Why did Stranger Things season 5 recast Holly Wheeler? Explained

Stranger Things season 5 was announced as the final season of the show in a letter published by the Duffer brothers on February 17, 2022.

Until season 4 of the show, prominent supporting character Holly Wheeler had been played by twin sisters Anniston and Tinsley Price. However, for season 5, Holly Wheeler will be played by Nell Fisher.

This casting change might foreshadow Holly Wheeler moving out of the background into a more prominent role in Stranger Things season 5, especially given the reports of season 5 occurring after a time skip.

The production of Stranger Things season 5 came back into the public eye on July 3, when Ross Duffer announced that it was halfway through production, and on July 15, Netflix posted a Behind the Scenes teaser on the show's YouTube channel.

Stranger Things season 5 will be released sometime in 2025.

Who is Nell Fisher from Stranger Things season 5?

Nell Fisher is an American child actor who has already made a splash in the horror genre with her role as Kassie in 2023's Evil Dead Rise. The film is the latest installment in the Evil Dead franchise, which started out as a staple of 1980s horror, which Stranger Things takes heavy inspiration from.

Given her established pedigree, it's likely the producers of Stranger Things see Nell Fisher's potential in elevating the character of Holly Wheeler once she finally comes out of the background in Stranger Things season 5.

Nell Fisher appears briefly in the Behind the Scenes teaser

Both new and returning cast members were featured in the Stranger Things behind-the-scenes teaser released on July 15.

While Nell Fisher doesn't speak in the video, the featurette does briefly show a scene with her at the 1:25 mark. Stranger Things season 5 will focus on the aftermath of Vecna's defeat in the season 4 finale.

However, despite Vecna's plans being foiled, the gates to the Upside Down have opened up in Hawkins, meaning all manner of otherworldly threats can now infiltrate the town.

Even though Vecna was defeated, he wasn't killed, with the story leaving the possibility of his vengeful return very much open.

The full list of returning and new characters is as follows:

Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
Noah Schnapp as Joyce's son, Will Byers
Charlie Heaton as Will's older brother, Jonathan Byers
David Harbour as Jim Hopper
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper, who was an escapee from the Hawkins Laboratory before she became Jim Hopper's adoptive daughter
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
Brett Gellman as Murray Bauman
Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
Jake Connelly as Derek
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna, a returning villain from season 4

Apart from the above cast, Linda Hamilton and Alex Breaux have been cast in undisclosed roles.

Stranger Things season 5 was already hotly anticipated since its announcement in February 2022, but the recasting of Holly Wheeler is sure to generate further buzz around it. The final season of Stranger Things will be out on 2025, exclusively on Netflix.

About the author

Pulak is a versatile writer who covers all things entertainment at Sportskeeda. An M.Sc. graduate in biotechnology, Pulak worked for over 4.5 years as an innovation expert and writer for the AGNIi Mission at Invest India, covering innovation commercialization for the AGNIi and Invest India newsletters and the Invest India magazine. Pulak also completed two internships at the Public Health Foundation of India, where he created a webcomic about drug development financing models. Additionally, he has interned as a subject matter expert in the life sciences at Evelyn Learning Systems.

Pulak’s career trajectory has been far from linear. Growing up, his love for cartoons and Indian soap operas nurtured a strong attachment to the entertainment field. Pulak’s interest in pop culture particularly developed as a response to life’s uncertainties and as an extension of his desire for independence. However, it was his passion for the written word that motivated him to professionally write about the media he consumed.

As an entertainment writer, Pulak strives to get to the heart of what he is reporting. He also utilizes social media to get first-hand accounts of what's happening in Hollywood to report on them.

As part of the AGNIi Mission, Pulak has covered noteworthy events throughout his professional career, including his participation in the Defense Research and Development Organization's (DRDO) Dare to Dream innovation challenge, projects aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change in Uttarakhand and Ladakh, and a partnership with the Common Services Center (CSC) to encourage village-level entrepreneurship in rural India.

A big fan of Keanu Reeves, Pulak admires the actor for his humility and resilience. He also likes Eminem for being unapologetic about who he is and loves Jeremy Strong for the actor’s dedication to his craft.

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Edited by Bhargav