Stranger Things season 5's time jump has been confirmed, but it adds another tricky aspect to Max's fate in the show's final installment. It's now been over two years since season 4 arrived on Netflix, with Stranger Things season 5 releasing in 2025. Though a direct release date isn't known, more details regarding the final chapter are slowly coming out. That said, we already know who is returning as part of the Stranger Things cast, and it includes Sadie Sink's Max, a character that has been vital to the story since her debut in season 2.

Stranger Things season 4's ending tragically featured Max becoming one of Vecna's victims despite Eleven's failed attempt to save her. El's powers brought Max back from the dead, but Vecna's possession still left her in a coma with broken limbs, blindness, and other serious injuries. Heading into season 5, it was unclear what Sink's return as Max would look like,...