Warning: spoilers below!
This Stranger Things revelation is going to have you feeling upside down.
A resurfaced interview featuring Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin has us realizing that the truth about season four's villain Vecna has been on the internet—for years. While speaking with Ricky Camilleri for AOL's Build series in 2016, the youthful cast reflected on the success of their first season and discussed fan theories that stood out to them.
Believe it or not, Gaten just so happened to be a fan of one theory that pretty much came to fruition in 2022. "There's this one in this video and he was saying how other test subjects, besides Eleven, like, one through 10," he shared at the time, "most of them are dead. But, others were banished to the Upside Down. Like, they couldn't get out."
After referencing the effects the Upside Down had on Will, he reiterated the theory that the influence of the mysterious alternate dimension eventually morphed one of the test subjects into the season one monster: the Demogorgon.
Now, if you watched season four, you'll know that this 2016 theory isn't far off from what was revealed at the end of volume one. Specifically, viewers learned that Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), the mind-controlling monster murdering the teenagers of Hawkins, Ind., was Dr. Martin Brenner's first test subject, Henry Creel (later renamed 001).
And, after slaughtering the other child test subjects at Hawkins lab, he faced off against sole survivor Eleven, who used her powers to send him into the Upside Down—where he transformed into a sentient creature.
Clearly, Gaten needs a spot at Camp Know Where, because this theory was right on the money!
For the on-the-nose prediction, watch the throwback video above. You can also see everything we know about volume two, which drops July 1 on Netflix, by reading on:
Volume two of Stranger Things season four hits Netflix on July 1. And while there are only two episodes in the next installment, there's plenty to look forward to. On June 3, the Twitter account for the Stranger Things writers' room confirmed that the finale will be 2 hours and 19 minutes.
Fans have been waiting seasons for Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and Jim Hopper (David Harbour) to get together. And it seems we may finally get our wish in volume two.
In an interview with E! News' While You Were Streaming, Harbour said of Joyce and Hopper's reunion, "We had to give you what you want which is two, kind of attractive, middle-aged people making out."
Except...Joyce and Hopper didn't kiss by the time volume one came to a close!
When asked if the final two episodes will provide clarity on why the Upside Down is frozen in time on Nov. 6, 1983, Matt Duffer confirmed to Variety "that isn't going to get answered in Volume 2."
But he did promise that this question is "setting the stage for some big reveals in our final season."
After losing Barb (Shannon Purser) in season one, Bob (Sean Astin) in season two, Alexei (Alec Utgoff) and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) in season three, we found ourselves worried for Stranger Things newcomers Eddie (Joseph Quinn) and Argyle (Eduardo Franco).
We're happy to report that Aryle's fate seems to be secure, as Franco told E! News' While You Were Streaming ahead of volume one's May 27 premiere: "I have yet to play a character that that dies. So that would have been an experience. You know, is that a spoiler? I don't die."
The Duffer Brothers have hinted that Will (Noah Schnapp) will open up about his sexuality—which drew interest in volume one—in the final two episodes of season four. "We have story arcs and we have character arcs," Ross Duffer told TVLine. "How we structured [the season], we've released the first two acts of this story. The final act, which is the last two episodes, resolves a lot of things, both character and story, and then some of it is also setting up for our final season."
In season one, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is introduced as a poorly socialized child/science experiment with a limited vocabulary. But, in a season four flashback scene, viewers learn that Eleven was raised around other children. So, what happened to Eleven between the events in season four and when we first meet her?
"You learn a little bit more about this in Volume 2," Matt told Variety. "I guess I'm revealing a little bit, but she goes into a coma, reawakens, has no memory of these events and then is raised in total isolation by Brenner."
Per Matt, "that's one reason for the speech."
According to Ross Duffer, fans should be worried for their favorite character heading into volume two. "I would be concerned about the characters going into Volume 2, for sure," he told Variety. "I hope that that is sort of the sense, because it is a darker season and the kids are no longer kids. So everybody is in danger. And there's sort of an ominous feeling that things might not go well. Now, whether they do or not, you'll have to watch."