Stranger Things fan theory suggests Eddie Munson could return for season 5
Is Eddie coming back for season 5? It might not be as preposterous as it sounds... **CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR STRANGER THINGS SEASON 4**
It's now been almost a month since the final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4 debuted, and fans are still bereft at the loss of Eddie Munson, struck down in his prime by a horde of demobats.
Eddie star Joseph Quinn told RadioTimes.com that his death was "a brilliantly realised ending for a brilliantly written character" and that "as an actor you want characters with those kinds of arc", so it certainly seems as though Eddie's time on the show is at an end.
However, that hasn't stopped fans theorising about possible ways that the character could return for season 5, with one particular theory emerging on Reddit and lighting up the internet of late.
So, the theory is, and bear with us here – Eddie will come back as a vampire.
It might sound ridiculous given that the show has so far stayed away from depictions of well-known monsters, but there is actually some grounding to it, and it all comes from the show's Dungeons & Dragons influences.
The characters have named a number of the show's villains after their favourite role playing game, including Vecna, the demogorgons and the Mind Flayer, and fans on Reddit have pointed out that Eddie's death mirrors that of another D&D character, Kas the Bloody Handed.
Not only is Kas's story directly linked with Vecna's in D&D, just as Eddie's was, but he's also killed by bats. Coincidence? Possibly, although those Duffer Brothers do love peppering the show with deep-cut easter eggs.
What comes next is why fans are theorising Eddie's return. Following his death, Kas is reincarnated by Vecna to serve as his right hand, and does so under his subjugation.
He eventually manages to summon enough strength to rebel against Vecna and kill him once and for all, marking the sort of strong redemption arc Stranger Things may find too good to resist.
Fans on Reddit have pointed to Eddie's tattoos of bats and puppet strings as further confirmation that he will indeed take on Kas's role in season 5, while others have noted that Eddie's body is currently unaccounted for, left in the Upside Down by the show's heroes in a move which feels uncharacteristically cold. Some have suggested this is because the body needed to be left there for Vecna to get his hands on it and resurrect him.
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It may be that this theory is just fans taking their wish fulfilment too far. Or, it could simply be a nice little easter egg from the Duffers, not intended to go any further than it already has. For one thing, it seems unlikely that Eddie would be the one to finally take Vecna out, rather than Eleven, Will or any of the other original characters.
However, it's still an interesting theory which can't help make us wonder if there might be more for Eddie to do before Stranger Things is all wrapped up at the end of the next season.
Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix now.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
