The creators of Stranger Things have responded to a conspiracy theory that claims there exists a ‘Snyder Cut’ of Season 5 Volume 2 amid a petition with nearly 400,000 signatures.
Earlier this week, Stranger Things actor Randy Havens, who plays school teacher Mr. Clarke, pushed back on claims there is a secret 'Snyder cut' of Season 5 Volume 2, as a petition calling on Netflix and the show's creators the Duffer brothers to respond garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures online.
Ahead of the Stranger Things Season 5 finale on New Year’s Eve, Havens appeared to respond to an unverified, fan-made Google Doc detailing allegedly shortened storylines that had gained attention on social media. The Change.org petition that calls on Netflix to release the alleged “unseen footage” has over 378,000 signatures, at the time of this article’s publication.
The most-liked comment on the petition comes from someone who seems convinced that footage was cut from Season 5 Volume 2 for nefarious reasons. “We have been waiting since 2022 to see this last season,” they wrote. “To be robbed of scenes by Netflix which really could have gelled the show all together is absolutely unacceptable, and I speak on behalf of all fans that we have been betrayed for the show we love. We don’t sit down and do nothing, we need to show the Duffer brothers, Netflix, and especially Shawn Levy. We want our full episodes, we want the scenes which change everything. We want our show back.”
Stranger Things fans have slammed the petition and the Google Doc that appears to have inspired it, while praising Havens for hitting back on social media. Now, in a Variety interview, the Duffer brothers insisted the Google Doc is “obviously… not a real thing,” confirmed no scenes were cut from Season 5, and denied accusations of interference from Netflix.
“I don’t think there’s a single cut scene in the entire season,” Ross Duffer said, before Matt Duffer added: “The show has just grown so massive. Online, there’s just so much misinformation. Just tons of it. We would be here for hours trying to bat down the stuff that was not true. But at the end of the day, hopefully the work speaks for itself, and it is the show that Ross and I wanted to make. Netflix was, and has always been, incredible. I mean, there’s no interference or direction at all from them on us. They really trust us, and that’s been true from Season 1 on. It’s never changed, even though the show and the size of the audience have grown.”
Meanwhile, Stranger Things has suffered from review bombing after Season 5 Episode 7 met with lower audience scores than the Netflix series has typically seen. While the fifth and final season of Stranger Things had sparked complaints from some fans about the exposition-heavy writing, the varying quality of the actor's performances, and the plot armor some of their characters seemingly enjoy, Episode 7, called ‘The Bridge,’ became the focal point of a vociferous debate that spilled over into review aggregate websites.
Will Byers' coming out scene appears to have fueled this review bombing. In it, Will, played by Noah Schnapp, issues a lengthy monologue in which he tells a gathering of characters that he “doesn’t like girls.” The scene, which takes place as supervillain Vecna applies the finishing touches to his masterplan for world domination, ends with an emotional Will comforted by his friends.
The Duffer brothers were asked about the review bombing in the Variety interview, and explained Will’s coming out scene shouldn’t have come as a surprise. “The coming out scene is something we’ve been building to for nine years now,” Ross Duffer said. “It was a really important scene for us, and a really important scene for Noah — not just from a thematic point of view, but also a narrative point of view. This show has always been about our characters overcoming evil, and in order to overcome this evil, Vecna, in so many ways, represents all the dark thoughts and the evil of society. And for our characters to overcome that, it really becomes about embracing themselves, and then also embracing one another and coming together.”
Matt Duffer called the scene “the final step in Will’s journey.” He continued: “and Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna. Volume 1 is really about self-acceptance, right? I mean, that’s sort of step one. And then step two is Will is talking to Robin — it’s something that he wants to do. He’s trying to figure out how to come out, and he knows that he needs to do that, and that that’s the final step for him. And he finds the courage to be able to do it. And it’s really the ultimate fuck you to Vecna. That was the intention.”
As for the review bombing campaign, Matt Duffer said the creators were not prepared for it. “Because it is, as Ross said, something we’ve been building for a really long time. I always say, Ross and I are many things, but subtle is not one of those things!”
Matt revealed that he’s been texting with Noah Schnapp after the coming out scene aired, “and he’s in a really good place. He’s very proud of the scene, and we’re proud of the scene.”
We've got plenty more on Stranger Things, including the Duffer brothers explaining what they were going for with the Season 5 finale and Eleven's ending, and first details on the live-action spinoff.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
