Stranger Things is coming to an end, hopefully sometime in the coming year. Although fans have lost many of their favorite characters for the series to reach its concluding chapter, the excitement of seeing the remaining ones reunite on the screen is still high. This includes not just the core cast but also the supporting characters who have become iconic in their own right and for their quirks on the show. However, it looks like the final season will not have the full ensemble the fandom might have hoped for. 

A Stranger Things actor has already confirmed they will not be returning for the last season.

While no one can top Steve in the best mom category, Claudia Henderson, played by Catherine Curtin, deserves a nod too. Though she did not have as many frames in the show, she nailed her role as Dustin’s warm-hearted, caring mom. However, after four seasons, the actress has proclaimed her exit from the show on an episode of the Monday Morning Critic Podcast. “I’m not a part of Stranger Things season five,” said the 62-year-old. 

Curtin explained that she is bowing out of the last season because she has been busy filming the upcoming movie Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, which hits theaters on October 11th and chronicles Saturday Night Live’s 1975 premiere. Even though she is not returning to the Netflix series, she has talked with some of her peers involved with season 5, who have hinted that the show's highly anticipated ending will be worth the wait- which was also promised by another key cast member recently. 

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Brett Gelman, known for playing Murray Bauman on the show, has given fans a reason to hang tight for season 5.

Brett Gelman, another supporting character in Stranger Things who eventually became a core cast member, is currently promoting his new Apple TV+ show, Lady in the Lake. While he was careful about not spilling any secrets of the show, he told Screen Rant that “filming is going great” and that fans “will be very happy with season five.” Gelman went on to confess that this season is probably "the most secretive thing" he has worked on yet.

This is not surprising considering how the makers and cast members have been gatekeeping Stranger Things facts. While Murray Bauman, now with his unique skill set and newfound experience in fighting otherworldly creatures, would undoubtedly be a key player in the final showdown, Claudia Henderson, one of the survivors of the Upside Down havoc, will not be seen in the fifth season. 

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What do you think about Catherine Curtin exiting Stranger Things? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!