It’s hard to believe that nearly a decade has passed by the time Stranger Things 5 premieres on Netflix, or maybe it’s not that hard to believe for a couple reasons. Obviously, fans have been waiting almost four years for the final season to arrive, and before that, the Netflix original series and worldwide phenomenon also took multiple years in between season releases.
But it’s also because we have watched the young cast grow up before our eyes. We met Mike, Will, Eleven, and the whole gang when they were just little kids, and now they are officially in high school. As for the cast members, those kids are in their 20s, and one’s even married with a baby! Wondering how old the cast was then vs. now? We’re sharing all the details on the Stranger Things cast.
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Finn Wolfhard was born on December 23, 2002, making the Mike Wheeler actor 22 years old when Stranger Things 5 part 1 drops on Netflix. By the time the series finale airs on New Year’s Eve, Wolfhard will be 23 years old. When the series first premiered on July 15, 2016, Wolfhard was 13 years old. While some might have assumed or misremembered that the kids were younger in season 1, Mike and his friends were all 12 years old in the first season, so Wolfhard was basically playing his age.
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
Millie Bobby Brown was born on February 19, 2004, which makes the Eleven actress 21 years old as of the season 5 premiere in November 2025. Back in July 2016 when she first started playing the waffle-obsessed mystery super-child, Brown was 12 years old. Eleven was also about 12 years old in the first season, which takes place in 1983. Since season 5 takes place in 1987, Eleven and her friends should be about 16/17. In 2024, Brown married Jake Bongiovi and the couple announced the adoption of their daughter in 2025.
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Gaten Matarazzo was born on September 8, 2002, making the Dustin Henderson actor 23 years old when season 5 begins in November 2025. Matarazzo was 13 years old at the time of the Stranger Things premiere in July 2016. He was a couple months shy of his 14th birthday. Matarazzo has been dating Avatar: The Last Airbender actress Elizabeth Yu since 2018.
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Caleb McLaughlin was born on October 13, 2001, which makes the Lucas Sinclair actor 24 years old in November 2025. He’s the oldest member of the younger group of Stranger Things kids. When the series premiered on Neftlix in July 2016, McLaughlin was 14 years old, just months away from turning 15.
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Noah Schnapp was born on October 3, 2004, making the Will Byers actor 21 years old as of November 2025. When he first started playing Will in the first season of Stranger Things, Schnapp was 11 years old. He was born in the same year as costar Millie Bobby Brown and is the godfather of Brown’s daughter.
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
Sadie Sink was born on April 16, 2002, which makes the Max Mayfield actress 23 years old at the time of the Stranger Things 5 premiere in November 2025. Sink didn’t join the cast of the Netflix phenomenon until the second season in October 2017. When she made her debut as Max, Sink was 15 years old. In 2025, she receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance in John Proctor Is the Villain.
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Joe Keery was born on April 24, 1992, making the Steve Harrington actor 33 years old as of November 2025. When first started playing the fan-favorite character in July 2016, Keery was 24 years old. In the first season of Stranger Things, Steve was about 17 years old, meaning Keery has been older than his character for quite some time.
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Natalie Dyer was born on January 13, 1995, which makes the Nancy Wheeler actress 30 years old at the time of the Stranger Things 5 premiere in November 2025. When she started playing Nancy in 2016, Dyer was 21 years old. The actress has been dating on-screen boyfriend Charlie Heaton since 2016.
Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Charlie Heaton was born on February 4, 1994, which makes the British actor 31 years old as of November 2025. In the first season, Heaton was 22 years old, many years older than his 16-year-old character Jonathan Byers. While he’s currently dating costar Natalie Dyer, Heaton has a son named Archie, who was born in 2014 from a previous relationship with Akiko Matsuura.
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
Maya Hawke was born on July 8, 1998, making the Robin Buckley actress 27 years old in November 2025 and the youngest member of the older group of Stranger Things kids. Hawke joined the cast in season 3, when she worked with Steve at Scoops Ahoy. She was 20 years old when she first started playing Robin, who was about 17 years old. Hawke is the daughter of actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke and has a successful music career.
Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
Priah Ferguson was born on October 1, 2006, making the Erica Sinclair actress 19 years old at the time of the Stranger Things 5 premiere in November 2025. Ferguson made her debut as Erica in season 2 when she was 11 years old and became a series regular beginning with season 3. Until season 5 saw the addition of Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Ferguson was the youngest member of the cast.
