Following the raging success Deadpool & Wolverine had at the box office, Shawn Levy has officially confirmed one of his next projects. The director is heading back to Hawkins and is set to direct one of the final episodes of Stranger Things.
Shawn Levy is one of the executive producers for the hit sci-fi series and is officially coming back for Stranger Things‘ fifth and final season. The director revealed that he’s returning to direct new episodes of the Netflix show, and shared some behind-the-scenes photos on his Instagram account. One of them includes the first look at Finn Wolfhard (Mike) and Maya Hawke (Robin).
“Back in Hawkins, running up that hill again,” the director wrote, a reference to Kate Bush’s 1980s hit, which became extremely popular again after being Max’s favorite song, the one to keep her grounded in the fight against Vecna. Whether that is a reference to him directing an episode that brings back Max (Sadie Sink), fans will have to wait until the premiere to find out.
The plot of Stranger Things Season 5 is still kept tightly under wraps and the rest of the photos don’t reveal much. One photo seemed to tease Lucas’ shadow, based on his haircut, as well as filming in the woods, but they barely say anything about the story. Since the series’ premiere in 2016, Levy has directed episodes 3 and 4 of every season. However, that will no longer be the case given his extremely busy schedule with Deadpool & Wolverine‘s press tour. He won’t be in charge of the series finale, either, a responsibility that will fall in the hands of the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers. However, little else is known about his directorial plans.
Many fans in the comments were excited to see Mike interacting with Robin, and even more saw it as a plan in their certainty that Will and Mike have feelings for each other, as Robin is gay. While the pairing hasn’t been confirmed, Noah Schnapp’s Will was confirmed to be gay in Season 4. This proved to be a controversial choice, as many people took to social media to complain about the characters’ sexuality. Heavily hinted since the beginning of the show, other fans were thrilled to see Will live his truth. As for the popular shipping pairing between Mike and Will, this remains pure speculation until or if the Duffer Brothers decide to confirm it.
Hawkins Will Welcome Newcomers in Stranger Things Season 5
With the show supposed to end with the upcoming season, Stranger Things will also welcome new faces. Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and Linda Hamilton have also joined the new season, which has been long in development. Details about their roles are being kept under wraps.
Following the release of The Umbrella Academy final season, whose series finale attracted negative reactions from fans, the pressure for Stranger Things is even higher. The series has become one of the most popular on the streaming platform and has delivered quality material every season since its premiere in 2016, with an overall rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. With many unanswered questions left, Stranger Things Season 5 has an enormous task to honor the story thus far.
Stranger Things Season 5 filming began in January this year and, eight months later, production is still ongoing. The new season will pick up from the nerve-wracking, cliffhanger finale when Vecna slipped from the Upside Down into Hawkins, much to the surprise of the main characters. Season 5 will consist of eight episodes and the series doesn’t have a release date, yet is confirmed to arrive on Netflix sometime in 2025.
