‘Stranger Things’: Noah Schnapp, Jamie Campbell Bower & the Duffer Brothers Break Down Volume 2 (VIDEO)

Meaghan Darwish December 25, 2025, 8:00 pm

What To Know

Noah Schnapp, Jamie Campbell Bower, and the Duffer Brothers break down Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 2.
From Will’s big reveal to unveiling Vecna’s past as Henry Creel, the team is digging into the latest twists and turns.
Plus, they discuss Eleven’s big secret heading into the finale.

[Warning: The below and video above contain MAJOR spoilers for Stranger Things, Season 5 Volume 2.]

The end is near for Stranger Things, and TV Insider caught up with the stars and creators to discuss Volume 2’s twists and turns, from Will’s (Noah Schnapp) big reveal to Henry Creel’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) past, and everything in between.

As fans see in the latest episodes, Hawkins is gearing up for its final battle as Will, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and the rest of the gang infiltrate the Upside Down to squash Vecna’s ultimate plan of colliding two worlds, the one called The Abyss and Earth.

But before diving into the Upside Down, Will felt like his only way forward was to be honest with those he loves most, coming out to everyone as gay in an emotional lead-up to the final battle. “I just hope it can touch real people and help empower so many kids out there struggling with that same self-identity journey to come to terms with themselves and accept themselves,” Schnapp tells TV Insider of the pivotal moment.

Noah Schnapp in 'Stranger Things' Season 5

Netflix

“And beyond just the queer community, help many people out there who just struggle to believe in themselves and are scared to be who they are, to feel empowered that it’s OK,” he adds. “When you see everyone hug Will and embrace him like that… It’s just so powerful.”

Meanwhile, fans uncovered more about Henry’s past and what may have led him to become the monster known as Vecna. While Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly (Nell Fisher) attempt to escape Camazotz, they discover the only way through is by entering one of Henry’s oldest memories, in which he fell down a mine shaft in the desert and happened across a scientist with a briefcase and a gun.

When the man shot Henry’s hand, the boy attacked, seemingly killing the man, and opened the box, which we never fully see. So… what’s in the box? The series finale will unveil more answers, Bower teases, “The way [Episode 7] ends really does set us up for eight in a very… I just don’t think anyone’s really ready for [Episode] 8. It’s very, very cool how much are we yet to explore with regards to Henry… there’s more to be discovered.”

Jamie Campbell Bower in 'Stranger Things'

Netflix

While the intent of the Hawkins crew is clear in Volume 2’s final moments, not everyone is clued into the motivations of some characters, mainly Eleven and Kali (Linnea Berthelsen), the latter of which revealed to Eleven that Dr. Kay (Linda Hamilton) had been continuing Dr. Brenner’s (Matthew Modine) experiments, infusing pregnant women with Kali’s blood in hopes of creating more super-abled children.

The only trouble? Her blood isn’t working, and whether they defeat Henry or not, as long as there are super-abled people on Earth, the experiments will never end. Kali suggests to Eleven, as they plan to break Earth away from The Abyss, effectively eliminating the Upside Down, that they should disappear with it, to prevent further experiments.

“A lot of the question of Eleven and what life looks like and what her ultimate fate is going to be, to us, something that we found really interesting to explore in the writers’ room,” Matt Duffer says. “And that’s really one reason we wanted to bring Kali back… She’s coming from a very sort of pragmatic, realistic point of view.”

Jamie Campbell Bower Makes Broadway Debut in Surprise 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Appearance

Matt warns, “Hopper, of course, is right to not completely trust her,” in regards to Kali, who was discussing this secret plan with Eleven behind Hopper’s (David Harbour) back. Meanwhile, Ross Duffer adds, “Mike is the dreamer of the three, the optimist.”

Can Eleven come out of the final battle intact? Only time will tell after a fairly deathless Volume 2. See what else the team is sharing in the full video interview above, and let us know what you thought of Volume 2’s epic installments in the comments section.

Stranger Things, Season 5 Finale, Premiere, December 31, 2025, Netflix