Stranger Things Is Taking Notes From One Of The Greatest Sequels Ever Made For Its Final Season

"Stranger Things" season 5 is nearly upon us, bringing about the beginning of the end for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the rest of the gang in Hawkins. Netflix and creators Matt and Ross Duffer are going big for the final season in every conceivable way (including the gigantic budget) to help ensure it's a satisfying conclusion. One thing the Duffer Brothers won't be doing, however, is introducing any new monsters. Instead, they're taking a page out of James Cameron's classic "Aliens."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Duffers confirmed that they aren't introducing a new big bad — at least not a non-human one. Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) remains a major threat in the final season of "Stranger Things," but the show's creatives resisted the urge to add another monster to the mix. Rather, they opted to amp up what's already there.

"We talked about it, but a lot of this season is about returning to the prior seasons, and we didn't want to overstuff it with new creatures," Matt Duffer explained. "So, as we worked on the season, we thought, 'Let's just have fun with what we've previously established.'" Ross Duffer then clarified that the pair took the "Alien" to "Aliens" approach with the show's final run of episodes:

"It's more like taking what we've done and then amping it up, like what [James] Cameron did from 'Alien' to 'Aliens.' That's how we see this season."

1986's "Aliens" is considered not just one of Cameron's greatest films but also one of the best sequels ever made. As its title implies, rather than focusing on one alien, the sequel throws multiple Xenomorphs into the mix. Bigger isn't always better, but it's a trick Cameron knows how to execute (as he also proved in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day").

Taking a page from Cameron's book feels appropriate, especially since "Terminator" star Linda Hamilton is playing a new villain in "Stranger Things" season 5. Some monsters take on a human form, as it were. This show, from the very beginning, has been a love letter to '80s sci-fi, horror, and action. In that sense, Cameron is just about as good of a director to look to for inspiration as one is likely to find.

Up to this point, "Stranger Things" has featured quite a few monsters, including the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer, Demodogs, Demobats, the Spider Monster, the Flayed, and more. Introducing more into the mix while trying to wrap things up could make it feel like the show is doing too much. Meanwhile, Ross Duffer also explained that much of the final season is about bringing things full circle (right back to "Stranger Things" season 1, which debuted way back in 2016):

"I mean, season 1, we didn't even know we were going to get a season 2, but we still kept some mystery in there. For instance, what is the Upside Down? Why was Will taken, which obviously is why this season begins with a flashback to his time in the Upside Down."

All of this to say, the final season has plenty to reckon with without a new monster. What we know for sure is that it's going to be a huge cultural event, so much so that Netflix is dropping the "Stranger Things" series finale in theaters the same day it arrives on the streaming service. Netflix has, historically, been picky about releasing stuff in theaters. It speaks volumes about how big of a deal this is.

"Stranger Things" season 5, volume 1 premieres November 26, 2025.