Top News

A recent reveal from Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer draws a direct line between the Netflix series and a galaxy far, far away. In discussing Season 5, Duffer pointed to Star Wars as inspiration for a key moment involving Vecna’s dramatic return.

Ross Duffer on how Star Wars inspired one scene in Stranger Things Season 5

Ross Duffer told Tumdu that Star Wars directly inspired one scene in Stranger Things Season 5. He modeled Vecna’s entrance through the military’s MAC-Z gate after Darth Vader’s appearance in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. “We knew that when he arrived, we wanted it to feel like this huge moment,” Duffer said, adding, “The minute he walked out of that gate, you felt the power of Vecna. You felt how scary he was.”

The end of Volume 1 features Will harnessing powers gained through his connection to Vecna. “One of the earliest ideas in [Season 5] is, ‘What if Will were able to harness this connection and use it against our villains?’” Ross Duffer said. Will defeats the Demogorgons psionically. He draws power from memories of Castle Byers and Mike Wheeler, marking a turning point for the character.

Will’s transformation is central to the arc of the season. “We also felt it very natural to re-center the story on Will. He was the kid who was taken in Season 1, so it felt right for the story to come full circle,” said Ross Duffer. Matt Duffer added, “We wanted him to grow as a human and become a fully formed version of who he is… And once he’s able to do that, he’s able to harness these incredible powers.”

Noah Schnapp described Will’s confrontation with Vecna as a “dream,” calling it satisfying to portray a version of Will who is “strong and direct and powerful.” The scene features Will using an upward outstretched hand to channel power, a move evolved from an initial concept modeled after Eleven’s palm-down gesture.

Schnapp explained that the change symbolized Will “pulling the powers from Vecna.” According to Gaten Matarazzo, Will’s new abilities “change the game.” Finn Wolfhard said, “We have two Elevens.”

Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on SuperHeroHype.