‘Yeah, That’s Perfect.’: Natalia Dyer Absolutely Pushed For One Thing As Stranger Things Was Wrapping

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Spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things series finale.

Since it first came out, Stranger Things has been a hugely popular show on Netflix. Fans with subscriptions recently saw the fifth and final season, capped off by a fantastic series finale. Actress Natalia Dyer shared a surprising detail about her character, Nancy Wheeler, that she really pushed for – and I think she was right to do so.

The last season of Stranger Things concluded on New Year’s Day, featuring the climactic fight with Vecna and then showing what happened to all the characters afterward. We find out that Nancy leaves college to pursue a career, and actress Natalia Dyer explained to Deadline why she felt it was important for her character to make that choice.

I was really firm about not wanting Nancy to be back in school. The Duffer brothers were very open to discussion and would often ask for my input, like where I saw my character going and what I thought of different ideas. They were great at collaborating with the actors and checking in with us. For me, it just didn’t make sense for Nancy to be going to school, and I really emphasized that to them. I pleaded with them, explaining that I just couldn’t picture it working.

It makes sense that Nancy wouldn’t immediately go back to a normal life. Although she started the series as a high-achieving student, she spent years battling monsters and seeking justice for Barb. After everything she went through as a key fighter for the group, the idea of her simply returning to college felt untrue to her character development.

It’s nice to hear that the creators of Stranger Things talked with the actors about how their characters’ stories would end, particularly after they’d played those roles for so long. For example, the decision for Nancy to leave school and start working felt authentic to the actress who played her, as she explained:

I felt completely satisfied with how the story ended – it felt perfect for both me and the character, Nancy. Considering everything she’d gone through, I couldn’t imagine her simply going back to writing academic papers. It’s tough, because you become so invested in these characters and want the best for them, but you also want the ending to feel realistic. I think the conclusion resonated with a lot of people and felt genuinely good.

Nancy has been through a lot on Stranger Things – facing life-or-death situations and losing someone she cared about deeply. These experiences forced her to grow up quickly, and she might struggle to adjust to a typical college life. Actress Natalia Dyer understands Nancy incredibly well, so she felt strongly about giving her a satisfying conclusion.

The creators of Stranger Things, The Duffers, really had a lot riding on how they ended the series. Even though some fans disagreed with certain decisions, like what happened to Eleven, I think the finale was much stronger than the endings of shows like Dexter, True Blood, and Game of Thrones. A big reason for this was the extensive epilogue, which gave viewers a real sense of closure.

You can watch the complete series of Stranger Things on Netflix. A new documentary about the show’s final season has also just been released, and fans are eager to see what the future holds for stars like Natalia Dyer now that the story in Hawkins is finished.

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2026-01-13 00:08