Stranger Things Season 5's Holly Wheeler Recast Makes Sen...

Stranger Things Season 5's Major Recast Makes Sense Now

Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5

By Adrienne Tyler Published 24 minutes ago Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Warning: spoilers for Stranger Things season 5, part 1.

Stranger Things is finally back with the first part of its fifth and final season, and its recast of one character makes a lot more sense now. Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things quickly became one of Netflix’s biggest hits and most popular TV shows, earning a spot among the best TV shows of all time.

After the cliffhanger ending of Stranger Things season 4, season 5 takes place in the fall of 1987, over a year after the events of the previous season. Following the Upside Down’s attempt to take over Hawkins, the military has now surrounded Hawkins, while the group continues to plan how to find and destroy Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).

Even with their combined efforts, the Hawkins crew is taken by surprise by Vecna’s plan, as he sends the Demogorgons to attack the Wheeler house and take Holly, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Mike’s (Finn Wolfhard) younger sister. The cast of Stranger Things season 5 went through a minor recast, and fans of the show will see a different Holly this season.

Who Played Holly Wheeler In Stranger Things Seasons 1-4

Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 1

The Wheeler family is formed by father Ted (Joe Chrest), mother Karen (Cara Buono), Nancy, Mike, and Holly. The whole family made their debut in Stranger Things season 1, with Mike and Nancy being part of the main cast from then on. Holly was very young at the beginning of Stranger Things, so she had mostly been kept as far from the horrors of Hawkins as possible.

In the first four seasons of Stranger Things, Holly Wheeler was played by twins Anniston and Tinsley Price. The young actresses had previously appeared in The Walking Dead in an uncredited role as Judith Grimes, as well as in the movies The Divergent Series: Allegiant, Forever My Girl, Trial by Fire, and Galveston, all but the latter also being uncredited roles.

Who Plays Holly Wheeler In Stranger Things Season 5

Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler smiling at Mike in Stranger Things season 5

For its fifth season, Stranger Things had to recast Holly as she has grown up and now has a bigger role in the story. Because of this, Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5 is played by Nell Fisher, who horror fans will recognize from one of her biggest roles to date.

Nell Fisher’s acting career began in 2022 in two episodes of the murder mystery comedy drama TV series My Life Is Murder and the movie Northspur. Fisher’s big break arrived the following year when she played Kassie in Evil Dead Rise, Beth’s (Lily Sullivan) niece and Ellie’s (Alyssa Sutherland) youngest daughter.

After facing the evil dead and before meeting Vecna, Fisher played Luisa in Netflix’s interactive rom-com Choose Love and Mildred in the adventure comedy drama movie Bookworm. At the time of writing, Fisher has no confirmed roles after playing Holly in Stranger Things season 5.

How Old Is Holly Wheeler In Stranger Things Season 5

Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler and Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler in Stranger Things season 5

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Although Stranger Things has introduced the younger siblings of its main characters and has even made them part of the crew, as happened with Lucas’ sister, Erica (Priah Ferguson), Holly is still the youngest character. When viewers met Holly in season 1, she was three years old, with her birthday being listed as October 3, 1980.

This means that Holly was four in seasons two and three, five in season 4, and now seven during the events of season 5. Even though she’s older than when the audience first met her, Holly is still a child, and that’s what’s making her role in season 5 and everything she has gone through so far a lot more terrifying, traumatic, and darker.

Why Holly Is So Important For Stranger Things Season 5

Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler looking scared in Stranger Things season 5

As mentioned above, Holly is no longer a minor character in Stranger Things who occasionally appears next to her mother. Stranger Things season 5 seized that Holly is now older to make her part of the story – but as this is Stranger Things and the main threat to defeat is Vecna, Holly was never going to have a happy storyline.

Holly is Vecna’s first target in Stranger Things season 5, and for that, he appeared to her as Henry Creel by invading her mind. Henry became Holly’s imaginary friend to earn her trust, and when he had her kidnapped from her home, he brought her into his new lair inside the Upside Down.

This new place looks like the human world to give her a fake sense of safety, and it’s all part of a big plan by Vecna to “reshape the world.” Vecna is now going after Hawkins’ children as he sees them as weak in body and mind, which would make them easier to control them – and the reason why Holly was first is that she’s linked to Vecna’s enemies.

The first part of Stranger Things season 5 has established the first part of Vecna’s new plan, through which he has now kidnapped more children aside from Holly, as well as Will’s connection to Vecna himself.

It’s to be seen what Vecna will do next with Holly and the kids in Stranger Things season 5, but it’s already clear that kidnapping the youngest Wheeler was his first mistake, and the Hawkins crew is now more determined than ever to find him and kill him.

521 9.2/10

8/10

Stranger Things

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Mystery Horror Science Fiction Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Directors Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz Writers Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock Will Mike Dustin and Lucas seen from the point of view of a screen in Stranger Things season 2

7 Images

Eleven looking into an opening of the Upside Down with pink light in Stranger Things season 1

Jim Hopper (David Harbour) grabbing Jonathan's (Charlie Heaton) shoulders in Stranger Things season 1©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection

Eleven with cables all over her head in Stranger Things season 4

Vecna looking towards Will in the trailer for Stranger Things season 5 (2025) Max and Eleven standing in front of a bus in Stranger Things.

Max and Eleven in Stranger ThingsNetflix

Stranger Things season 2, episode 2 "Trick or Treat, Freak".MovieStillsDB

The Upside Down in Stranger Things season 5Courtesy of Netflix Close

Cast

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Millie Bobby Brown Jane 'Eleven' Hopper
Finn Wolfhard Mike Wheeler

Genres Drama, Mystery, Horror, Science Fiction Creator(s) Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Powered by

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Stranger Things

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