What’s it going to take to defeat Vecna once and for all on Stranger Things? We don’t have to wait to much longer for the answer to that question, as Season 5’s next three episodes drop Christmas Day, followed by the Netflix subscription-exclusive show’s series finale on New Year’s Eve. However, if we work with the premise where crossovers between other franchises is possible, some of the Stranger Things cast members have thoughts about if Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies could get the job done.
Natalia Dyer, Sadie Sink, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown were asked by EW what “monster or villain from another fictional universe” could actually defeat Vecna. As you’ll see in the below video, the former two Stranger Things actors brought up Voldemort, a.k.a. Tom Riddle, who plagued the Wizarding World community for decades:
Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler, said that she and her costars have discussed the similarities between Stranger Things and Harry Potter since they both follow young casts fighting fantastical forces of evil. So in that sense, pitting Voldemort against Vecna makes sense, with Sink saying that a “Voldemort-like figure”/“half human, half dark magic sorcerer” like the latter could vanquish the former. We’ll never see a showdown like this occur, but this is the kind of premise for which fan fiction was made.
Meanwhile, Schnapp suggested Marvel’s Thanos as an option, specifically when he’s using all six Infinity Stones since he can just snap Vecna out of existence. And then, Millie Bobby Brown gave us the most likeliest of possibilities by suggesting that her own character, Eleven, should defeat the villain. Quite frankly, the chances are strong that we’ll see that happen in Stranger Things’ final episodes, but it’s still fun to think about these ‘what if’ scenarios where Voldemort and Thanos could just walk into the Upside Down and wipe the floor with Vecna. Of course, then the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana would have to worry about what these baddies would do to them, so let’s not fall down that rabbit hole.
As far as Stranger Things as a lone entity is concerned, at least Eleven now has another ally to help her in the coming battle against Vecna. She and Hopper discovered Kali, a.k.a. Eight, being held captive by Dr. Kay and her soldier, so hopefully we’ll see the two “sisters” fighting alongside one another. Even better, Will Byers’ gained the ability to channel Vecna’s powers, which he used to eliminate the Demogorgons that were going to kill his friends. So we’ll likely see him finally bring the hurt to the man once known as Henry Creel.
Although Stranger Things will end once 2025 is over, the franchise as a whole isn’t going anywhere. The animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 will premiere sometime on the 2026 TV schedule, and a live-action spinoff is still in development. I’m also crossing my fingers that Netflix will eventually release a recording of the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which follows Henry Creel in 1959.
