Stranger Things ended on the last day of 2025, and the finale episode of the Netflix series was a bonafide global event. Since the show ended, there’s been a lot of debate about its story arc and lore – both of which will continue to grow with upcoming spinoff projects like the animated series Tales from ’85. However, not every Stranger Things fan is happy with how The Duffer Brothers wrapped up the main series; in fact, it’s fair to say that Stranger Things has had one of the more divisive final seasons since Game of Thrones.
Well, things are about to get a little more divisive now that one star of Stranger Things is speaking up about the ending: They don’t seem to share the same view of the happy ending that the show tried to present.
One of the more divisive parts of Stranger Things‘ conclusion was the fate of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown). (SPOILERS) After the final battle against Henry Creel/Vecna, Eleven chose to sacrifice herself by staying in the collapsing realm of the Upside Down so that the government and/or scientific organizations that created her and Henry never again threaten the world. However, in a final sequence, Eleven’s boyfriend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) gives a monologue to his other friends about what he believes happened in the Upside Down: Mike’s theory is that Eleven got help from her “sister” psychic, Eight/Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) to create the illusion of her death, while in reality, Jane/Eleven snuck away to start a new life of anonymity, and find her own place in the world.
The show provided final imagery of Eleven backpacking across some remote part of the world, where she eventually discovers the “three waterfalls” that Mike promised as their romantic utopia. However, Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers have previously stated that the epilogue with Eleven is meant to be ambiguous in terms of its “reality,” and that fan theories are allowed to fly. That seems to include the cast of the show, who are speaking up more frequently about their takes.
Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin is promoting his new animated sports comedy film, Goat, and stopped by The View for a talk. One of the questions McLaughlin was asked during the segment was where he falls on the subject of Eleven’s ending – specifically, whether or not he agrees with his former co-star Sadie Sink (Max) that Eleven did, in fact, sacrifice herself. McLaughlin kept solidarity with Sink, stating that “I think she’s gone… I think rest in peace, Eleven.”
McLaughlin went on to specify that while he, Caleb McLaughlin, believed that Eleven had died, his character in Stranger Things, Lucas Sinclair, believed Mike’s version of things. The actor also explained that the Duffer Brothers wanted to leave a window of hope open that Eleven got her happy ending; however, the cast is very much ready to move on, so they have a vested interest in giving the decisive answer that Eleven is dead, and Stranger Things is over, for good.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix. Tales from ’85 premieres on Netflix on April 23rd. Discuss the show’s ending with us on the ComicBook Forum!
