Stranger Things Adds Terminator Icon Linda Hamilton To Season 5 Cast
On your feet, soldier. Netflix has just announced that sci-fi icon and destroyer of cyborg assassins Linda Hamilton has joined the cast of "Stranger Things 5" in a — you guessed it — top-secret role we know nothing about.
The "Terminator" franchise star is another talent that joins a list of '80s and '90s legends already crammed into this world of Demogorgons and dimension-ripping terrors. Winona Ryder has been lending her nostalgia cred to the mega-popular program since the beginning. She's since been joined by the likes of Paul Reiser, Sean Astin, and, most recently, knit-wearing nightmare maker himself Robert Englund, who appeared last season as Victor Creel, the father of Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
As with every cast member who joins the fold for Netflix's mega-popular show, it's uncertain if Hamilton will be fighting alongside the heroes of Hawkins in its final season or against them. A lot happened in the penultimate batch of episodes that had us fearing for the future of Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her pals, with Max's (Sadie Sink) fate notably left uncertain. The biggest concern, however, is just how long it'll be until we visit the Upside Down for the last time.
Stranger Things 5 might not reach us until 2025 - or even later
While the announcement of Linda Hamilton joining the fold is exciting, it's a casting we still may not see in action for some time. In a GQ interview, Finn Wolfhard gave the implication that 2025 was the year we'd see the last chapter of "Stranger Things." However, that was before the Writer's Guild of America strike hit, which likely means that date will be pushed back even further.
Show creators The Duffer Brothers took to Twitter in May, stating, "Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike." They went on to add, "We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work."
In the meantime, we can only wait and theorize just how much involvement Hamilton will have and if Henry Creel will have a job on his hands taking on the mother of the human resistance. If so, then, well, it's hasta la vista, Vecna.