The people behind Stranger Things – the actors and writers – have responded to rumors that Netflix was planning a secret extra episode after the show ended. They’ve confirmed that this fan theory isn’t true.
The last season of the popular sci-fi series was released in three parts, culminating in a full-length finale on New Year’s Eve 2025. This finale concluded the story of Hawkins, Eleven, and the mysterious Upside Down in a thrilling way.
Once the last episode aired, many viewers started to believe the ending wasn’t the true finale.
A fan theory, nicknamed “Conformity Gate” online, proposed that the finale’s events weren’t real, but an illusion created by the character Vecna (played by Jamie Campbell Bower). The theory predicted a ninth episode would eventually be released to reveal the show’s actual ending.
At an Emmys event in Los Angeles, actor Bill Bower discussed the rumors surrounding his role and expressed surprise at how widely they circulated.
He described the experience as “absolutely wild,” telling The Hollywood Reporter that it all started when fans discovered a video he’d posted on social media while promoting his upcoming appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Noah Schnapp, who played Will Byers on the show, said he received a lot of messages from people wondering if the rumored ‘secret ending’ was actually true.
I clearly stated that we hadn’t filmed any additional episodes. I’m honestly surprised by how many people believe the opposite, despite it being untrue.
Shawn Levy, the executive producer, dismissed the theory as “baffling” and said it was simply fans hoping for something that wasn’t true. He explained that it gained popularity online and spread quickly, even though it wasn’t based in reality.
He described the ninth episode as a bizarre, almost mythical experience fueled by wishful thinking. Thankfully, by that point, he’d stopped trying to discuss it with people online.
Levy explained that social media often creates its own momentum with rumors and speculation, and he sympathized with fans who were hoping for an additional episode based on those online theories.
The ending of Stranger Things wasn’t completely clear. Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, appeared to sacrifice herself to destroy the Upside Down, but a later moment suggested she might have survived and gone into hiding.
Both Bower and Schnapp think Eleven is still alive, but Levy believes the Duffer Brothers successfully wrapped up the story while leaving room for fans to speculate about the future.
He explained that while the show is over, it’s up to the viewers to imagine what happens to the characters next, almost like creating your own ending.
As a fan, I thought it was a huge success! You can’t please everyone, of course, but it feels like the creators really hit the mark with most of us. That’s honestly better than what happens with a lot of shows, especially ones that have such a passionate – and sometimes intense – fanbase like this one.
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Authors
Morgan Jeffery leads the editorial content for TopMob across all its digital platforms. Before joining TopMob, he worked as TV Editor at Digital Spy and has appeared as a television expert on programs like BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live, and Sky Atlantic.
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2026-05-24 14:37