It’s official: Eddie Munson won’t rise from the dead in season five of Stranger Things.
Fans have speculated for years about the possibility of Joseph Quinn’s beloved character returning after he was killed by the Upside Down’s Demobats in the season four finale of the hit Netflix show.
However, after months of swerving the question while Quinn teased a potential comeback in interviews, series co-creators the Duffer brothers have finally put their foot down.
"I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people!” Matt Duffer said in a recent interview with Empire. “But no, he's dead.”
The writer went on to say that Quinn’s schedule wouldn’t have made it possible for him to join the final season, which will air in three parts starting in November.
“Joe is so busy anyway, that everyone should know he's not coming back. He’s shot like five movies since! When the hell has he got time to come and shoot Stranger Things?” Duffer said.
“No, sadly, RIP. He’s fully under that ground.”
As Duffer pointed out, Quinn has been booked repeatedly in major roles since his breakthrough as Munson, a metalhead high schooler who quickly rose to fan favorite status following the season’s release in May 2022.
The British actor shot to fame with appearances in huge movie franchises including A Quiet Place: Day One, Gladiator II, and, most recently, The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Up next, he’ll star as George Harrison in the highly anticipated Beatles biopic, which has also cast Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Saoirse Ronan as Linda McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.
However, Quinn’s packed schedule hasn’t stopped him from fueling the fire of fan theories.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in June 2024, Quinn was asked to respond to fans who had a feeling that Munson could return from the dead, similar to how David Harbour’s sheriff character Hopper reappeared after he was presumed dead in season three.
“I might have that feeling too,” he said, adding with a laugh, “Or maybe I don’t. I don’t know! Who knows?”
He continued to say about the final season, which will drop nearly a decade after it first aired, “I’m sure they’re working very hard to land the plane.
“It’s been a long time that they’ve been working on that, so I’m really delighted that they’re kind of getting towards the end, and they’re having a nice time.”
He added, “I’m sure they’re gonna deliver it in a pretty epic way. I have no doubts.”
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