You’ve seen the fan-made posters. Maybe you’ve even scrolled past a TikTok "leaked" casting announcement showing those iconic red curls standing next to Eleven in the Hawkins lab. Honestly, the internet has been trying to manifest Sophia Lillis into the Stranger Things universe for years. It makes sense, right? She’s basically the queen of supernatural 80s nostalgia.
But here’s the reality check. Sophia Lillis is not in Stranger Things. I know, it feels wrong. If you’ve watched IT or I Am Not Okay With This, your brain just naturally slots her into the Duffer Brothers’ world. She fits the vibe so perfectly it’s almost like a Mandela Effect situation. People genuinely argue about whether she played a young Max or some obscure test subject from Season 2. She didn't.
The IT Factor and Finn Wolfhard
The biggest reason for the confusion? Finn Wolfhard.
Back in 2017, when the first IT movie blew up, the marketing leaned heavily into the "Losers Club vs. The Party" comparison. Finn was the bridge. He played Richie Tozier in Derry and Mike Wheeler in Hawkins. Since Sophia was the breakout star of that Losers Club, fans just assumed a crossover—or at least a casting swap—was inevitable.
They even shared the stage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and for a second, the internet collectively lost its mind. You had these two powerhouses of 80s-inspired horror standing together, and suddenly every fan fiction writer on Tumblr was drafting a "Beverly Marsh moves to Hawkins" subplot.
It’s sorta wild how one shared actor can create a decade of misinformation.
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That "I Am Not Okay With This" Connection
If IT started the fire, I Am Not Okay With This poured gasoline on it.
Netflix released the series in 2020, and the marketing was... well, it was basically "Hey, do you like Stranger Things? Here is another show with a telekinetic girl, 80s music, and Sophia Lillis." The show was literally produced by the same team behind Stranger Things.
Seeing Sophia Lillis as Sydney Novak—an angry, telekinetic teen in a denim jacket—was too much for the casual viewer to distinguish. I’ve seen people argue that Sydney is actually a lost "number" from the Hawkins lab. Eight, Eleven... maybe Sydney was Nine?
Nope. Different universe. Different creator (Charles Forsman).
The tragedy is that Netflix canceled I Am Not Okay With This after one season due to COVID-19 production costs. That cliffhanger still hurts. It also left a "Sophia Lillis-shaped hole" in the supernatural teen drama genre that people keep trying to fill with Stranger Things rumors.
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Will She Be in Season 5?
We’re currently in 2026, and the final episodes of Stranger Things have already hit Netflix. We know the cast list. We’ve seen the finales.
Linda Hamilton joined the fray. Nell Fisher played a bigger role as Holly Wheeler. Even some old faces like Kali (Eight) popped back up. But Sophia Lillis? She wasn't on the call sheet.
The Duffer Brothers were actually pretty vocal about not wanting to add too many new characters in the final stretch. They wanted to focus on the OG Hawkins crew. Adding a star as big as Sophia Lillis in the eleventh hour would have been distracting. It would’ve turned into "The Sophia Lillis Show" instead of a goodbye to Dustin, Steve, and the gang.
What She’s Actually Been Doing
While everyone was busy photoshopping her into a Hellfire Club t-shirt, Sophia has been building one of the weirdest and coolest filmographies in Hollywood.
- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: She played Doric, the tiefling druid. If you want to see her in a "party" setting that actually involves monsters and dice, this is the one.
- Asteroid City: She officially became a "Wes Anderson Actor," which is basically the indie version of winning an Oscar.
- All Her Fault: Her recent 2025/2026 thriller work shows she’s moving way past the "spooky kid" trope.
She’s also been working on The Chair Company and a few indie projects that prove she’s more interested in range than just sticking to the 1980s aesthetic.
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Why the Rumors Won't Die
Honestly? It’s because Sophia Lillis and Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) share a very specific "vibe."
Both are incredible actresses. Both have that signature red hair. Both excel at playing "the girl who has seen too much." When Max's character went through the ringer in Season 4, people started drawing parallels to Beverly Marsh’s trauma in IT.
The internet loves a pattern. If you see a girl with short hair and supernatural problems on Netflix, your brain shouts "ELEVEN!" If you see a girl with red hair and a bike, your brain shouts "MAX!" Sophia Lillis just happens to be the personification of everything we love about that genre.
The Final Verdict
Sophia Lillis never stepped foot in the Upside Down.
She didn't fight Vecna, she didn't hang out at Starcourt Mall, and she definitely isn't Eleven’s long-lost sister. She’s just an actress who is so good at a specific type of storytelling that we can't help but wish she was part of the biggest show in the world.
If you’re looking for your Sophia-fix, stop waiting for a Stranger Things cameo that isn't coming. Go watch Uncle Frank or The Adults. She’s doing incredible work that doesn't require a Demogorgon to be interesting.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Check out Sophia’s performance in All Her Fault (2025) to see her move into more mature, grounded roles.
- If you're still mourning the telekinesis vibe, re-watch I Am Not Okay With This—just be prepared for the heartbreak of that Season 1 cliffhanger.
- Follow the official Stranger Things: Tales From '85 animated spinoff updates for 2026; while Sophia isn't attached, it's the next frontier for the franchise.