It’s been three years since we were introduced to one of the best parts of Stranger Things 4: Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson. From him ragging on Mike, Dustin and Lucas to his Metallica solo that led to his death by way of Demobats, fans fell hard for the rocker. But with Stranger Things Season 5 just around the corner, co-creator and one-half of the Duffer brothers, Matt Duffer lets fans know where Eddie Munson stands.
With the hotly anticipated 2025 Netflix TV and movie schedule debut of Volume 1 on November 26 in the full Stranger Things release calendar, fans have plenty of questions. Ever since, the Hellfire Club member has been a hot topic, most notably when it comes to whether or not Eddie somehow survived. Viewers have wondered if they can count on Quinn’s return for Season 5.
This whole time, the MCU star has been surprisingly coy about confirming or denying a return. Finally, Matt Duffer officially squelched Eddie Munson diehards’ hopes of a cameo of any sort. He explained to Empire that the rising star is just too busy to have come back to shoot ST5, saying:
I love that Joe Quinn is toying with people! But no, he’s dead. 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.
That certainly closes the door to any hopes I had! But just like Barb, some of the best characters are bound to be lost when battling an array of monsters. I do think Eddie would be proud of the Gladiator II actor’s ability to play with so many people’s heads. Fingers are crossed that the Stranger Things 5 new character duo can fill a part of the void where Munson and Co. used to be.
Quinn’s resume has certainly grown since 2022. Between the Stranger Things 4’s finale and present day, he’s had five movies release. Among the quintet are some thrillers including Warfare as well as blockbusters like the first film of the new Fantastic Four franchise. Ahead, he has six on the way, including next year’s MCU’s Avengers: Doomsday with Secret Wars following the year after.
Not only has he committed to the big Avengers movie in the 2026 movie schedule and its sequel, he’s signed on to play one of the Fab Four. Quinn landed the role of George Harrison in Sam Mendes’ Beatles movies, meaning four more movies were added to the count. So, he is going in some very different directions from Eddie Munson and Stranger Things.
Still, a fan can hope! Especially with Joseph Quinn toying with our hearts about whether or not he’ll be heading back to Hawkins. On the other hand, thanks to Matt Duffer, those of us who were holding onto hope can officially let Eddie rest in the Stranger Things lore now. Have your Netflix subscription ready to go on November 26 to see who’s made it to the final season.