The return of an unexpected Stranger Things villain is confirmed for season 5, but This twist will hurt the Netflix show's endingno matter how it happens. Stranger Things season 5 will bring the hit series to a close, revealing what happens to Eleven and the Hawkins gang once and for all. With the Upside Down bleeding into the real world and Vecna still at large, they'll be busy for much of the upcoming season. And it looks like Vecna won't be the only returning villain they'll need to contend with when the new episodes come out.
A BTS video shared on Instagram Brenner actor Matthew Modine sees him rocking a bald head during hair and makeup, and his caption includes the hashtags "#strangerthings5," "#drmartinbrenner" and "#indestructable." Although Eleven's Pope appeared to be dead at the end of Stranger Things season 4it looks like he will return during the final season. Although he may be filming a flashback, the bald head and makeup suggest he is appearing in the present or future. There are a few ways this could happen, but both will detract from the Netflix series' finale.
There's no way Stranger Things could bring Dr. Brenner back without spoiling the ending
Dad's Return Undoes The Power Of Eleven Season 4 Finale
Although Eleven says goodbye to Papa at the end of Stranger Things season 4, It is possible that he somehow survived being shot during the attack by Agent Wallace and his men. The last we see of Dr. Brenner, he is lying on the ground in the desert, with Eleven refusing to fully understand or forgive him. It's hard to imagine how he would recover from the state he is in, especially with no doctor or hospital in sight. Of course, this does not mean Stranger Things you will not try to accomplish the impossible by making him survive.
The most likely way Dr. Brenner will return is through the Upside Down, as we've seen Billy Hargrove haunt Max from beyond the grave. Vecna uses people's loved ones against them, and with the Upside Down more present in the real world, it's possible that Dr. Brenner will haunt Eleven and her friends. The problem with this scenario - and even with it still alive - is that This makes Eleven's development cheaper in Stranger Things season 4. The penultimate season shows her facing who's daddy and choosing herself and her own way of doing things.
Brenner being alive and able to redeem himself would undo the power of Eleven's growth in Season 4, and there's no reason to do that in the final episodes.
Brenner being alive and able to redeem himself would undo the power of Eleven's growth in Season 4, and there's no reason to do that in the final episodes. Even if he returns as an undead villain or in Eleven's mind, there's little reason for her to confront him again. For Eleven, Dad is undoubtedly more intimidating and difficult to face as an ordinary human being. Her leaving him behind at the end of Season 4 is a defining, transformative moment for her, and it's hard to see how having her confront him in a new way would benefit the story.
Season 5 of Stranger Things can't keep repeating the same story with Dr. Strange.
No time to retread the same ground
In addition to harming Eleven's evolution, bringing Dr. Brenner back to Stranger Things season 5 seems likely to be repetitive. The show has already done a death fake with Eleven's Pope, and he's far from the only one.”dead" Stranger Things character to prove otherwise. However, this kind of twist is getting old, especially if it doesn't serve a greater purpose. Forcing Eleven to confront Papa again is also retreading familiar ground, so Dr. Brenner's resurrection could be doubly repetitive.
With Stranger Things Season 5 concluding the Netflix series, there is no time to redo stories that should be closed. There's a lot to cover in the final season, from Vecna's defeat to the fate of the entire Hawkins gang. There's no time to waste, so Stranger Things needs a good reason to devote some time to Dr. Brenner, even after his arc appears to be over. It's hard to imagine what that reason would be, but perhaps the Netflix series will surprise us.