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Stranger Things: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of Vecna

Find out how the Stranger Things prosthetics designer created the Netflix series' monster Vecna here.

By Jillian Fabiano May 31, 2022 4:00 PMTags

We don't know what's scarier: the monsters themselves or watching them being made. 

From The Mind Flayer to Demogorgon and the newest horrifying addition, Vecna, Stranger Things is filled to the brim with creatures scary enough to even make adults want to check under their beds for monsters.

But how do these monsters make their way onto our small screens? Well, in an exclusive interview with E! News' While You Were Streaming, we chatted with Barrie Gower, the prosthetics designer on the Netflix series to answer all of your burning questions. 

Gower, who runs a special effects makeup company with his wife, was tasked with creating this season's scariest monster: Vecna.

"Rather than just creating a rubber monster suit, something he'd just slip on, we decided that we wanted to make it all his prosthetic appliances," Gower explained. "It would all be completely added to his skin, glued with medical adhesive so everything was very slim fitting and form fitting."

And how many pieces were there? "About 2425 appliances in total," according to Gower.

Each piece was put on to Jamie Campbell Bower, who stars as Vecna. Gower noted that "the first application from start to finish gluing it all over his body [took] eight and a half hours."

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Stranger Things Monsters: Ranked

Season four of Stranger Things—which has been deemed the scariest season yet—premiered on May 27 with returning cast members Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery.

Ready to see the prosthetics designer in action? Keep reading!

Season 4 Villain

Season four of Stranger Things saw its scariest villain yet: Vecna.

Creating Vecna

Played by Jamie Campbell Bower, each prosthetic was glued to his skin with medical adhesive by prosthetics designer Barrie Gower and his team.

Final Touches

For the finishing touch, Vecna was covered in "glossy slime to make him really, really glossy and wet looking," according to Gower.

A Closer Look

With 2425 appliances in total, Vecna is ready to head to the Upside Down!

Making Victor Creel

In this exclusive image, you'll see an up close look at the prosthetics done to create the blinded Victor Creel, played by Stranger Things newcomer and Nightmare on Elm Street legend Robert Englund.

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