Vecna just got one more tremendous foe to face in Stranger Things 5, with the news that Linda Hamilton is joining the cast for the fifth (and final) season. The announcement came out of Tudum, Netflix’s annual fan event, and was made by Hamilton’s Terminator co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While we didn’t get any details on her character, Hamilton did reveal she’s a fan of the show, joking that she doesn’t “know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time.”
No doubt her action legacy (and her incredible biceps) will be helpful in the fight for the fate of the world. Of course, all this assumes Hamilton is playing a good guy — there’s plenty of bad guy options she could play (and knock out of the park) in the battle against Vecna. Season 4 ended with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and crew staring down a nearly destroyed Hawkins, and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) still trying to merge the Upside Down with the regular world. The final battle has yet to fully begin, meaning Hamilton’s character — whoever it is — could join either side.
Fans will likely have to wait a little while to find out. Although season 4 premiered in two parts in 2022, there’s still no official release date for Stranger Things season 5.
In the meantime, fans can revisit Hamilton’s ’80s filmography to better understand the sheer amount of badass she’s bringing to the table. If they finish that before the new season is out — which could be a while, unfortunately — then there’s plenty of other ’80s stars who have joined Stranger Things, whose back catalogues they could catch up on. Beyond that, we’re all just killing time until Stranger Things 5 (or the universe’s cartoon spin-off) finally debut.
