The five biggest things we learned from 'Stranger Things 5' trailer

Hawkins is Under Military Quarantine

The first thing we notice amidst the chaos of The Stranger Things 5 trailer is that Hawkins seems to be under strict military lockdown. We see Eleven and Mike chatting on the roof of a building, when Mike turns and says, “We’re really starting to lose it, being stuck in here. No end in sight.” It then flashes to a shot of soldiers patrolling a tower and a very long fence, no doubt trapping Hawkins inside. Of course, we also get a sneak peek of Linda Hamilton holding a gun. With no escape, things sure look grim for El and the gang. But we believe in our heroes.

We See Max’s Current Status in the Stranger Things 5 Trailer

One of the biggest lingering questions is whether or not Max will wake up from her coma. After narrowly escaping Vecna last season, she was left hospitalized and chromatosed. The Stranger Things 5 trailer provides some clarity on her current status… sort of. For a split second, we see Lucas carrying a still-unconscious Max out of the hospital as Demodogs attack. He also carries a boombox. We already know music acts as a shield from Vecna’s psychic control, so could this mean Lucas plans to wake her up?? One can only hope.

The Upside Down Rips Through Hawkins

Things are not looking great as the Upside Down rains destruction down on Hawkins. And it looks like the line between the two worlds is becoming more and more blurred. Massive red lightning strikes paint the sky, gaping tears rip the ground wide open, a bloody massacre of soldiers and demogorgons ensues… it looks like the Upside Down might just swallow the town whole. To the detriment of our favorite heroes, we even see the sinister Vecna waltz through Hawkins in a horrifying close-up.

On top of the Upside Down bleeding right-side up, we also see some of the characters venture back to the dark dimension. Joyce shines a flashlight through a dark Upside Down tunnel, Eleven and Hopper leap into action, and other hijinks ensue.

Eleven’s Powers Are Stronger Than Ever in the Stranger Things 5 Trailer

We all know Eleven is the only one powerful enough to put an end to the all-powerful Vecna. And, God, we hope she does. The Stranger Things 5 trailer shows a glimpse of her powers on full display, leaping over fences and unleashing a powerful ripple of light through the sky. Could it be some kind of shield? Or maybe something else entirely? Whatever it may be, it’s clear that El is stronger than ever and ready to take on Vecna’s army.

Vecna Uses Will As His Puppet

Of anyone, Will Byers has had an especially rough go of things since the very beginning. Between being trapped alone in the Upside Down and being used as a Mind Flayer meat puppet, we’re just hoping for him to catch a well-deserved break. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Vecna is done with him quite yet. In the grand finale, Vecna emerges from the shadows, looking as creepy as ever. Lying on the ground before Vecna is a passed-out Will, whom Vecna lifts with his mind and brings uncomfortably close in the Stranger Things 5 trailer. “William, you are going to help me…one last time,” he growls. Yikes, we definitely have to take a seat after that one.

As an honorable mention, I would like to include one quick scene that pulled everyone’s attention. That would be a VERY tearful Dustin hugging Steve, which better not mean what we think it means! We’ve all been weighing the idea that Steve might not make it through, and this doesn’t make us feel any better, Duffers. If the unspeakable does become reality, we might be the ones having to pull out the tissues. At least for now, Steve is still alive throughout the Stranger Things 5 trailer.

When Does Stranger Things 5 Come Out??

The monumental final season of Stranger Things follows a three-part 2025 release schedule. The release dates are listed below:

• Stranger Things 5, Volume 1 releases on November 26
  • This includes episodes one through four.
• Stranger Things 5, Volume 2 releases on Christmas (December 25)
  • This includes episodes five through seven.
• Stranger Things 5, Volume 3 releases on New Year’s Eve (December 31)
  • This is the finale episode, or episode eight

Seems like the holiday season will be a little stranger this year. Until then, we will be rewatching the previous seasons on Netflix and sending our prayers that our favorite characters make it out alive. After that brutal trailer, we definitely have a lot to think about. In fact, it will probably be replaying in our brains for weeks.