'Stranger Things' Season 4 Vol 1: Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin predicted Vecna's fate 6 YEARS ago

Back in 2016, Gaten shared his favorite 'Stranger Things' fan theory about the subjects in Hawins
A still from Season 4 of 'Stranger Things' (Netflix)
A still from Season 4 of 'Stranger Things' (Netflix)

Netflix released Season 4 Volume 1 of 'Stranger Things' in the first week of June 2022. The story navigated through shifts and turns in ways that left many of us surprised. The events of the fourth season take place eight months after the end of the third season as strange deaths tied to the Upside Down cause paranoia among Hawkins' residents.

Season 4 brings about a few twists that were quite a surprise, with the real question being what happened to the test subjects at the Hawkins Lab. A resurfaced interview featuring the cast of 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.

READ MORE

'Stranger Things' season 4 might see the Hawkins' heroes use time travel to defeat the monsters from the Upside Down

'Stranger Things' Season 4: Netflix adds last-minute 'violence' disclaimer to show after Texas school shooting

The new season had a lot in store for us. Specifically about the fate of Vecna. 'Stranger Things' Season 4, part 1 ended with the reveal that Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is actually the first test subject in Hawkins Laboratory. At the end of episode 7, we learn that Eleven was the one who sent him into the Upside Down after he supposedly killed all of the others at the lab. 

Gaten Matarazzo (the actor who played Dustin Henderson in the franchise) happened to be gawking over one theory that pretty much came to reality in the 2022 release of 'Stranger Things'. Recently a video of him appearing to predict that big Season 4 plot twist – six years before the season aired, resurfaced. Back in 2016, Gaten shared his favorite 'Stranger Things' fan theory during a filmed BUILD interview in 2016. During the conversation, he was quizzed on his favorite fan theories in the aftermath of the first season.



 

Gaten shared his theory, which now listening back, sounds very familiar. He explained: "There’s this one in this video and he was saying how other test subjects, besides Eleven, One through Ten, most of them were dead, but the others were banished to the Upside Down. Like, they couldn’t get out." He continued saying, "Because they were in the Upside Down for so long, and you can see that it had an effect on Will, it had an effect on them because they were in it for so long that they transformed into what was the monster. So the monster was a recent test subject."

"Basically I could be the monster!" The viewers were shocked to see the closeness between the theories and what actually went down in Season 4 of the series. The twist came as a shock to many as it finally answered some major questions. While we don’t know yet if the other test subjects are also in the Upside Down – and what this means for Eleven – the theory from years ago seemingly predicted that one of them would become the monster. 

Catch season four of the series exclusively on Netflix.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

‘Chicago Med’ has two reunions lined up for Season 12 Episode 6, with returning characters tied to Charles and Frost’s past.
2026-11-07T16:55:28.000Z
Will Estes’ reunion with Donnie Wahlberg prompts talk about Jamie Reagan’s ‘Boston Blue’ future and a possible spinoff.
2026-11-07T15:44:34.000Z
'Campus Drivers' has taken over the world by storm days after its premiere
2026-11-07T11:01:02.000Z
Episode 2 sets Dexter and Charley up as a fake couple while they plan their first kill together
2026-11-07T08:59:35.000Z
The sequel arrives 19 years after the haunted hotel room film grossed $132 million worldwide
2026-11-07T07:35:40.000Z
'Sheriff Country' and 'Fire Country' crossover forces Mickey and Manny to work together
2026-11-07T06:52:03.000Z
The teaser names a Nevada town and an exact date in 1955, while production heads to New Mexico
2026-11-07T05:54:40.000Z
The sitcom takes over the Wednesday slot that ‘Scrubs’ leaves when its second season wraps
2026-11-07T05:16:08.000Z
‘Nobody Wants This’ gets Season 4 renewal just weeks after the latest season’s release
2026-11-07T04:24:15.000Z
‘High Potential’ Season 3 will return nearly 9 months after Season 2 finale with special Super Bowl episode
2026-11-07T03:49:27.000Z