Stranger Things' Eddie Munson Confirmed Dead, Actor Busy with Other Projects

As of October 20th, 2025, the Stranger Things creators have definitively put to rest any speculation about the return of fan-favorite character Eddie Munson in the show's upcoming fifth and final season. In an interview with Empire, Matt Duffer and his brother Ross Duffer, the co-creators of the hit Netflix series, confirmed that Eddie, played by English actor Joseph Quinn, is indeed dead and will not be making a comeback.

"I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he's dead," Matt Duffer stated. "Joe is so busy anyway, that everyone should know he's not coming back. He's shot like five movies since! When the hell has he got time to come and shoot Stranger Things? No, sadly, RIP. He's fully under that ground."

While Stranger Things has previously resurrected characters who were thought to be dead, the Duffer Brothers made it clear that this will not be the case for Eddie Munson. The character, who was introduced in season 4 as the dungeon master of the Hellfire Club at Hawkins High, met a heroic end while shredding Metallica's "Master of Puppets" in the Upside Down before being torn apart by a swarm of Demo-bats.

Despite his demise, Eddie's presence will still be felt in the upcoming fifth season. The trailers have revealed snippets of Dustin, played by Gaten Matarazzo, visiting Eddie's vandalized gravesite, as the community of Hawkins continues to believe he was responsible for the deaths of several students.

Stranger Things season 5 is set to be released in three parts, with the first four episodes arriving on November 26th, 2025, followed by the next three episodes on Christmas Day and the series finale on New Year's Eve.