Who Plays Vecna In Stranger Things 4

Warning: MAJOR spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 volume 1!

Vecna serves as the primary villain in Stranger Things season 4 volume 1, and the actor behind the role presents a major twist in the show. After nearly three years, Netflix has released seven super-sized episodes in the first volume of season 4, diving deeper into the horror tone than ever before. With the next chapter comes a new antagonist plaguing Hawkins, Indiana: Vecna, a powerful being that can curse victims from the Upside Down before violently killing them.

Vecna is first described as an ancient demon linked to the Creel family massacre and later referenced as a dark wizard stemming from the figure in Dungeons & Dragons. Chrissy Cunningham (Grace Van Dien) becomes Vecna’s first victim in Stranger Things season 4, who is then followed by Fred Benson (Logan Riley Bruner). Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) falls under the same curse, but she manages to break his enchantment. Before the Hawkins group could get answers, Patrick McKinney (Myles Truitt) emerges as the next Vecna villain while in the lake. Each time Vecna kills someone, he opens a new gate to the Upside Down, which is a part of his ultimate plan.

The actor who plays Vecna in Stanger Things season 4 is Jamie Campbell Bower, which is a major identity twist. Bower also plays Peter Ballard, the orderly who is often seen helping Eleven during Hawkins Lab flashbacks. He is also eventually confirmed to be Dr. Martin Brenner’s (Matthew Modine) very first test subject, Number One. Bower is an English actor who has had roles in major franchises such as Caius, a Volturi elder, in The Twilight Saga, and young Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. He also starred in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Camelot, and the William Shakespeare drama, Will. The role of Vecna, of course, required more special effects and prosthetics than Bower ever needed before in his career.

Jamie Campbell Bower’s Role As Vecna In Stranger Things 4 Explained

The actor credit for Vecna isn’t revealed until “Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab,” following the identity confirmation that he is the grown-up Henry Creel. Before revealing the origin story of Vecna, Bower’s role in Stranger Things season 4 is credited as “Friendly Orderly,” shielding the character’s true identity. While he plays a superpowered human as Number One, Bower’s portrayal as Vecna required prosthetics, make-up, and a 40-pound full-body suit, resulting in seven and a half hours of prep on filming days (via IGN). According to the team led by makeup artist Barrie Gower, Vecna was brought to life with around 90% practical effects. After Eleven threw Bower’s character through the very first gate, Number One’s body was struck by lightning, altering his appearance with tendril-like skin and clawed fingers. However, his “001” tattoo marking on his wrist remains.

It’s unclear if Bower also voices Vecna, but the fact that the character can talk is highly significant. This marks the first Stranger Things monster from the Upside Down that can directly communicate with villains. Vecna will be heavily featured in Stranger Things season 4 volume 2, meaning Jamie Campbell Bower is still pivotal to the series. Eleven sent him to the Upside Down, and she finally remembers his true identity. With Nancy witnessing Henry Creel’s connection, she too can fill in some of the blanks as the Hawkins group vows to stop Vecna’s terror before he opens too many gates. Following Stranger Things season 4, Bower will appear in another horror project, True Haunting, a project based on the first televised exorcism.

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