The creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers (Matt and Ross Duffer), revealed how they had to prevent the producers of the show’s Broadway prequel, The First Shadow, from spoiling season 5. The show first premiered in 2023 at a West End theatre (the Phoenix Theatre) in London and made its Broadway debut in New York in 2025.
The First Shadow is an official canon prequel to Netflix’s Stranger Things, directed by Stephen Daldry. The play was written and created by Katy Trefry, the Duffer Brothers, and Jack Thorne. It focuses on Henry Creel, a younger version of the series’ villain, Vecna, and his early days in the fictitious town of Hawkins, Indiana.
The creators of the hit science fiction horror show have been hinting at The First Shadow playing an important role in Stranger Things season 5. And, as a result, they had to be very careful about what the Broadway producers were allowed to share on stage to avoid any spoilers for the series’ final installment.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Duffer Brothers discussed the delicate balance between the play and the series. Ross referred to it as a “little connective tissue between the seasons.” However, the creators made it clear that the audience doesn’t need to watch The First Shadow to understand the final chapter.
Matt said that Stranger Things season 5 will show the most important parts of the play. “A lot of the stuff that’s covered in the Broadway show is covered in the final season, as well,” he explained. He revealed that this is also why they had to block several of the play’s producers’ ideas. “Actually we had to block the Broadway show producers a lot from putting in too much material that we were gonna have in season 5 because we did not want it to be too spoilery.”
Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts on Netflix. The separate installments will premiere on November 26, 2025 (part one), December 25, 2025 (part two), and December 31, 2025 (part three).