Stranger Things creators reveal an alternate ending where this much-loved character survives

Stranger Things actor Jamie Campbell Bower as villain Vecna
Stranger Things' latest villain Vecna has claimed a lot of lives, but what if things had turned out differently? (Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 4 fans were left devastated after newcomer Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) was killed off in the finale, but what would have happened if he’d survived?

That’s what series creators The Duffer Brothers have answered after Stranger Things season 4 fans called for the character to come back, with the loveable metal fan quickly becoming a favorite among Netflix viewers.

As a result of the strong fan reaction to Eddie’s death, the brothers have now revealed what would have happened to Eddie if he’d survived the showdown against Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), and sadly his future wasn’t going to be bright either way.

In a new interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Duffer admitted that they "sort of saw Eddie as a bit of a doomed character", meaning even if season 4 had ended differently, Eddie would’ve still suffered down the line. 

He explained: "Imagining the flipside of that, where he does survive that final battle, there’s not a great life waiting for Eddie in the right side up either, so he was really designed from the get-go as a doomed character."

Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson

Eddie Munson sacrificed himself to help the group in Stranger Things season 4. (Image credit: Netflix)

Matt’s brother and writing partner, Ross, added: "He was always going to be a tragic character. There was no other arc for him. He would have wound up in jail — this fantasy that he would have been in Milwaukee graduating sadly was never an outcome for him."

It seemed like Eddie was always doomed after the horrible incident which made him look like he’d murdered classmate Chrissy Cunningham, (Grace Van Dien), but he wasn’t the only one who suffered during the season 4 finale.

We also saw Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) helping her friends to take down Vecna, but it ended in tragedy and she was placed into a coma following her severe injuries at the hands of the Upside Down’s villain. But with her future unclear, what actually happened to Max Mayfield?

Fans will have to wait until Stranger Things season 5 to find out what happens next, with creators confirming it will be the final outing for the Hawkins community, so hopefully, we’ll get more answers then!

Stranger Things seasons 1 - 4 are available on-demand via Netflix.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress