Why Stranger Things Star Millie Bobby Brown Played Eleven Differently In Season 5

No spoilers for "Stranger Things" season 5 follow.

Millie Bobby Brown has grown up on "Stranger Things" alongside her character, the telekinetic girl Eleven/Jane. Brown was 12-years-old when cast in 2016 and (due to hefty gaps between seasons), "Stranger Things" ran for almost 10 years. If the series ending feels surreal to the fans, imagine how it feels for Brown and her co-stars. Brown is on record that "Stranger Things" changed her life, and it's easy to see why.

Brown went into "Stranger Things" season 5 knowing this was her last chance to play Eleven. (At least for the foreseeable future — perhaps the nostalgia that inspired "Stranger Things" will circle back to a revival next decade.) At a virtual press conference attended by /Film, Brown elaborated on how this being the last season of "Stranger Things" made her switch up her "instinctual" acting style. "I do think in this season, I put a lot more thought into it," she explained, adding:

"Last season, season 4, I was like, 'Right, I'm gonna really play to the humanity of Eleven this year,' and you're able to kind of explore that. And this season I was like, 'Okay, now I'm playing a superhero. This is my last shot at playing this superhero.' And being a superhero requires a lot of bravery, and as an actor, I think I threw myself into it. You kind of have to leave your humility at the door, 'cause you are throwing your hands down pretending to fly when you're not."

This sort of acting, i.e. performing against and reacting to the empty space where visual effects will be filled in, is standard in superhero movies. Some actors have expressed frustration with green screen work, but if Brown wants to make a superhero movie, she'll have the experience.

Eleven's character has seen some marked shifts each season of "Stranger Things." Raised in a lab as a human weapon, she's mostly silent in season 1. She gradually comes out of her shell and develops greater confidence in seasons 2 and especially 3, when she begins a normal teenage social life and finally gets a (platonic) girlfriend in Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink).

At the end of season 3, Eleven loses her powers, hence Brown trying to play Eleven at her most "human" in season 4. However, Jane's efforts to be a normal teenage girl don't go easily. (When does it ever for teenagers?) She then spends much of the season benched and trying to regain her powers. That story then sets Eleven up for her "superhero" arc as the Upside Down dimension bleeds over more than ever into the real world. Thus, while playing Eleven, Brown decided to be as fearless as her character will have to be battling the horrors of the Upside Down. She continued:

"I just really channeled my inner alpha bear. And yeah, sometimes you look silly, but I think that there has always been a space on this set that makes me feel brave and welcomed. All of that is very welcomed. It's like a playground where you're able to just try out new things and see if it sticks."

If "Stranger Things" season 5 does indeed stick the landing, it — and Eleven — will cemented an acclaimed place in TV history.

The first four episodes of "Stranger Things" season 5 are streaming on Netflix, with three more debuting on December 25 and the series finale premiering on December 31.