Fans worried about Max’s fate in Stranger Things season 5 don’t need to worry because the creators have already debunked a new theory after recent photos of Sadie Sink emerged online. Recently, Sadie Sink met with performers from Stranger Things on Stage, the London stage performance that is a prequel to the Stranger Things television series. This sent Stranger Things fans into a frenzy, as they assumed that since Sink was not with her Stranger Things cast for filming, she had suffered a horrible fate.
When audiences last saw Max (played by Sadie Sink) on Stranger Things, she was in a coma after Eleven brought her back to life following a showdown with Vecna. Season 5 is currently filming in Atlanta, so when fans saw Sink pop up overseas, panic set in that Max did not survive into season 5 or at least only survived for a short period of time. Those theories and worries have already been debunked by creators Matt and Ross Duffer (the Duffer Brothers) based on their comments and cast photos prior to season 5 beginning production.
Stranger Things Already Confirmed Sadie Sink Is Returning As Max In Season 5
The Duffer Brothers have confirmed in recent comments that Max is alive and will be a part of season 5 of Stranger Things, which is currently in production. In addition, Sadie Sink was present in the now infamous cast photo from mid-January where all the season 5 Stranger Things cast gathered to read through scripts ahead of shooting. If Sink was present for the reading of scripts, that confirms that her character both survived the season 4 trauma with Vecna and that she has at least some lines throughout the season.
Sadie’s character, Max, has become a core member of the show since her introduction in season 2 and, so far, the Duffer Brothers have been very reluctant to kill off any main cast members. Even when Chief Hopper’s death apparently happened at the end of Stranger Things season 3, the show was quick to drop easter eggs and hints that he still might be alive. The more realistic explanation is that Sink could have been on a break for filming or, more likely, that her role in the first part of the new season is minimal.
Sadie Sink Being On Stranger Things 5’s Set Less Than Others Makes Sense
Continuing the plot at the end of Stranger Things season 4, it makes sense that Max’s character would not be on set much at the beginning if filming is happening in chronological order according to episodes. At the end of season 4, Max is in a coma and unconscious after her battle in the Upside Down with Vecna. The show is unlikely to spend too much time in Max’s hospital room to start the season, which would free up Sadie Sink to complete any other projects and responsibilities.
The spread of the Upside Down seen in the last scene of season 4 lends itself to there being a short turnaround between seasons, rather than a long-term time jump where that is not explained. If that truly is the case, Max should still be in the hospital when season 5 kicks off rather than up and around like nothing happened to her. The Duffer Brothers surely want to capitalize on the emotional moment of when Max awakes, meaning she will likely begin the new season still in a coma.
Max Is Too Important For Stranger Things Season 5 To Not Bring Back Properly
Throughout the arc of season 4, Max became central to the Vecna story because of his connection to her and how she became the one victim who was able to learn how to confront and escape him. She is a key part of the Stranger Things kids’ group and Max has an ongoing relationship with Lucas, while quickly becoming a fan-favorite character. The revelation at the end of season 4 that she is still alive gave the final season serious stakes for her character, and those will surely be paid off when the new season comes.
For fans of the show, Max has become a beloved addition, and Max’s troubled past and unsavory home life have added depth to the story. Of course, this doesn’t mean she can’t die in season 5, but it would be a shocking twist to find out after such a long layoff that her character passes away while in the hospital or shortly after the season starts. Max remains someone who Vecna wants with him in the Upside Down. Just because she escaped once does not mean she will be free from his pursuit and his torture in the upcoming episodes.
What Will Happen To Max In Stranger Things Season 5?
Considering the role she played in being trapped deep inside the Upside Down where Vecna lives, Max is likely to be a central force in whatever resolution finally destroys the antagonist and closes off Hawkins and the rest of the world from the Upside Down forever. No one else alive in the Stranger Things story possesses the knowledge Max has, and she will be a central part of the final plan. She could end up being the skeleton key that unlocks the secret to defeating Vecna.
Stranger Things should not be afraid to kill off major characters as the final season approaches, however. The confrontation has moved to an entirely new level at the end of season 4, meaning the stakes are higher heading into the final season. Considering how close to death Max has already been, that may have been a way for the Duffer brothers to foreshadow what her ultimate fate is. Regardless of what happens to Max when the curtain falls on the final episode, she will be an essential part of the story and heavily involved in season 5.
Stranger Things
Inspired by 80s pop-culture and elements of Stephen King’s works, Stranger Things is a supernatural action-drama TV series set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. When a young boy goes missing, his group of friends stumbles upon a young girl with telekinetic powers who recently escaped from a mysterious facility. They soon realize that she may be their only chance at stopping an impending doom that threatens to engulf Hawkins whole.
- Cast
- Finn Wolfhard , joe keery , Jamie Campbell Bower , Brett Gelman , Caleb McLaughlin , Maya Hawke , David Harbour , Matthew Modine , Priah Ferguson , Gaten Matarazzo , Winona Ryder , Charlie Heaton , Sadie Sink , Millie Bobby Brown , Joseph Quinn , Dacre Montgomery , Natalia Dyer , Noah Schnapp
- Seasons
- 4
- Writers
- Matt Duffer , Ross Duffer , Paul Dichter , Kate Trefry
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
