Stranger Things finale aired on New Year’s Eve 2025. The Upside Down is closed. Vecna is gone. And the kids from Hawkins have scattered across Hollywood to do what comes next.

For those of us who grew up watching this show, or discovered it late and binged it in a weekend, there’s something genuinely bittersweet about typing “where is the Stranger Things cast now” into a search bar. But here we are. And honestly? The answer is pretty exciting.

Here’s a full breakdown of every major cast member and what they’re up to in 2026.

Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) — The Busiest Person in Hollywood

Let’s start with the obvious one. Millie Bobby Brown was already one of the most recognisable young actresses in the world before Stranger Things ended, and she hasn’t slowed down for a single second since.

Her biggest confirmed project is Enola Holmes 3, hitting Netflix on July 1, 2026. The third instalment takes Enola to Malta, where she faces an international conspiracy that pushes her detective skills to the limit. Henry Cavill is back as Sherlock, and first-look images that went viral earlier this year show Louis Partridge’s Viscount Tewkesbury down on one knee, so the romantic subplot is very much alive. If you loved the first two films, this one looks like it delivers everything fans have been waiting for.

Beyond Enola, Brown is starring in Just Picture It, a Netflix romantic comedy she’s also producing, about two people whose phones mysteriously start showing them photos of their future married selves. It’s a sharp pivot from psychic powers and Demogorgons, which feels entirely intentional. She’s also attached to Prism, an upcoming supernatural drama series for Netflix that she’s producing alongside Rachel Brosnahan.

And then there’s life off-screen, as she married Jake Bongiovi in 2024 and the couple adopted a baby girl in August 2025. She’s 22, married, a mother, a producer, and releasing multiple projects this year.

Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) — Entering the MCU

This is the one that had the internet absolutely losing its mind when it was confirmed.

Sadie Sink is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland’s next outing as Peter Parker, scheduled for release on July 31, 2026. Her character hasn’t been officially revealed yet, which is very on-brand for Marvel. But the speculation has been wild, and fan casts have been flying around since the announcement dropped.

Before that hits theatres, Sink also returned to the stage in London’s West End earlier in 2026, marking a major return to her theatrical roots following what was genuinely one of the most emotional performances in Stranger Things 5.

Max Mayfield survived the Upside Down. Now she’s joining the MCU. The trajectory makes complete sense.

Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) — Choosing Music Over Movies

Finn Wolfhard is being refreshingly honest about where his head is at. In a recent interview with Esquire, he said he has “nothing on the books” acting-wise and intends to focus on music for a while, adding that he’ll return to acting “only if it’s something that I’m really in love with.” That kind of clarity is rare in Hollywood, especially for someone his age with his level of fame.

That said, he does have one film already finished and out in the world: Crash Land, a stunt comedy he wrapped in November 2025, which had its world premiere at SXSW in March 2026 alongside Gabriel LaBelle. He also had a cameo in Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, which delighted basically everyone on the internet.

His band, The Aubreys, is gearing up for a summer 2026 tour, and he’s hinted at recording a solo album later this year. For a generation of fans who discovered him as Mike Wheeler, watching Finn Wolfhard choose music as his primary identity is genuinely cool to see.

Joe Keery (Steve Harrington) — Leading Man Status

Steve Harrington went from “the worst” to fan favourite across Stranger Things’ run. Joe Keery, meanwhile, has been quietly building one of the more interesting post-franchise careers of the whole cast.

His biggest 2026 project was Cold Storage, a horror-comedy starring opposite Liam Neeson and Georgina Campbell. Keery plays Teacake, a night-shift worker who gets trapped in a military storage facility.

Outside of acting, his music project Djo continues to grow. His song “End of Beginning” exploded on TikTok in 2024 and turned him into a legitimate breakout music star, followed by an album and a world tour. He also plays frontman for the band Post Animal. The man contains multitudes.

Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley) — The Year of Maya

If there’s a cast member who is absolutely everywhere in 2026, it’s Maya Hawke.

She’s joining the Hunger Games universe in Sunrise on the Reaping, arriving in theatres November 20, 2026 — playing Wiress, a brilliant former victor from District 3 whose story unfolds during the 50th Games (the Second Quarter Quell). She accidentally caused a stir during a talk show appearance by hinting at a Jennifer Lawrence cameo in the film, which broke the internet for approximately 48 hours.

Beyond Panem, she’s starring in One Night Only (August 7, 2026), a Will Gluck-directed ensemble comedy alongside Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, and Molly Ringwald. She also has Wishful Thinking, a romantic comedy opposite Lewis Pullman, and is attached to a Lucia Joyce biopic playing the daughter of James Joyce, with Rhys Ifans as the writer himself.

Four confirmed projects in a single year is not nothing. Robin Buckley would be proud.

Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair) — Voice Acting and R&B

Caleb McLaughlin is having a quietly excellent year.

His most visible 2026 project is Goat, a Sony Pictures Animation film that is now on Netflix. He voices Will, a young goat with big dreams of competing in roarball, a sport very clearly inspired by basketball. The voice cast is stacked: Gabrielle Union, Aaron Pierre, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour, Nick Kroll, Jenifer Lewis, and Patton Oswalt are all in it. It’s family-friendly, colourful, and a sharp pivot from the supernatural horror of Hawkins.

Off-screen, McLaughlin has been continuing to develop his R&B music, an area he’s been quietly building for several years now. He’s one of the more genuinely versatile members of the ensemble — Broadway kid, dramatic actor, voice actor, musician and the post-Stranger Things chapter looks like it’ll show that range properly.

Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) — Still Making People Laugh

Gaten Matarazzo has one of the most distinctive voices in the cast, both literally and as a performer and he’s been keeping busy since the finale.

He appeared alongside Finn Wolfhard and Caleb McLaughlin on Saturday Night Live in January 2026 when Wolfhard hosted, appearing in a Stranger Things sketch that earned massive attention online. The three of them together, clearly older but still instantly recognisable as those kids, was the kind of moment that reminded you how much of your life this show actually occupied.

His next Pizza Movie dropped on Hulu on April 3, 2026, after premiering at SXSW in March. The premise is exactly what it sounds like: Matarazzo plays Jack, a shy college student whose reckless roommate Montgomery (Sean Giambrone) convinces him to take a decade-old experimental drug they find stashed in their dorm room.

Matarazzo has also been continuing his advocacy work around cleidocranial dysplasia, the condition he’s had since birth and which was written into Dustin’s character and remains one of the more genuinely public-facing members of the cast when it comes to disability representation.

Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) — Quietly Stacking Projects

Natalia Dyer is one of those actors who does serious work without a lot of noise around it, and 2026 looks like it’s following that same pattern.

She’s set to lead Chestnut, a queer coming-of-age drama that’s been building buzz on the festival circuit and is headed for a wide streaming release. She also stars in God’s Country, a survival thriller already being compared to The Revenant for its physical intensity and remote setting. Both projects are a significant departure from Nancy Wheeler’s journalistic instincts and trench coat energy in a good way.

Her real-life relationship with co-star Charlie Heaton is still going strong, which is exactly the kind of detail that Stranger Things fans have always quietly appreciated.

Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers) — Stepping Out

Charlie Heaton has been one of the quieter members of the Stranger Things cast in terms of public profile, but the projects he’s lined up for 2026 are doing a lot to change that perception.

First up is Industry, the HBO drama about young finance workers at a London investment bank that has built a fiercely devoted following over its run. Heaton joins the cast as Jim Dycker, a journalist who enters the story with an investigative edge. The season premiered on January 11, 2026, with weekly Sunday night episodes.

Second is Twice Over, an Australian romantic comedy directed by Alena Lodkina, starring Heaton opposite Mia Wasikowska. The film centres on two people whose unexpected reunion forces them to re-examine how time and choice reshape a life. It’s been introduced to international buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin, which is where serious distribution deals get made.

Third is an untitled Netflix limited series set in Newfoundland, Canada, described as involving sea monsters terrorising a coastal community. Filming wrapped in October 2025 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and the series is expected to land on Netflix sometime in the second half of 2026.

Three confirmed projects across HBO, Netflix, and international cinema in a single year is a strong statement for someone the internet used to mostly know as “the one dating Natalia Dyer.” Heaton has always been one of the more underestimated members of this cast. 2026 looks like the year that changes.

David Harbour (Jim Hopper) — Voice Acting and Beyond

David Harbour has the biggest franchise calendar of anyone in the cast but he also had the most human moment first.

Shortly after the finale, he quietly dropped out of Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! (which starred Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde), with insiders saying he was overwhelmed by the end of Stranger Things and needed to rest. Fair enough, after a decade as Hopper.

What’s ahead is massive. Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18, 2026, with Harbour reprising Red Guardian alongside the biggest MCU ensemble in years, directed by the Russo brothers. He’s already confirmed for Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027 too. Before that, Violent Night 2 lands December 4, 2026 — the sequel to his cult Christmas action comedy that grossed $70 million globally. He’s also in the Goat voice cast on Netflix. December 2026 is going to be a big month for him with Santa Claus and Red Guardian in the same holiday season.

David Harbour, who somehow made a flawed, struggling, deeply human police chief into one of the most beloved characters in recent TV history, is lending his voice to Goat on Netflix alongside Caleb McLaughlin. It’s a fun, low-stakes appearance that lets him be warm and funny in a very different context.

Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) — A Very Interesting Chapter

Noah Schnapp is the only major cast member without a confirmed acting project on the calendar right now, but the story around him in 2026 is arguably more interesting than most.

He just graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he studied entrepreneurship and innovation, walking across the stage earlier this month while simultaneously debuting at the Cannes Film Festival in a Karl Lagerfeld tuxedo, representing jewellery brand Chaumet at the premiere of El Ser Querido (The Beloved). He posted about it on Instagram, captioning his graduation photos “What, like it’s hard???” the Legally Blonde reference that earned him over a million likes in a few hours.

As for acting, he’s been intentionally selective. In recent interviews, he’s said he’s “so ready to play another character” after nine years as Will Byers, and rumours are swirling that he and Heated Rivalry showrunner Jacob Tierney recently followed each other on Instagram, sparking speculation about a Season 2 connection. Nothing confirmed, but worth watching closely.

Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers) — Taking a Breath

Of all the cast members, Winona Ryder is the one who seems most likely to take some time before her next major commitment. She hasn’t announced anything publicly yet, and honestly after playing Joyce Byers across nine years of increasingly harrowing emotional performances, that seems entirely fair.

She remains one of the most respected actors of her generation, and whatever she chooses next will be worth paying attention to.

The Duffer Brothers — The Universe Continues

Three shows, a major new deal, and one notable cancellation.

The Boroughs is their biggest immediate project with eight episodes dropping all at once on Netflix on May 21, 2026, following retirement community residents fighting a supernatural monster in New Mexico. Their words: “this time our misfits ride golf carts, not bikes.” It stars Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, and Denis O’Hare.

Their horror series Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen was already released in March, and the second season of animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is confirmed for Netflix later this year. On the downside, their Stephen King adaptation, The Talisman, was quietly cancelled after Netflix lost the rights to the novel.

The big news going forward: they signed a four-year deal with Paramount/Skydance in 2025, which kicked in when their Netflix contract expired in April 2026. Large-scale theatrical films are the focus. Whatever they’re building next is going to be worth watching.

Nine years. Five seasons. One of the most beloved casts in television history. And now they’re off doing their own thing — entering the MCU, joining the Hunger Games, making music, graduating from the Ivy League, and walking Cannes red carpets.

Hawkins, Indiana was never real. But the people who brought it to life very much are. And it turns out, they have a lot left to do.

Last updated: May 2026