Get ready to go back to 1983. The final season of Stranger Things is turning back the clock, and not just with its 80s nostalgia. Netflix is using cutting-edge de-aging technology to take us back to the very beginning, and the results are both impressive and a little bit uncanny.
The Upside Down Just Got a Major Tech Upgrade
Netflix recently dropped the first five minutes of the Stranger Things 5 premiere, titled “The Crawl,” and it was a blast from the past in more ways than one. The scene throws us right back into the terrifying moments after Will Byers’ (Noah Schnapp) disappearance in Season 1. We see a de-aged Will, looking just as he did as an 11-year-old, huddled in Castle Byers while a Demogorgon lurks outside. [1]
This isn’t just a simple flashback. The Duffer Brothers are using sophisticated visual effects to seamlessly blend the past with the present, giving fans a fresh look at one of the series’ most pivotal moments. The scene is a powerful reminder of where it all began, and it sets a chilling tone for the final season.
The opening sequence is visceral and terrifying. Will runs through the dark forest of the Upside Down, desperately trying to escape the pursuing Demogorgon. He climbs a tree, but the creature catches up and drags him to Vecna’s lair. There, wrapped in vines with red lightning crackling overhead, Will comes face-to-face with the season’s ultimate villain. Vecna’s chilling words—”At long last, we can begin”—hint at a connection between the two characters that has been building since the very first episode. [2]
How Does Stranger Things’ De-Aging Technology Actually Work?
The magic behind this time-bending effect comes from Lola VFX, the same studio that has de-aged characters for Marvel Studios in films like Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. [3] The process is a complex hybrid of live-action and digital effects. For the Stranger Things 5 flashback, young actor Luke Kokotek served as a body double for Will Byers, with Noah Schnapp’s de-aged face and hair digitally composited onto Kokotek’s performance. [1]
Lola VFX supervisor Trent Claus explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that their technique is like a digital facelift, using 2D compositing on the actor’s actual face rather than creating a fully digital double. [3] This approach helps to avoid the dreaded “uncanny valley” and preserves the nuances of the original actor’s performance. It’s a painstaking process that involves studying human anatomy and even consulting with plastic surgeons to understand the subtleties of aging. [3]
The studio’s work on Stranger Things 5 follows their impressive track record with Marvel films. In Avengers: Endgame alone, Lola completed an estimated 200 aging and de-aging shots, including making Michael Douglas look 45 years younger and aging Chris Evans to look like a man in his 90s. [3] For Captain Marvel, they de-aged Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury throughout the entire film, marking their first feature-length de-aging of a major character. [3]
What sets Lola apart from other VFX studios is their commitment to preserving the actor’s actual performance. Unlike fully digital approaches used in films like The Irishman or Gemini Man, Lola’s technique maintains the subtleties and imperfections that make a performance feel human. As Claus explained, “I’m a firm believer in invisible effects.” [3] The goal is to make viewers question how the effect was achieved, not whether it looks real.
Caption: A de-aged Will Byers faces the horrors of the Upside Down in a flashback from Stranger Things 5. Credit: Netflix Source: Netflix
Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown on Becoming Kids Again
For Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), revisiting their younger selves was a surreal experience. Both actors had to guide their younger body doubles, essentially becoming directors for their own characters. Schnapp told Deadline, “I asked [Millie] for help, honestly. I was like, ‘How did you work with the kid when you had to do it?’ It was fun to step into those director shoes that we don’t really get the chance to do on the show.” [1]
Brown, who went through a similar process for Eleven’s flashbacks in Season 4, found the experience to be a lesson in her own acting. “I was able to direct her for a couple episodes. It’s really interesting because [it] taught me a lot about what I did,” she said. [1] Both actors embraced the challenge of revisiting their Season 1 performances, helping to bring a new layer of authenticity to the final season.
For Brown, working with young actress Martie Blair on the Season 4 flashbacks that revealed Vecna’s origin was particularly emotional. She had to teach Blair how to channel Eleven’s raw, uninhibited power from the early seasons. “I really worked with the little girl I worked with in terms of, ‘It’s okay. Just like, it’s fine.’ We are going to look silly because we aren’t actually moving anything with our minds, but let’s just harness that in a superhero you have together,” Brown recalled. [1]
Schnapp echoed similar sentiments about the process. “It’s a little digital-looking. It’s hard to make it look perfect, but it turned out pretty well,” he admitted. [1] The actor’s honesty about the limitations of the technology speaks to the challenges of de-aging work, even with the best VFX teams in the business. Still, the results are impressive enough to transport viewers back to the show’s earliest days.
Caption: Co-stars Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown have grown up on the set of Stranger Things. Credit: Getty Images Source: People
Is De-Aging the Future of Hollywood?
Stranger Things is the latest in a growing list of productions to use de-aging technology to tell stories that span decades. From Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel to Robert De Niro in The Irishman, the technology is becoming an increasingly common tool for filmmakers. While some critics worry about the potential for misuse, others see it as a powerful new way to tell stories. As the animated spinoff of Stranger Things shows, the franchise is not afraid to experiment with new formats.
Lola VFX’s Trent Claus believes that AI will “dramatically” change the way de-aging is accomplished in the future, but for now, it remains a highly specialized and labor-intensive art form. [3] The results, however, speak for themselves. The ability to seamlessly de-age actors opens up a world of creative possibilities, allowing filmmakers to explore character backstories and create epic, multi-generational sagas.
However, the technology also raises important ethical questions. As Claus pointed out, the rise of AI and deepfakes will inevitably lead to legal battles over the use of actors’ likenesses. “Is your likeness an asset? Can it be bought and sold? Who has the right to use it?” he asked. [3] These questions become even more pressing as the technology becomes more accessible and easier to use.
For now, the use of de-aging in Stranger Things serves the story in a meaningful way. It’s not a gimmick or a cheap trick—it’s a tool that allows the Duffer Brothers to bring their vision to life and give fans the closure they deserve. The technology enhances the storytelling without overshadowing it, which is exactly what good VFX should do.
What Else Can We Expect from Stranger Things 5?
The de-aging flashbacks are just the beginning. The Duffer Brothers have promised that Stranger Things 5 will be “sprinting from the start,” with no time to ease back into the story. [2] Hawkins is under military quarantine, and the final battle with Vecna is looming. The season will be released in three parts, with the first batch of episodes dropping on November 26, 2025, followed by more on Christmas and the series finale on New Year’s Eve. [2] Fans can also look forward to the Stranger Things finale heading to theaters in an unprecedented move for Netflix.
Ross Duffer explained the accelerated pacing: “We usually set up their normal life and how they’re going about school, and then we introduce the supernatural element. But in this case, this season is sprinting from the start.” [2] His brother Matt added, “Nothing in Hawkins is normal anymore…their movement is restricted, and there are Big Brother cameras everywhere. So not only are they active — their everyday, normal lives are anything but.” [2]
The season will also delve deeper into the mythology of the Upside Down, drawing from a 25-page document the Duffer Brothers wrote for Netflix back in Season 1. “The last remaining questions that are answered in that document, we’ve punted a couple of those to have some big reveals in Season 5,” Ross Duffer teased. [2] Expect answers to long-standing mysteries and a satisfying conclusion to the story that began with a boy disappearing on his bike ride home.
Why the De-Aging Matters for Stranger Things’ Legacy
The use of de-aging technology in Stranger Things 5 is more than just a visual spectacle—it’s a narrative necessity. The show has always been about the passage of time and the loss of innocence. By literally taking us back to the beginning, the Duffer Brothers are creating a full-circle moment that honors the journey these characters have been on.
When Stranger Things premiered in 2016, the young cast members were relatively unknown. Now, nearly a decade later, they’ve grown up on screen, and so have we. The de-aging technology allows the show to acknowledge that growth while also reminding us of where it all started. It’s a bittersweet reminder that all good things must come to an end.
With the stakes higher than ever, the Hawkins crew will need to stand together one last time to save their town and the world. The final season promises to be an emotional and action-packed conclusion to one of Netflix’s most beloved series. And thanks to cutting-edge VFX work from Lola and the dedication of the cast and crew, it’s shaping up to be a finale worthy of the show’s legacy.
References
[1] Gomez, Dessi. “‘Stranger Things’ Stars Noah Schnapp & Millie Bobby Brown On De-Aging.” Deadline, 22 Nov. 2025, deadline.com/2025/11/stranger-things-5-noah-schnapp-de-aging-will-byers-1236623809/.
[2] Glassman, Thea. “Stranger Things 5: Watch the Chilling First 5 Minutes of Episode 1.” Netflix Tudum, 7 Nov. 2025, www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stranger-things-5-first-5-minutes.
[3] Giardina, Carolyn. “How Did Marvel De-Age Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr.? Lola VFX.” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2019, www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/how-did-marvel-de-age-samuel-l-jackson-robert-downey-jr-lola-vfx-supervisor-spills-secrets-1249544/.
