Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1’s Cliffhanger Ending Addressed by Star

Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 5 ended with a tense standoff that left fans with major questions. Now, Jamie Campbell Bower is speaking out about the cliffhanger between Vecna and Will. His comments shed light on the stakes moving into the final chapters of the Netflix series.

Jamie Campbell Bower on Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1’s cliffhanger

Jamie Campbell Bower addressed the Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 cliffhanger involving Vecna and Will Byers in an interview with ScreenRant.

Bower confirmed that Vecna caused Will’s disappearance by sending Demogorgons to capture him. He explained that Vecna needs Will as one of 12 children to complete his hive mind. The arc ends in the Volume 1 finale, where Will unlocks telekinetic powers. He uses them to save Lucas from a Demogorgon, marking a major turning point for the character.

Bower, who plays Vecna, said his empathetic acting process made him “slightly frustrated” when Will briefly stopped the villain. He added, “I think it is very, very exciting to now almost have two adversaries rather than just one.”

The actor continued, “And as you’ll see, as the show goes on, [Will] becomes more of a vexation than he has been already.” Bower noted that Will’s new powers are a “byproduct of the connection that they have between them.”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Noah Schnapp said he was unaware of the reveal until reading the script for Episode 4, “Sorcerer.” Upon discovering his character had powers, he told his assistant, “I have powers!” In the finale, Will’s eyes turn white and he telekinetically kills the Demogorgons, followed by a single trail of blood from his nose, previously associated with Eleven.

The Duffer Brothers clarified that Will is not a new Eleven. Matt Duffer said, “He’s channeling Vecna’s powers… that is allowing him to tap into and use these powers if he’s in close enough proximity.”

Ross Duffer added that this reveal had been planned since Season 2. Schnapp trained physically for the scene, modeling his movements after a silverback gorilla to differentiate from Eleven’s gestures.