Stranger Things bosses admit they agonised over Eleven’s ending

Millie Bobby Brown says that she was ‘not ready to let go’ of her character in a new documentary

The creators of Netflix’s global phenomenon Stranger Things have revealed they deliberated over the ultimate fate of Millie Bobby Brown’s character, Eleven, a pivotal detail emerging from a new documentary trailer about the final series.

A two-minute teaser for One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 offers a poignant glimpse behind the scenes, showing brothers Matt and Ross Duffer discussing the show’s conclusion. The trailer captures emotional moments as the Duffer Brothers address the cast and crew, with filming for the sci-fi hit drawing to a close.

Millie Bobby Brown, who portrays the psychokinetic Eleven, is seen visibly distressed during what appears to be a script read-through alongside co-star Noah Schnapp. The 21-year-old actress also reflects on the series’ end, stating: "I’m not ready to let go."

Further clips show Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), and Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) embracing, clearly moved by the occasion.

The documentary promises an intimate look at the making of series five, which saw the young protagonists from the fictional town of Hawkins – Will, Dustin, Mike, and Lucas – confront the malevolent Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) for a final showdown. The fifth series, released in three parts, sparked considerable discussion among viewers due to its ambiguous ending regarding Eleven’s destiny.

Ross Duffer elaborated on this decision to Netflix site Tudum: "There was never a version of the story where Eleven was hanging out with the gang at the end. For us and our writers, we didn’t want to take her powers away. She represents magic in a lot of ways and the magic of childhood."

He continued: "For our characters to move on and for the story of Hawkins and the Upside Down to come to a close, Eleven had to go away. We thought it would be beautiful if our characters continued to believe in that happier ending even if we didn’t give them a clear answer to whether that’s true or not. The fact that they’re believing in it, we just thought it was such a better way to end the story and a better way to represent the closure of this journey and their journey from children to adults."

Following the final episode’s UK broadcast on New Year’s Day, Brown, who rose to prominence with the show’s debut almost a decade ago, shared a black and white set photo captioned: "Over and out."

Ross Duffer (L) and Matt Duffer (Getty Images)

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things first aired in 2016, catapulting its young cast, including Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), and Schnapp (Will Byers), to international fame. The franchise has since expanded to include a stage play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and an upcoming animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

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One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is set to premiere on Netflix on 12 January.