The ageing of Stranger Things' young stars is becoming a problem

Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy says the rapidly ageing young cast of the show is becoming an issue.

The first series of the hit Netflix show aired in 2016 when the cast were all around 12 years old. Now, as we approach 2024, some are approaching their twenties which means they obviously look very different to the first episode.

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Season five is meant to take place directly after the events of season four, so with the teens ageing more every day in the middle of the actor strike, the Stranger Things team are going to have to get creative to make sure the cast looks as young as possible.

"We’ve already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly," Levy told Variety.

"This passage of time is definitely not helping. That being said, our hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup. The ’80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters. So we’re going to use all the all the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us."

Stranger Things cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson and Brett Gelman.

Stranger Things Five to be an epic finale

The closing moments of the final episode of season four promised a final showdown between the Hellfire Club and the creatures from The Upside Down nightmare reality.

Levy has promised us an epic finale.

“There’s no way to be contiguous with season four and not, frankly, expand scale and depth. It’s major, major cinematic storytelling that happens to be called a TV series. Stranger Things 5 is as big as any of the biggest movies that we see," the Deadpool 3 director previously told TotalFilm.

One of the co-creators, Ross Duffer, has suggested that the character of Will could become the main focus of the story.

"Will really takes centre stage again in five," he revealed.

“This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality – it’s Will coming into his own as a young man."