David Harbour Reveals If He Thinks Eleven Died in Stranger Things

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Friends don’t lie—not even to protect fans’ feelings.

David Harbour was very direct when discussing what happened to Millie Bobby Brown’s character, Eleven, in the final episode of Stranger Things.

When asked if he believed Eleven was still alive, he told USA Today at the Gotham TV Awards on June 1st that he actually thought she was dead. He quickly apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, I know.”

David, known for playing Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, isn’t the only cast member discussing what Eleven’s ending could mean. The finale, released on Netflix December 31st, shows her seemingly sacrificing herself to destroy the Upside Down, but it’s possible things aren’t what they appear.

It’s Mike (Finn Wolfhard) who proposes an alternative reality in the episode’s final moments.

Mike argues that the military’s technology should have prevented Eleven from using her powers. Instead of explaining this, he tells his friends a story claiming the Eleven they saw in the rift was just a vision. He suggests she actually escaped and is now living a peaceful, private life somewhere.

During the episode, Eleven’s friends—Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), and Max (Sadie Sink)—show their support for Mike’s story by all saying, “I believe.”

In real life, however, Sadie is much more of a realist.

The actress revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January that she believes her character has died. She explained that the storyline with ‘Mike’ feels like a final chapter, marking the end of their childhood adventures – one last story before moving on.

The 24-year-old believes the ending is more impactful, even though it’s not a happy one for Eleven.

Creators Matt and Ross Duffer are pleased with the discussion surrounding Eleven’s future, as this was precisely what they aimed for while writing the fifth and final season of Stranger Things.

Ross told Netflix in a post-finale interview that she will always be remembered by those who loved her, adding with a touch of uncertainty, ‘Whether that’s actually true or not.’

The creators wanted Eleven’s fate – no matter how viewers see it – to feel believable. This was important because a whole division of the US military was dedicated to tracking her.

Matt explained they wanted to address the reality of her life after everything that happened and figure out how she could return to normal. He added that Mike, being the most hopeful of them, chose to believe the account she gave.

Although Eleven’s ultimate destiny is still uncertain, the show Stranger Things has revealed answers to many of its mysteries over time. Keep reading to learn more.

Before creating Stranger Things, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer worked on M. Night Shyamalan’s TV series Wayward Pines. Their original idea for the show was actually called Montauk.

As a huge fan, I remember hearing that getting the name Stranger Things approved was a real struggle! Matt Duffer explained to The Daily Beast back in 2016 that once you’ve got a title you love, it’s incredibly difficult to convince others to see it your way. Apparently, people weren’t immediately on board with Stranger Things when they first suggested it.

As someone who’s spent years on film sets, location scouting is always a big puzzle! The creators of the show originally wanted to shoot everything on Long Island, which sounded amazing, but it just didn’t work out practically. It turned out to be too difficult to make it happen there, so they had to find another place.

Matt told The Hollywood Reporter they chose Montauk as a filming location because of its beautiful seaside environment and its connection to the movie Jaws, which is a personal favorite. However, they quickly realized shooting on Long Island during the winter would be both unpleasant and too costly.

Atlanta ultimately became the home base for production.

Before Netflix decided to air the show, nearly 20 other networks turned it down, as reported by Vulture. Executives at those networks worried viewers wouldn’t connect with a series focused on four child actors.

4. To play Eleven, then 12-year-old Millie Bobby Brown had to say goodbye to her hair.

I’ll never forget the day I shaved my head – it was honestly the most powerful moment of my life. When that last piece of hair fell, it felt like I was finally, truly exposed, and I couldn’t hide behind my hair anymore. Looking in the mirror, it hit me: my purpose was to inspire others. It made me realize something so important – you absolutely don’t need hair to be beautiful.

She found inspiration for her role in both Charlize Theron’s performance in Mad Max: Fury Road and old yearbook pictures of her fellow actress, Winona Ryder.

She mentioned that Winona Ryder’s short, pixie haircut was iconic and inspired her to try the style herself.

The British actress shared a surprising source that helped her nail an American accent: Miley Cyrus’s show, Hannah Montana. She told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that the show was “so good,” praising both the series itself and her ability to learn the accent from it.

When the Duffer brothers were casting for the core group of kids in the show, they had the young actors perform scenes from the movie Stand By Me as part of the audition process. It was a brilliant way to see how they connected with that classic coming-of-age story and if they had the right chemistry – a trick I often recommend when casting for any ensemble project!

The brothers had a specific vision for the character of Mike. However, that changed once Finn Wolfhard auditioned.

Matt explained to The Daily Beast in 2016 that Mike Wheeler was initially conceived as a more wistful and imaginative character, similar to Mikey from The Goonies. However, when Finn Wolfhard auditioned, his naturally energetic and anxious demeanor inspired them to rewrite the character to better suit his personality.

Gaten Matarazzo, who played Dustin, also had a big impact on the show’s development. According to Matt, they initially envisioned Dustin as a typical nerd, but after meeting Gaten, they rewrote the character to better suit his personality and talents.

After the show featured Eleven’s love for Eggo waffles, Kellogg’s experienced a notable boost in sales. They reported a 14 percent increase in consumption towards the end of 2017, coinciding with the release of season two. October of that year also saw a record number of social media mentions for the product.

In early 2018, David Harbour became an internet sensation when he agreed to take a fan’s senior portraits for her. It started when the fan tweeted, asking how many retweets it would take to convince him to do so. Harbour responded that 25,000 retweets would do the trick, with the added condition that he’d wear the school sweatshirt and hold a trombone. True to his promise, he followed through and took the photos.

He jokingly predicted on Instagram that, 24 years later, he’d be known for crashing someone else’s high school senior photos.

You won’t believe what happened later that year! I’m always saying social media can be amazing, and David Harbour really took it to the next level. A fan asked him to officiate her wedding, and he agreed – but with a fun condition! She needed to get 125,000 retweets and promise him the first slice of cake. Seriously! He actually got ordained online, and then showed up dressed as his Stranger Things character, Chief Hopper, to perform the whole ceremony. It was such a memorable moment for everyone involved, and a perfect example of how to make a wedding truly unique!

Fans often speculated that Eleven might be Hopper’s biological daughter, but he ultimately became a father figure to her. A touching detail in the season two finale revealed Eleven wearing a blue braided bracelet – a sentimental piece made from a ribbon belonging to Hopper’s deceased daughter – at her school dance.

Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, said her first-ever kiss was with Finn Wolfhard (Mike) during season one of the show. She described it as a very unusual experience, explaining that having a large crew watching made it feel overwhelming.

She shared what her co-star secretly told her right before they had to kiss for a second time on the show.

She recalled that he told her he was about to kiss her, explaining, ‘He said, ‘I’m coming in,’ but he did it like a ventriloquist – it was so strange!’ during an appearance on The Tonight Show in 2017.

Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, who star as couple Nancy and Jonathan on the show, started dating in 2016 and have generally chosen to keep their relationship out of the public eye.

Natalia shared with Refinery 29 that she values keeping her personal life—relationships with family and friends—private. However, she also acknowledged that collaborating with someone you see outside of work can be enjoyable. “It’s always really fun,” she said.

Surprisingly, Joe Keery’s character, Steve Harrington, wasn’t originally meant to survive the first season of the show.

According to Ross, they quickly grew fond of Joe Keery, who played Steve, while filming the first season. This is why they created a storyline where Steve teams up with Jonathan and Nancy to help save the day. Originally, Steve was intended to be a stereotypical, unpleasant jock, but Keery brought so much more to the role.

18. Also slated to perish was Eleven. Yes, really. 

In the book Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down, Ross Duffer explained that the original plan was for Eleven to sacrifice herself to save everyone. However, when they realized the show might continue beyond a single season, they had to change that storyline. They understood the show wouldn’t work without Eleven, and they quickly recognized how talented Millie Bobby Brown was. If Stranger Things continued, Eleven needed to survive.

The seventh episode of the second season, “The Lost Sister,” nearly didn’t make it onto screens. The Duffer brothers told Vulture they worried the episode—which focuses on Eleven’s search for another experimented-on child—would disrupt the story’s flow.

Matt explained that as they started writing the episode, they questioned whether it was even necessary. They seriously considered cutting it entirely, but the planned ending involving Eleven didn’t work without it – it just didn’t feel right. Ultimately, they decided the episode was essential.

20. Eleven’s sibling was written to be a boy, with the episode originally titled “The Lost Brother.” 

I was so thrilled when they opened the audition to more young actresses! Ultimately, Linnea Berthelsen got the role, and it was amazing to see Eleven finally meet her “sister,” Kali. The Duffer Brothers even said Linnea and Millie (who plays Eleven) really clicked – Millie specifically asked to work with Linnea, which just shows how great their chemistry was!

Nicola Coughlan, known for her role in Bridgerton, originally tried out for the part of Robin. However, she later landed the role of Penelope Featherington. Maya Hawke ended up getting the role of Robin, and Nicola has said Hawke was much better suited for it than she would have been.

She explained that auditioning teaches a valuable lesson for actors: when you don’t get a role, it’s important to analyze why. It’s rarely about you personally; you’re simply better suited for some parts than others.

Before becoming famous for her role as Sarah on the Netflix series Outer Banks, Madelyn Cline played the character Tina, a popular but unkind student, in the second season of the show.

To land the role of Billy, the rebellious older stepbrother of Max (Sadie Sink), Australian actor Dacre Montgomery created a memorable audition tape. He told GQ he aimed to impress the Duffer brothers with something bold and a little edgy.

Dacre took a big chance to get noticed. He filmed himself dancing to 80s hits like “Come on Eileen” and “Hungry Like the Wolf” while wearing very little – just a G-string. He worried it might ruin his career, thinking either no one would hire him again, or someone would recognize his talent and give him an opportunity. Luckily, the risk worked out for him.

As we headed into the third season, things really shifted for the cast financially! I heard from Deadline that the younger actors saw their per-episode pay jump dramatically – from around $30,000 to over $200,000, and potentially even $250,000! The veterans, Winona and David, were already doing well, reportedly earning between $300,000 and $350,000 an episode. And Natalia and Charlie also saw a nice boost, bringing in around $100,000 to $150,000 per episode. It’s always great to see talent get recognized and compensated for their work!

Priah Ferguson was originally only scheduled to be in one episode of season two as Erica, Lucas’s feisty younger sister. However, the Duffer brothers were so impressed with her performance that they kept adding her to scenes. She became a main cast member in the next season.

Because the young actors were still growing during filming, the costume designers had a hard time making sure their clothes fit consistently throughout the series.

It was a real challenge keeping up with how fast the kids were growing,” costume designer Kim Wilcox explained to TopMob News. “One child, in particular, outgrew his shoes about every three weeks, needing a half size larger each time. To solve this, we started buying five pairs of the same shoe from brands that offered a wide range of sizes. That way, when a child had a growth spurt, we’d always have a suitable replacement.

The Duffer brothers, while inspired by films like The Goonies, E.T., and Stand By Me, made sure their references weren’t too obvious.

When we initially presented the project to Netflix, we created a lengthy, two-and-a-half-minute trailer. It was a montage of about 20 to 30 film clips, aiming to convey the overall feel of Stranger Things. As Matt Duffer explained to The Daily Beast, these visuals and inspirations came from the movies they loved growing up – films deeply ingrained in their creative process. However, once the writing process began, they rarely directly referenced other movies. The focus shifted to simply telling the story and letting the characters drive the plot. Duffer explained that constantly referencing films would have resulted in a confusing and disjointed narrative.

The team initially aimed for a vintage look by minimizing special effects, but they soon discovered that was harder than expected.

Originally, we planned to use only practical effects, but we quickly learned how challenging that would be. We really respected the teams who created films like The Thing and Alien because doing everything practically takes a lot of time and careful planning. We were writing scripts very quickly, but didn’t have the six months or so needed to prepare for complex practical effects. By the time we got to set, some of the ideas that seemed good in theory just weren’t feasible given our time constraints.

The creators, the Duffer brothers, originally planned for the show to last five seasons. According to Netflix executive Matthew Thunell, much of what they imagined back in 2015 is now happening as the series nears its conclusion. Variety magazine reported that each episode of season four cost around $30 million to produce.

Although the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, know how the show will eventually end, they’re not finished with the story or the Upside Down world just yet.

In an interview with Variety, the creators revealed they have a spin-off idea they’re really enthusiastic about, though it’s still in the early stages. They haven’t shared the concept with anyone yet, and haven’t even started writing it.

However, Matt and Ross confessed that Finn Wolfhard had already correctly guessed the show’s premise, which they described as ‘very, very different.’ They emphasized that Finn is the only one outside of their core team who knows about it.

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2026-06-03 17:23