Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch live: release countdown, and all the latest news and rumors on the hit Netflix show’s latest teaser

Who is part of the Stranger Things season 5 cast?

Speaking of the cast, which actors will appear in Stranger Things‘ fifth and final season?

For one, there’ll be plenty of returning faces, with Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, and Winona Ryder reprising the roles they’ve inhabited since the show’s beginning.

On the newcomers front, Terminator franchise stalwart Linda Hamilton was the first confirmed addition to the season 5 cast. That reveal came in June 2023 and it’s since been revealed she’ll portray a mysterious scientist known as Doctor Kay.

Last July, Netflix revealed more new characters by way of a Stranger Things 5 behind-the-scenes featurette. Those individuals are Nell Fisher, who’s playing Mike and Nancy’s younger sibling Holly, Jake Connelly as another kid character named Derek Turnbow, and Alex Breaux as Lieutenant Akers, who’s clearly some form of army official.

Here’s a full rundown of the confirmed cast for season 5 so far:

• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
• Natalie Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
• Jamie Campbell-Bower as Vecna
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
• Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
• Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
• Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow
• Alex Breaux as Lieutenant Akers
• Linda Hamilton as Doctor Kay

Alright, where were we?

It’s not long now until the teaser is here. But, while we’ve had to wait for its arrival, some very lucky fans got to see it before the rest of us.

Indeed, as the above X/Twitter posts reveals, five fanatics were recently given a chance to watch the trailer alongside some of the cast. Let’s hope it’s as good as they’re making it out to be!

It’s Eggos o’clock!

Alright, I’m taking a lunch break so I’m back in time for the trailer’s launch, whenever that’ll be.

There’s plenty more news and speculation to come from yours truly before its arrival, too. In the meantime, get the lowdown on the show’s return by reading my ultimate guide to Stranger Things season 5.

A first look at Stranger Things season 5

Stranger Things 5 | Date Announcement | Netflix – YouTube

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Of course, today won’t be the first footage we’ve seen.

Alongside last month’s release dates announcement, Netflix debuted a legacy-style teaser (see above) that contained around 20 seconds of footage from season 5. Here’s a quick rundown of what was shown:

• Joyce Byers brandishing her trusty ax as she protects three people in a barn
• The Wheeler family matriarch Karen holding her daughter Holly tightly
• Lucas visiting a comatose Max in hospital
• Fan-favorite pairing Steve and Dustin looking up in a building that’s full of Upside Down tendrils
• Eleven screaming as she holds her hands to her head
• Mike Wheeler holding back Joyce, what appears to be Will, and three of season 5’s newcomers
• A group of soldiers pointing their guns at an Upside Down rift portal
• A terrified-looking Will screaming “Run!” twice as he stares at something that’s off-camera

Predictably, there’s not much, if anything, we can glean from these all-too-brief clips. But, hey, it’s better than nothing! I do wonder how much of the date reveal teaser’s footage will be used in today’s trailer, though…

The story continues…

Stranger Things season 5 will be the main show’s final entry, but Netflix isn’t walking away from a franchise that supercharged its own success.

The streaming giant has already released one spin-off project. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a stage play prequel that explores the origins of Henry Creel/One and his transformation into Vecna, is currently showing on Broadway following a 12-month stint at London’s West End.

As for future productions on Netflix, the entertainment behemoth will bring a slice of Saturday morning cartoon action to the Stranger Things Universe. Indeed, it’ll release an animated spin-off – Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 – sometime in 2026. Unsurprisingly, it’ll take place in 1985, i.e. between seasons 2 and 3 of the primary series, and see established and new characters combat a new paranormal threat that’s been unleashed on Hawkins.

Another TV spin-off is also believed to be in the works at Upside Down Pictures, the production company set up by the show’s co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer. However, little is known about this series or when Netflix might officially announce it.

What is the release date for Stranger Things season 5?

Today’s trailer release is the primary focus of this live blog, but what about season 5’s all-important release date?

That’s the wrong question to ask, dear reader, because Stranger Things 5 will arrive in not one, not two, but three parts. That was confirmed in early June, with Netflix announcing a trio of release dates for Stranger Things season 5.

Volume 1, which comprises four episodes, will drop on Wednesday, November 26. Then, we’ll have a month’s wait on our hands for season 5 part 2, with the next three chapters airing on Thursday, December 25. Finally, the main show’s last-ever episode will debut on Wednesday, December 31.

To be clear: those dates are specifically aimed at the US, and other nations that sit in and around North and South America. This season’s volumes will drop at 5pm PT / 8pm ET on those continents, too. Fans who live in Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa will need to tune in a day after the aforementioned dates to stream new episodes. You can use the times outlined above to work out when they’ll air in your country as well.

Did Netflix miss a trick with the Stranger Things 5 trailer launch date?

Amid the excitement over the imminent arrival of season 5’s first teaser, some fans were a little disappointed that it wasn’t released yesterday (July 15).

Why? Because Stranger Things celebrated its ninth anniversary on that date. The incredibly successful show’s first season dropped on July 15, 2016, so it would’ve been fitting if the final season’s trailer launched to coincide with the series’ birthday.

That’s a date that some devotees expected it to arrive on, too. As I covered in my Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch date article yesterday, there was evidence to suggest it could’ve dropped online on July 15. That said, considering the official Stranger Things Instagram broadcast channel indicated something big would happen on July 16, it was far more likely that today would be the day that a trailer would make landfall.

Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch date confirmed

How do I know that Stranger Things 5‘s official teaser is dropping today? Well, Netflix told us all yesterday (July 15).

Taking to its own and Stranger Things‘ official social media accounts, the streaming giant announced that the final season’s first trailer would premiere on July 16. That’s as good a confirmation as any, then!

I am curious about the timing of the trailer’s release, mind you. Ordinarily, Netflix doesn’t release a teaser for a new or returning TV Original until two months before they debut on its streaming platform. Then, their official trailer launches a month before they’re released.

So, why is Stranger Things 5‘s inaugural trailer dropping four months before it airs? Who know, but I’m not complaining.

Here we go, Stranger Things fans!

It’s almost time, Hellfire Club members! Stranger Things season 5 is still four months away, but Netflix is breaking with tradition and is set to release its first trailer today, aka July 16.

I’m Tom Power, TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter and a Stranger Things fanatic, and I’m here to bring you the build-up to the teaser’s launch and its eventual release.

As you can see above, I’ve come prepared for the big occasion. So, join me, won’t you, in wearing your favorite Stranger Things apparel and let’s count down to the trailer’s arrival together.