Duffer Brothers drop major hint about Steve’s fate in ‘Stranger Things 5’ and we are devastated

Matt and Ross Duffer teased the the fan-favorite character's fate using Funko Pops on 'The Tonight Show'
PUBLISHED DEC 20, 2025
A still from 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2 (Cover image credit: YouTube | Netflix)
A still from 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Volume 2 (Cover image credit: YouTube | Netflix)

'Stranger Things' Season 5 Vol. 2 might just bear bad news for Steve Harrington fans. Matt and Ross Duffer teased the fate of the fan-favorite character using Funko Pops on Wednesday's episode of 'The Tonight Show'. During their visit to late night, host Jimmy Fallon asked the co-creators to tease how the series unfolds, and their action teased Steve Harrington's death.

The brothers started by putting Barb (Shannon Burser), who was killed in season 1, on the studio floor. "What is Barb doing here, man?" Ross asked, with Matt adding, "I know. I feel bad." The duo then assembled characters into their own respective groups, with Max (Sadie Sink) leading Vecna's (Jamie Campbell Bower) group of chosen children, like Delightful Derek (Jake Connelly) and Holly (Nell Fisher). Meanwhile, Henry (also Bower) and Joyce (Winona Ryder) were placed together, with Will (Noah Schnapp) standing on top of Henry's head and his Vecna form on top of Will.

Erica (Priah Ferguson) was kept on a riser, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) was submerged in water, and Steve was placed precariously on the edge of Fallon's desk. "This is Steve," Matt said, and Fallo,n along with the crowd, drew a gasp. Matt further teased, "He's fine, he's fine," only for Steve to fall off, and Fallon stated, "There it is! That's how Stranger Things ends!"

Earlier, the Duffer Brothers stated how Keery's character came inches close to his death, but has survived so far. To add to the concern, Keery hinted at his character's fate in an interview with Extra TV. "You know. Yeah, the closing of the chapter is 10 years long. So it was definitely a bittersweet moment, and I was very happy, though, with the way it wrapped up for me personally."

The official synopsis reads, “Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna,” the official synopsis reads. “But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding."

"As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."

'Stranger Things' Season 5 Vol. 2 drops on Christmas Day on Netflix.

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