Matt and Ross Duffer reveal a major change they made to one detail in Stranger Things 5

Matt and Ross Duffer almost rewrote one of Stranger Things season 5’s most symbolic details, and the show could have felt very different because of it. In the final version, the season leans heavily on A Wrinkle in Time, using the classic sci-fi story to mirror the show’s endgame and its looming, cosmic sense of doom. But according to the brothers, that was not the original plan.

Both the Duffers revealed, in an interview with People Magazine, that early drafts for Stranger Things Season 5 were made on The Polar Express, leaning into younger themes and a holiday like premise. Matt Duffer spoke to the outlet about how the book "was a staple of our childhood and something that we read when we were around Holly's age, and it had an impact on us."

Ross then revealed the original plan intended, as he added,

"It was originally The Polar Express in the early scripts. And he was going to be the conductor, not Mr. Whatsit, but then we realized the book was a little too young."

Had Stranger Things kept The Polar Express, Jamie Campbell Bower would have played a conductor, inviting Holly on a train bound for the North Pole, an idea the Duffers admit might have worked. Matt then added,

"Mr. Whatsit sounds cooler and creepier,"

What has happened on Stranger Things Season 5 so far?

Season 5 of Stranger Things wastes absolutely no time reminding you that Hawkins is never allowed peace. The story opens in 1983 with Will Byers still carrying the scars of the Upside Down, literally. Vecna infects him with a tentacle, creating a lingering psychic link that becomes crucial years later. Fast forward to 1987, and Hawkins is under full military quarantine. The US government has set up a base inside the Upside Down itself, hunting Eleven while pretending everything is under control.

Eleven is in hiding with Hopper and Joyce, training in secret. Meanwhile, the kids are scattered but still moving like a unit. Dustin refuses to stop honoring Eddie, which earns him a brutal beating at Eddie’s grave. Steve, Robin, Jonathan, and Nancy take jobs at a radio station, secretly broadcasting coded messages to help the group sneak Hopper into the Upside Down through dangerous entry points they call crawls.

Everything spirals when a Demogorgon attacks a military convoy and opens a gate straight into the Wheeler house, kidnapping young Holly Wheeler. Mike and Nancy quickly realize Holly’s imaginary friend, Mr. Whatsit, is very real and horrifyingly familiar. He is Henry Creel, aka Vecna, using childhood trust to lure his next victims. As everyone scrambles to rescue Holly, Hopper and Eleven infiltrate the military base and uncover Kali, uncovering a new round of twisted experiments.

The Upside Down fractures further into something even worse, a separate realm called the Abyss. Henry begins abducting children as “perfect vessels” to merge worlds and reshape reality. Will unlocks terrifying new powers. Max survives but remains tied to Henry’s memories, while Holly is trapped, manipulated, and beaten for resisting. The seventh episode ends with Creel readying up to carry his plan out, placing everyone in a trance.

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Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.

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