The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 offer a thrilling return to Hawkins, and after Volume 1’s Will and Vecna cliffhanger, viewers are eager to know what happens next. The fates of our favorite Stranger Things characters still hang in the balance, but set photos circulating online may have spoiled a couple of endings. Volume 1 leaves the Hawkins gang mostly intact, but that could change when Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 debuts on December 25, and again with the arrival of Volume 3 on December 31.
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Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1.
There are many theories about which characters will survive the fight against Vecna, but judging by newly surfaced set photos, Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Hopper (David Harbour) will be among them. The images in question are making the rounds on X, and one shows the pair sitting side-by-side on a bench. Whatever they’re discussing, they both look serious. Perplexingly, Hopper is wearing his police chief uniform, raising all sorts of questions about why.
Another image shows Hopper leaning against a vehicle in the same uniform, and here’s where things get really interesting. The movie theater in the background features a sign for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, a film that came out in 1989 — two years after the events of Volume 1. Presumably, this means these photos are from the very end of the Netflix series. That offers hope that Mike and Hopper will survive the looming confrontation, though it does raise other concerns about what’s coming.
Stranger Things’ New Set Photos Ease Fears About Mike & Hopper, but Not Eleven
Looking at Stranger Things‘ latest set photos, it’s tempting to celebrate Mike and Hopper’s survival. However, the images may spoil another character’s fate through her absence. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is notably missing from both photos, and it’s hard to imagine why Mike and Hopper would meet up without her. Many Stranger Things fans have predicted that Eleven will have to sacrifice herself to get rid of the Upside Down. These Season 5 photos don’t make a great case for her survival.
Mike looks pretty unhappy talking to Hopper, which you’d expect from someone who’s grieving. Losing Eleven would also make sense of Mike and Hopper bonding and having a serious chat. However, Hopper’s more upbeat demeanor in the other photo doesn’t fit with this theory. And given his police uniform, there’s another development these images could allude to.
Do These Photos Hint at Time Travel in Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 2 or 3?
Another popular Stranger Things Season 5 theory posits that the show will use time travel somehow; there are certainly enough Back to the Future references to support it. With Hopper wearing his police uniform, it’s possible this isn’t the actual ending of the series but a version of the future we’ll see if the characters jump through time. If Mike is speaking to another version of Hopper, it would explain why he looks so anxious while Hopper doesn’t. It would also mean that these images don’t spoil anyone’s fate — just that we have a mind-bending journey through time to look forward to.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
