Elwes. Though details about Dr. Kay remain somewhat slim, we do know she'll be investigating the Upside Down. Aside from the thrill of seeing Hamilton in such a high-profile series, it will also be interesting to see her play a villainous doctor, if only because she was menaced by a very similar figure in her most famous role.

"Stranger Things" season 5 will be split into three volumes arriving on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve, respectively. What's more, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have indicated there will be several long episodes that play like movies — and with a rumored budget higher than any TV series in history it seems they had all the resources they needed to fill such capacious runtimes. This also means they had room for Linda Hamilton, who was revealed as being part of the season 5 cast in 2023.

The actor remains a legend to this day, if only for her role as Sarah Connor in the "Terminator" film series. Now, she'll be joining the biggest show on streaming, and while it might seem odd to add yet another character to a series with an already sizable ensemble, the Duffer brothers simply couldn't say no. Besides, with Hamilton filling in for Matthew Modine, the cast is technically the same size as before. As Matt Duffer told SFX:

"We had so many of those discussions, with this being the final season, that we need to keep our focus on the core characters. But Linda is designed to replace [Modine's] Dr Brenner. Matthew Modine's character is dead, so she's filling that role, and is very much a supporting character."

Dr. Brenner was a major antagonist in the previous seasons of "Stranger Things," having been responsible for running the experiments on both Milly Bobby Brown's Eleven and Jamie Campbell Bower as One/Henry Creel (who eventually transformed into the series' big bad, Vecna). As such, Hamilton's character is unlikely to be all that enamored of the Hawkins kids and their attempts to save their home town.

While we await further details about Linda Hamilton's Dr. Kay, fans of the actor will no doubt be intrigued to see her take on a role that has clear associations to the "Terminator" franchise. In James Cameron's seminal 1984 sci-fi slasher "The Terminator," Hamilton's Sarah Connor speaks with criminal psychiatrist Dr. Peter Silberman (Earl Boen), who remains incredulous in the face of her claims about being hunted by a killer cyborg from the future. In the 1991 sequel, however, Silberman becomes an even more nefarious figure as the doctor in charge of Sarah's rehabilitation during her incarceration at Pescadero State Hospital. There, he not only continues to ignore Sarah's claims, he also refuses to let her see her son, John Connor (Edward Furlong), and thinks nothing of having her violently sedated.

As such, Hamilton's portrayal of what appears to be a similarly villainous doctor will be a neat little moment in the actor's career, especially if she can channel some of that slimy Dr. Silberman energy for the role. Such a performance wouldn't be out of place on "Stranger Things," a show which makes no secret of its attempts to emulate '80s classics.

What's more, Hamilton is no stranger to the horror genre, having appeared in "Children of the Corn" (where she was the victim of a mean trick) the same year she first portrayed Sarah Connor. She also had plenty of memorable roles in the '90s. Beside returning as Sarah Connor for the unimpeachable action movie paragon that is "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," she had a couple of guest roles (including a hidden one) on the beloved sitcom "Frasier" and starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in "Dante's Peak." Her "Stranger Things" role will, however, be her most high profile in a while.