Stranger Things fans have found potential evidence that season 5 will include scenes featuring young Joyce Byers.

With no trailer or teaser out for season 5, the fans have taken it upon themselves to find new insights into the final season. This led to several leaks over the last couple of months, revealing major plot details from Stranger Things 5. Now, some eagle-eyed fans are convinced that they’ve uncovered casting info for a young version of Joyce Byers.

Fans Spot Clues About Young Joyce Byers in Season 5

Earlier this week, a fan posted a photo of actress Birdy on X and said that this could be a potential casting for young Joyce Byers in Stranger Things 5. The fan pointed out her resemblance to Winona Ryder and noted that she is followed by multiple crew members of Stranger Things.

‼️ A potential casting for young Joyce in the #StrangerThings5 flashbacks

She is followed by multiple crew members and is winona’s literal long lost twin wtf

⚠️ This is not confirmed just a spec and don’t dm or harass the actress

c: Things1987 on reddit pic.twitter.com/81PqZGxaua

— ris (@byrhop) April 27, 2025

Later, her acting resume was also shared, which reportedly lists a recurring role in Stranger Things season 5. While she had mostly done modeling and appeared in music videos, she was also featured in short films, Escort and Twin Flame in 2024.

OMG???? pic.twitter.com/VBEV6ul8c9

— ris (@byrhop) April 28, 2025

This has now confirmed that Birdy will play young Joyce Byers in Stranger Things season 5. The actress recently shared her photoshoot on Instagram with caption “winona 4ever.”

Why Young Joyce Byers Could Be the Key to Season 5

It has long been theorized that Stranger Things 5 will have many flashback scenes. The theory gained even more weight after Stranger Things: The First Shadow premiered on Broadway, which is set in 1959 Hawkins. The play explores the days of younger versions of Henry Creel, Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper and Bob Newby. It has been confirmed that the play is canon and directly tied to the show.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow revealed that Joyce Byers went to the high school with Hopper and Bob. It was implied that she had feelings for Hopper and that they once planned to run away together to Mexico. The trio also tried to solve the mystery of the dead animals in Hawkins. Joyce thought that Henry Creel was behind the unsettling events happening in the town.

Stranger Things 5 may have scenes of young Joyce and Hopper from 1959. In the present timeline, they still have no idea that their former school fellow Henry, is responsible for the destruction of Hawkins. Watching their reactions as they uncover the truth could be one of the season’s most powerful moments. One mindblowing theory even suggests that Henry Creel rewrote time in 1959, causing Joyce and Hopper to forget those events entirely.

With so many mysteries left to uncover, the idea of flashback scenes in season 5 is beyond exciting. The scenes of young Joyce Byers could be very crucial to the overall story of Stranger Things.