Honestly, it feels like a lifetime ago since we first saw three boys in 1980s basement gear frantically playing Dungeons & Dragons. When Stranger Things premiered in 2016, Millie Bobby Brown was literally twelve years old. Now? She’s a married woman, a business mogul, and a global fashion icon. Watching the stranger things cast then and now is basically like looking at a family photo album where everyone hit a massive growth spurt while you weren't looking.
The show became a cultural juggernaut not just because of the Demogorgons or the synth-heavy soundtrack, but because we watched these kids grow up in real-time. It’s been nearly a decade. That’s a long time in Hollywood, but it’s an eternity when you’re transitioning from middle school to your twenties.
The Evolution of the Party: From Bikes to Blockbusters
Millie Bobby Brown’s transformation is the one everyone talks about. In Season 1, she was the quiet girl with the shaved head and a penchant for Eggo waffles. Fast forward to today, and Millie is the founder of Florence by Mills and the star of the Enola Holmes franchise. She’s moved far beyond Hawkins. While her character, Eleven, struggled to find her voice, Millie found hers early, becoming one of the youngest people ever included on the Time 100 list of most influential people. She recently married Jake Bongiovi, and if that doesn’t make you feel old, I don't know what will.
Then there’s Finn Wolfhard.
Finn was the scrawny Mike Wheeler. Now, he’s a legit indie rock musician with his band The Aubreys and a director in his own right. He’s got this sharp, angular look now that’s a far cry from the bowl-cut kid who was obsessed with finding his best friend. Finn has successfully navigated the "child star" trap by picking weird, interesting roles in movies like It and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. He’s stayed grounded, mostly by leaning into his love for music and film history.
Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin have had equally wild journeys. Gaten, who plays Dustin, has used his platform to raise massive awareness for cleidocranial dysplasia, the condition he actually has in real life. He’s also a Broadway veteran now, having returned to the stage in Sweeney Todd. He’s still got that infectious energy, but his voice is about four octaves deeper than it was in 2016. Caleb, meanwhile, has turned into a total style icon. He’s ripped, he’s hitting the red carpets in high-fashion fits, and he’s moved into more serious dramatic territory with films like Concrete Cowboy alongside Idris Elba.
The Teenagers Who Are Definitely Not Teenagers Anymore
It’s always funny to look at the "older kids." Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, and Charlie Heaton were playing high schoolers when the show started.
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Joe Keery is perhaps the biggest surprise. Steve Harrington was supposed to be a one-season jerk who got eaten. Instead, Joe’s charm made him the "mom" of the group. Today, Joe is a serious musician under the name Djo—his song "End of Beginning" went absolutely viral on TikTok. He’s also carved out a space in film with Free Guy and Fargo. He still has the hair, though. That’s the one thing that hasn’t changed.
Natalia Dyer (Nancy) and Charlie Heaton (Jonathan) are a real-life couple, which is one of those rare "life imitates art" things that fans actually love. Natalia has stayed busy with indie projects like Velvet Buzzsaw, while Charlie has popped up in the Marvel universe with The New Mutants. They both look remarkably similar to their Season 1 selves, just more refined. More "adult."
Why the Delay Changed Everything for the Stranger Things Cast Then and Now
The gap between Season 4 and the upcoming Season 5 has been brutal for the timeline. Because of the industry strikes and the massive scale of production, the stranger things cast then and now comparison is going to be even more jarring when the final episodes finally drop.
Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, was the youngest of the bunch. He’s now a college student. Seeing Will Byers with a 5 o'clock shadow is going to require some serious suspension of disbelief from the audience, or perhaps a significant time jump in the script. The Duffer Brothers have hinted that the age gap will be addressed, likely because you simply can't pretend these 20-somethings are still 15.
Sadie Sink and the Power of 'All Too Well'
We can't talk about the cast without mentioning Sadie Sink. She joined in Season 2 as Max Mayfield, the "Madmax" skater girl. Sadie’s career trajectory has been vertical. After her powerhouse performance in "Dear Billy" (the Kate Bush episode), she became the face of Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film. She’s also worked with Darren Aronofsky in The Whale. Sadie has arguably become the most critically acclaimed actor of the younger group, showing a depth of emotion that most veterans would envy.
David Harbour and Winona Ryder: The Anchors
While the kids grew up, the adults just got cooler. Winona Ryder was already a legend, but Stranger Things was a massive comeback for her. She’s the same Winona—intense, brilliant, and slightly eccentric.
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David Harbour, however, underwent a physical metamorphosis. He went from the "Dad Bod" Chief Hopper to a shredded action star for Black Widow and Hellboy. Seeing David Harbour's transition is a huge part of the stranger things cast then and now narrative. He’s moved from a character actor to a leading man, all while keeping that gruff, lovable Hopper energy alive.
The Newcomers Who Stole the Show
Every season adds someone new who instantly feels like they've always been there. Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) joined in Season 3. As the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, she had high expectations to meet, and she crushed them. She’s now a staple of the fashion world and has a thriving music career.
And then there’s Joseph Quinn. Eddie Munson was only in one season, but he became the heart of the show. Since his "Master of Puppets" moment, Joseph has been cast in the Fantastic Four as the Human Torch and starred in A Quiet Place: Day One. His "then" was a relatively unknown British actor; his "now" is an A-list superstar.
The Reality of Growing Up in the Public Eye
There is a darker side to this evolution. The cast has been very vocal about the pressures of being famous so young. Finn Wolfhard has spoken about being stalked by adult fans when he was only 13. Millie Bobby Brown has had to deal with intense scrutiny over her outfits and her personal life.
When we look at the stranger things cast then and now, we aren't just looking at physical changes. We’re looking at a group of people who had to navigate puberty while the entire world watched. It’s a lot. They’ve handled it with a surprising amount of grace. Most of them have stayed out of the typical "Hollywood trouble," focusing instead on their crafts—whether that’s acting, music, or business.
Technical Challenges of the Final Season
The Duffer Brothers are facing a unique problem. Usually, a show wraps up before the kids look like they can pay a mortgage. Because of the production cycles, Stranger Things has become a period piece where the actors are outgrowing the period.
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- Digital De-aging? Unlikely. The Duffers have said they prefer practical effects.
- Time Jumps: This is the most logical route. Moving the story into the late 80s or even the 1990s would allow the cast's real-life ages to align with the story.
- Wardrobe and Makeup: They’ve used clever costuming to keep them looking younger, but there’s only so much a baggy hoodie can do.
What to Expect Next
As we head toward the final season, the stranger things cast then and now story will reach its climax. We will see these actors one last time in the roles that defined their lives. After that? They are free.
Expect Millie Bobby Brown to dominate the production side of Hollywood. Look for Finn Wolfhard to become an indie darling director. Sadie Sink is almost certainly headed for an Oscar nomination in the next few years. They are no longer the "kids from Stranger Things." They are the new guard of Hollywood.
If you want to keep up with them, follow their specific projects outside of Netflix. Check out Joe Keery's music on Spotify or watch Maya Hawke's independent films. The best way to appreciate how far they've come is to see what they do when they aren't running from monsters in the Upside Down.
To really see the contrast, go back and watch the Season 1 pilot. Then, jump immediately to the Season 4 finale. The difference isn't just in the height or the voices; it's in the confidence. They started as children following a script; they ended as artists commanding the screen. Hawkins might be a fictional place, but the growth of these actors is as real as it gets.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch the 2024/2025 interviews with the cast to see their current styling and hear them discuss their final days on set.
- Explore the musical discography of Joe Keery (Djo) and Finn Wolfhard (The Aubreys) to see their artistic range beyond acting.
- Keep an eye on the official Netflix social channels for "First Look" photos of Season 5, which will be the ultimate "now" in the series' history.