Another chapter of Stranger Things is finally on the horizon as the hit Netflix series prepares for its long-awaited conclusion. While production setbacks have fueled years of anticipation, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have now revealed what really caused the delay behind Season 5.
Duffer Brothers reveal why Stranger Things Season 5 took so long
The Duffer Brothers told Variety their perfectionism and full immersion caused Stranger Things Season 5’s delay. “We took very little time off, very little time for ourselves. The break between [the early] seasons was almost non-existent,” Ross Duffer said. Beyond external setbacks like the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, they admitted that their meticulous approach was “a problem of their own making,” as per Variety.
The brothers are said to have directed 24 out of 42 episodes, an unusually high number for showrunners. They wished to direct as much of the show as possible and were inspired by filmmakers such as Michael Mann and David Fincher, who “tend to be obsessive,” Matt explained. This hands-on direction extended production but allowed them full creative control over the show’s tone and continuity.
Matt Duffer reflected on the decade-long process, saying, “Part of me regrets not having been able to tell more different stories over the course of 10 years… it ate up our entire 30s.” Ross countered that the opportunity to create such an expansive narrative “on that size canvas” was rare. Despite the long journey, they emphasized that finishing the story properly was worth it.
Season 5 will tie up every narrative thread. “It doesn’t feel like we dropped a storyline — it all connects,” Ross said. Matt added, “We do every last remaining thing we wanted to do with the Demogorgons and Mind Flayer and Vecna and the Upside Down.”
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1 premieres on November 26, 2025, with the finale arriving January 1, 2026, after Part 2 on December 25, 2025.
