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Stranger Things season 5 is officially around the corner, and we finally have word from the Duffer Brothers on whether or not Joseph Quinn's Eddie Munson will be back for the series' explosive final season.
To rewind a little, Joseph Quinn joined the cast of Stranger Things for season 4, which premiered in 2022, and immediately became a fan favorite for his portrayal of the D&D and metal connoisseur Eddie Munson. However, fans were left shocked when Eddie met his ultimate demise in episode 9 of season 4, sacrificing himself to save his friends and his town. Or.. did he?
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Though Eddie's fate seemed pretty clear on screen, Quinn kept teasing fans about Eddie's potential return for years after season 4's premiere. But don't get your hopes up, Eddie is, indeed, dead, and the Duffer Brothers have double confirmed just so.
In an interview with Empire published on October 20, 2025, the Duffer Brothers, a.k.a. the creators and showrunners of Stranger Things, shut down the rumors started by Quinn to confirm Eddie sadly won't return for the show's final season.
"I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he's dead,” Matt Duffer clarified. “Joe is so busy anyway, that everyone should know he's not coming back. He's shot like five movies since! When the hell has he got time to come and shoot Stranger Things? No, sadly, RIP. He’s fully under that ground.”
Quinn has indeed kept booked and busy since he appeared in Stranger Things. You might have seen him already in Gladiator II, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Warfare, and more, and you'll also soon be seeing him as George Harrison in Sam Mendes's Beatles biopics.
If you need even more proof that Eddie is dead and not coming back, you can see Dustin (played by Gaten Matarazzo) visiting Eddie's grave in the first official teaser trailer for Stranger Things season 5, which, if you haven't already, you can watch below:
