The stage is set, the Upside Down is ready, and Hawkins is braced for its last stand. Amid the swirling speculations about what the end of Stranger Things will bring, a different kind of mystery lingers — one measured in minutes, not monsters. The previous season redefined episodic storytelling with feature-length chapters. As the conclusion approaches, the burning question remains: will the final stretch be bigger, longer, and bolder, or will time be used as sparingly as promised?

Are Stranger Things Season 5 episodes set to outlast even the super-sized chapters of Season 4? Debunking the social media confusion.

A chart floating on X gives out unconfirmed information on the runtime of Stranger Things Season 5 episodes, stating that while the first two chapters of the upcoming installment last between 2 hours and 10 minutes to 2 hours and 25 minutes, the last episode — Episode 8 of the epic Netflix show — will run for 3 hours, beating the 2 hour and 30 minute runtime of Stranger Things 4’s final episode. Well, while it is true that the past season did feature lengthier episodes than any contemporary streaming offerings, the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, revealed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2022 that Season 5 beating Season 4 in runtime is highly unlikely.

The duo explained how Season 4 had to show the Stranger Things kids adapting to their high school life, which ended up stretching the length of the production. “None of that is obviously going to be occurring [in Season 5],” one half of the duo said. Moreover, actor Finn Wolfhard told Collider recently that some of the episodes of Season 5 would conclude in less than 40 to 45 minutes, while the finale could follow in the footsteps of the Stranger Things 4 finale, maintaining a balance throughout the season. Well, while only time will tell what Stranger Things 5 has in store for fans, theories of a potential Vecna victim’s comeback are creating equal buzz.

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Fans await the resurrection of a fallen Hawkins hero, wishing Stranger Things 5, which they also want to release in theaters, to serve more than just a return from the dead.

After Eddie Munson’s heroic sacrifice for his friends last season, Stranger Things fans are not quite ready to embrace the fact that he is gone forever. The very fierce fandom has formed a list of theories, in fact suggesting potential ways the makers could have ensured his return in the upcoming installment. From dream sequences to flashback scenes, Hawkins loyalists will take the character back in any capacity possible.

The most detailed theory crafted by fans, however, is the one where they hope he is not dead in the first place but rather is safe and sound in Vecna’s mindspace, leaving room for Eleven to do what she does best. Much like the rumor of Stranger Things Season 5 being lengthier than Season 4, this conjecture will also be laid to rest with the debut of the season, which has been divided into three parts, lasting from spanning over two months.

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Do you think Stranger Things 5 will be longer than the last season? Let us know in the comments!