'Stranger Things Season 5' New Cast And Characters, Will Any Of Them Die? Have A Look

Stranger Things fans are currently facing a bittersweet moment as the fifth and final instalment of the hit Netflix show launches. The first season of the show was released back in July 2016. Throughout its 9-year successful run, this series has given us some of the most beloved characters and introduced us to an amazing cast we not only fell for but also grew alongside. Now, Stranger Things Season 5 is about to introduce us to a whole slew of new characters who will star alongside some of our favourites from the OG cast, like Millie Bobbie Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Noah Schnapp, among others. Here's who they are, where you might have seen them before, and most importantly, if they will successfully make it out alive from this season or not. 

Linda Hamilton as 'Dr. Kay' 

Linda Hamilton has been dominating Hollywood for quite some time, especially with her roles in the Stephen King adaptation Children of the Corn (1984) and Beauty and the Beast (1987-1989), the latter earning her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination. Apart from these, you might also recognise her for her role as 'Sarah Connor' in The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and Terminator: Dark Fate (2019). 

In Stranger Things Season 5, Linda Hamilton can be seen playing the role of 'Dr. Kay', a military scientist who's at the forefront of the government's investigation into the Upside Down's emergence in Hawkins, Indiana. Her first scene in the premiere episode, titled Chapter One: The Crawl, leaves quite an impression, as she dissects a creature from the Upside Down that doesn't bite but "does strangle". According to the show's co-creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, Linda's character also helps fill the gap left behind by the death of 'Doctor Martin Brenner', 'Eleven's' twisted father figure in Stranger Things Season 4. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, they also revealed that Linda's casting was quite inspirational, as both Terminator and its sequels were major influences in the making of Stranger Things. While Linda has only just joined this season's cast, many fans have already started to speculate that her character will be killed off sooner rather than later. 

Nell Fisher as 'Holly Wheeler' 

Actress, Nell Fisher, also had a successful career in Hollywood, appearing in renowned films like Evil Dead Rise, which was released in 2023, and the 2024 comedy, Bookworm, in which she starred alongside Elijah Wood. Coming to her role in Stranger Things Season 5, 'Holly' makes her appearance as 'Mike' and 'Nancy's' little sister. She will also be the first target that viewers will see of the monster, 'Vecna', who is known to terrorise the town of Hawkins. Thankfully, even after her abduction, she does not die, at least for now. 

Jake Connelly as 'Derek Turnbow' 

The 13-year-old newcomer, Jake Connelly, was cast in Stranger Things Season 5 a year back in July 2024. At the time, he took to his official Instagram to share that he was "so excited and honoured to be in Hawkins and to join the awesome cast." Playing the character of 'Derek Turnbow', a classmate of 'Holly's' with a chip on his shoulder, Jake in a chat with Netflix's Tudum, revealed: 

"If you ask [Holly], he's not the nicest person in the world. He's a bit spoiled and kind of a bully, but deep down, I think he is really a good person. He's just got those insecurities, and he bullies other people so he doesn't get bullied himself." 

Alex Breaux as ‘Lt. Robert Akers’ 

Alex Breaux's casting for this season of the show couldn't be any more perfect, as he is not new to the Stranger Things universe. A Harvard football player and Juilliard School graduate, Alex previously starred in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow as a young 'Martin Brenner'. In the series, he does not play the same role he did in the Broadway show. Here, viewers will see him in the role of 'Lt. Akers', who is described as a "henchman" of 'Dr. Kay's'. He, along with the rest of the new cast,  successfully survives Volume One of season 5. Creator, Ross revealed how 'Dr. Kay' and 'Lt. Akers' true intentions are part of the mystery that surrounds the plot of the final season. He stated: 

"We have a full military present in Hawkins, and it’s under quarantine. I will say, of course, the military is doing stuff in the Upside Down, but it really is a mystery to our characters and the audience for the beginning of the show.” 

Don't forget to let us know which of these new characters you are excited to watch in Stranger Things Season 5.  

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